When the temperature starts dropping we all know what’s around the corner: cold and flu season. When you’re fighting a cold you may find yourself reaching for some cough drops.
Cough drops can be a good way to ease the pain of a sore throat or lingering cough, but not all drops are created equal. Sure there are some drops that mostly soothe a sore throat with honey or cooling mint, but those are often packed with sugar.
Other cough drops are filled with medications that may do more harm than good. Menthol, a common medication in cough drops, may elevate your heart rate when used in too high of doses.
Your best bet is to stick to natural remedies when you’re trying to fight a cold. A homemade recipe is the perfect alternative to store bought cough drops. It’s cheap, easy and you have complete control over what goes into them!
No more scary ingredients you can’t pronounce or unnecessary sugar you don’t need. Follow these simple instructions to make all-natural, organic cough drops of your very own.
Natural Cough Drops
Ingredients:
2 1/2 – Cups filtered water
2 – Cups of Organic Honey
5 – Teaspoon of herbs – use one teaspoon of each – slippery elm, chamomile, eucalyptus leaves, licorice root, and mullein.
Tools:
• candy thermometer
• candy mold
• medium saucepan
• fine mesh strainer
• waxed paper
• parchment paper
If you’d like, you can add flavourings like cinnamon or lemon rind to punch up the flavour. You can also add a bit of natural food colour if you want to make them more fun.
Procedure:
Using a medium saucepan, take 2 1/2 cups of water and bring it to a boil. Add in all 5 teaspoons of herbs and make sure to keep stirring the mixture. You don’t want your herbs to burn. Keep stirring until the herbs have boiled down.