It seems that the flu has hit many people pretty hard this year! So far, we’ve gotten by with only minor sniffles, but I’ve got some natural remedies on hand just in case!
One recipe I’ve finally perfected and am happy with is this one for homemade herbal cough drops! Most cough drops contain sugar and preservatives, and some even contain artificial colors, flavors or chemicals! Since we have one child still on the GAPS protocol, these aren’t even an option, and I wanted to find a homemade recipe anyway.
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Herbal Cough Drops Recipe
After much, much experimentation and many batches of gooey messes that got thrown away (or were eaten by the kids as taffy…), I finally found a recipe I am happy with and can duplicate. I’ll also be posting recipes for herbal cough syrup and herbal tincture for cough, but these pack a powerful herbal punch and my kids love them!
Herbal Cough Drops Recipe
Notes
This article was medically reviewed by Dr. Scott Soerries, MD, Family Physician and Medical Director of SteadyMD. As always, this is not personal medical advice and we recommend that you talk with your doctor.
What natural remedies do you make at home? Has the flu hit your house this year? Share below!
How many do these make?
Thank you for this recipe!! I have been making Eldeberry Syrup, and love it! Do you think I can make lozenges from the elderberry syrup itself?? I have a bag of organic elderberry, and just thought about this.
Thank you!! 🙂
Doesn’t the boiling take the healthiness out of the honey? I’d love a way to make honey drops without boiling.
Hi there! For the Herbs can a person use essential oils of herbs and if so how much would you put in?
I would be cautious with essential oil ingestion…
Hi, I tried this recipe today but even after boiling for over 2 hours the mixture only got to 200C on my candy thermometer. I’ve poured it into my silicon candy molds anyway as it was about to burn but its still a goo and I’d be surprised if it did set. Please advise regarding an alternative use for the goo. Thanks in advance.
I have just tried to make this my mixture did not harden not sure why I have 2 batches sitting here in liquid form need help ty
I looked the ingredients elderberry and others in Mount rose herbs but I was confused on what to get the syrup or berries please tell me what you recommend for the cough drop recipe? This is my first time using a lot of herbs instead of store bought medicine.
Thanks for the recipe, mine worked!
The herbs I used were marshmallow root, slippery elm, and rabbit tobacco. They definitely had a “herbal” “medicinal” taste to them, but they seemed to help my little girl with a hacking cough.
Thank you for so many interesting blog topics. I’ve used this site many times -mainly for these “remedy” type of recipes. Here is a question, though: I understand the issue with heating honey; however, I’ve been trying to understand how heat affects the beneficial constituents of the herbs that one is using in the cough drops.
From what I’ve read, some herbs are more susceptible to heat damage than others, but I’m wondering if you have any reference for this issue, so I can take an educated approach to which herbs to choose to heat enough for the drops. I feel like I’ve looked everywhere, and haven’t been able to find this information. Any help here, I’d appreciate!
This will make a great cough medicine for us. It was an epic fail. I’m not sure what I did wrong but it stayed liquid. Thanks for your info
Hi, I like homemade natural but not always. Not very long ago, I did try homemade for first time honey-lemon jelly but somehow I miss read info pectin say one package 3 oz but I buy one package 1.5 oz. Oh well but still use honey-lemon jelly for dry sore throat or cough whatever and it work but one of my kid not like honey-lemon jelly. I’d like to try yours recipe. I don’t let honey boil to long or it will kill and won’t help at all. I let honey boil just like one min very short and it will help fight.
Also I must check if it safe for heart problem before I can go ahead homemade natural for my kids. I noticed that in stores local so many medicine “warring” so I need call kid’s doctor to ask if it’s okay or can’t and what kind can have medicine. Also I don’t want to add more sugar or artificial colors no reason need to add it won’t help to fight really nothing to help just make look good or taste. I’d like to try find what kids really like without problem give my kids to take medicine for cough drop or when they’re sick.
Thank you for your share homemade natural recipe, I like that.
I make honey candies all the time and have never used a thermometer. I just bring the honey to a boil and let it boil for ten minutes. No stirring. The honey gets quite dark but it works every time. I usually add 1/4 cup of butter to one cup of honey and then I add a teaspoon of vanilla after I take it off the heat. I let it cool for 5 to 10 minutes on a silicone mat then when it is cool enough to handle I twist it into a rope and cut it into pieces. Wrap each piece in parchment paper. I boil it on medium heat.
Will the lozenges stick if I toss them in the Slippery Elm without stevia?
If I can’t do something natural I don’t do it,I was happy to run across these but I do have a silly question for you.I know the one cup water but how much(measure)wise of each herb do I mix in the water?
Thank You
Idea….maybe you could infuse the water add some honey pour into molds and freeze? Instead of boiling away the honeys natural healing properties. The cool frozen losengez would also feel good. Or would freezing also ruin the honeys nutrition?
That is a great idea! I’d love to know for sure about the honey…I wouldn’t think freezing would hurt it, but I don’t know. I made the lozenges and they didn’t turn out right. Freezing infused water with honey sounds like a much easier idea.
What size were the candy molds you used, as in, what size did the drops come out as? I’m looking at buying some candy molds, but there are so many different sizes.
Thanks!
I used powdered sugar… fill a pan with powdered sugar, use something small to make indentations in the sugar(I used the round end of a spatula handle). works great and the mixture just rolls right into the dent. Good luck!
I hate cough sweets though but love the idea
thank you, Katie. Unfortunately, mine also were a flop…burnt, burnt, burnt by the time I got to 300F. And I stirred for over 45 min. I did have concerns that the honey would burn and the medicinal value would be lost after the cooking process. Maybe some of the frustration, from others, is the time and money spent for something that was not useful, and no responses to questions. Pity others feel so entitled to speak so disrespectfully and foolishly.
Hey Katie
In the recipe you posted you posted
1 cup of water infused with herbs. I used slippery elm, coltsfoot, cinnamon, elderberry and chamomile
For the water infused herbs what are the amounts for herbs you add into a jar and how long do you leave all the herbs infused before you use it? 🙂
Thank you so much for taking the time to answer when you can 🙂
******My question was never answered*****
How long do these keep????? I got a lot of notifications from this argument last night 🙁
I don’t know how long they’ll last as my kids tend to eat them within a couple of days after making them, but I would assume 2 weeks or more…
Thanks! I appreciate it. 🙂
I am excited to make this.