Learn how to make cough drops and send that winter cough packing!
Winter is the season for holiday cheer, togetherness, fireplace cuddles….and COLDS. Yep, exposure to chilly air can lead to scratchy throats, runny noses and, of course, persistent coughs.
But don't let seasonal maladies get you down! Certified holistic nutritionist Sophie Uliano shared a simple recipe for DIY cough drops that are free of artificial dyes, flavors and sweeteners. According to her, they taste like candy and ease your sore throat.
By making the cough drops at home, you can add potent herbs and use any mold you want! Uliano used elderberry and slippery elm, which have both been used for hundreds of years to naturally treat colds and respiratory problems, and threw in some Vitamin C powder for an extra immune boost.
Love this? Check out: Homemade Cold and Flu Remedy
How to Make Cough Drops
Ingredients
- 2 cups boiling water
- 1 tbsp dried Elderberries
- 1 tbsp slippery elm powder (optional but great for cough) + 1⁄2 cup for dusting
- 1.5 cups honey
- Candy thermometer
Directions
1) Pour boiling water over herbs, mix and leave to steep for 20 minutes.
2) Meanwhile, add the honey to a heavy bottomed saucepan
3) Strain the herbs from the water using cheesecloth, and add 1 cup of the tisane to the saucepan.
4) Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper.
5) Place the slippery elm powder that you are going to use for dusting in a small bowl. -Bring to a boil, and continue boiling until temperature reaches 300 degrees (known as “Firm Ball” in candy making), on your thermometer. Use a wooden spoon to stir the mixture during the first few minutes of boiling, but after it reaches 300 degrees, just let it bubble away.
6) As soon as your mixture has reached the “firm ball” stage, remove from the heat and pour into the baking sheet.
7) It will set very quickly, so as soon as it’s cool enough to handle (a minute or so), make little scoops with your spoon, and with your fingers, firm into little ball shapes.
8) Roll the balls in the slippery elm powder to prevent them from sticking to each other.
To learn more and see a video of Uliano making the cough drops, click here.
