Herbal Honey Cough Drop Recipe
Herbal cough drops are lozenges that can be sucked to relieve a cough or sore throat. Lozenges can also be made for the digestive system, for a cold or flu, as a digestive bitter, for a children's tonic and the list goes on. Most cough drops have sugar in them, which helps them harden. The problem with sugar is it also lowers our immune response and increases inflammation. Honey, on the other hand, is soothing and antimicrobial. So, I set out to make an herbal cough drop recipe that used honey instead of sugar. I came up with a recipe that is potent, effective, and tastes great!
Supplies for making Cough Drops:
Candy thermometer or bowl of ice water
Large pan with a thick bottom (so it doesn’t scorch or boil over)
Large Spoon
9X13 glass casserole dish or cookie sheet (If you are using a cookie sheet or casserole dish you’ll need to start cutting the cough drop squares immediately.) or candy molds
Parchment paper
Sturdy spatula (if you are cutting the drops yourself)
Glass jar with tight-fitting lid for storage
Label
Cough Drop Recipe:
½ ounce Ginger root
¼ ounce Licorice root
¼ ounce Wild cherry bark
2 cups Water
1 ounce Propolis or Poplar bud tincture
1 1/2 cups Honey (can use an herb-infused honey such as hyssop or monarda)
10 drops Peppermint essential oil
5 drops Lemon essential oil
5 drops Rosemary essential oil
Optional Ingredients:
Rice syrup: is less likely to soften than honey. You can substitute if for half the honey in your recipe if you are having problems with the recipe being sticky.
2-3 tablespoons olive oil (or coconut oil). Helps ingredients not stick to the pan or your skin.
Herbal tinctures: if an herb isn’t water-soluble, using a tincture is a great way to add it to your cough drop. Just make sure to not add too much. See my list below of Herbs for the Respiratory System.
Essential oils: Use approximately 1 drop per ounce. This means using approximately 8 drops per cup of your lozenge mixture. You can go slightly higher for a more aromatic effect. See the list of essential oils below.
Directions:
Make a strong herbal decoction by putting the herbs in cool water and bringing to a boil. Simmer for 20 - 45 minutes covered (you can soak the herbs overnight prior to simmering for stronger decoction). Reduce down to half the volume (1 cup) by cooking longer. Strain.
Add the honey and the tincture to the herbal decoction and cook on medium heat. Stir often and don’t leave the mixture unattended. Cook until it reaches 300° F (hard-crack stage). If you don’t have a candy thermometer, you can drop a small amount into a bowl of ice water. Take it out and drop it on a plate. If it breaks, that is the hard-crack stage and it is ready to pour.
If you are adding essential oils or menthol, stir them in just as the syrup reaches 300°.
Mold your drops:
Pour into candy molds or your own “marshmallow molds”. To make marshmallow molds, simply add 3 cups of marshmallow powder to a casserole pan. Hit the pan gently on the counter several times to settle the marshmallow powder. Make small indentations in the powder with a pestle, measuring spoon, or your finger. Arrowroot or corn starch can also be used to make the molds.
OR put some olive oil or coconut oil on your clean hands and then roll your mixture into small “drops”. Set these on parchment paper until cool.
With either method you use, I recommend coating the outside of the drops with marshmallow or arrowroot powder so they don’t stick together.
To clean your supplies, fill your pan half full of water and then bring it to a boil. The residue dissolves in the water easily.
This recipe makes about 2 cups.
Herbs for the Respiratory System:
The below herbs are useful for the respiratory system. Most of them can be made into a decoction. I have indicated if an herb should be added to a cough drop as a tincture.
Balsam root (Balsamorhiza sagittata)
Bee Balm (Monnarda sp.)
Echinacea, roots, leaves, flowers and/or seeds (Echinacea spp.)
Elecampane (Inula helenium)
Elderberries (Sambucus nigra, S. Canadensis, S. nigra)
Eucalyptus ( Eucalyptus globulus)
Ginger (Zingiber officinale)
Grindelia (Grindelia spp.) tincture
Holy Basil (Ocimum sanctum)
Horehound (Marrubium vulgare) use sparingly as it is very bitter
Hyssop (Hyssopus officinalis)
Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis)
Licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra, G. uralensis or G. lepidota)
Lomatium (Lomatium dissectum)
Marshmallow (Althaea officinalis) I recommend this plant as a substitute for slippery elm, which is on the United Plant Savers “At Risk” list.
Mormon Tea (Ephedra viridis)
Mullein leaf (Verbascum thapsus)
Myrrh (Commiphora myrrha, C. molmol, C. abbysinica) tincture
Essential Oils for Cough Drops:
The below oils are useful for cough drops. They are all on the FDA Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) Essential Oil list. Remember, only use the recommended dosage for essential oils as they are very strong.
Black pepper (Piper nigrum)
Cinnamon (Cinnamomum zeylanicum, C. cassia, C. loureirii)
Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare)
Ginger (Zingiber officinale)
Hyssop (Hyssopus officinalis)
Lavender (Lavandula officinalis, Spike: L. latifolia)
Lemon (Citrus limon)
Lime (Citrus aurantifolia)
Mandarin (Citrus reticulate)
Menthol (Mentha spp.) (Not an essential oil, menthol is a crystalline compound with a cooling minty taste and odor, found in peppermint and other natural oils. It is used as a flavoring and in decongestants and analgesics. Menthol can be synthetically derived, so make sure you get a natural source. )
Orange (Citrus sinensis)
Peppermint (Mentha piperita L.),
Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis)
Sage (Salvia officinalis)
Thyme linalool (Thymus vulgaris L.)
© Elaine Sheff, Clinical Herbalist, RH (AHG)