Homemade Lemon Elderberry Herbal Cough Drops 

This late January has been rainy and cold and I couldn’t think of a better time to make a batch of these super easy natural cough drops. Cough drops first came out around the mid 1800’s and since then, they’ve grown into a very normal part of our sick day routines. Unfortunately, cough drops that are available today are often filled with sugar, glucose syrup, or high fructose corn syrup which isn’t beneficial for healing coughs or colds. When you make your own, you get to control what goes in! These cough drops can be easily adapted to so many different flavors to fit your needs and taste. 

Why Sugar is Bad for Colds

The Cleveland Clinic states that “Sugar can suppress the immune system by actively targeting cells that fight bacteria.”  When you are trying to beat a cold, it’s best to do everything to actively heal. So why is sugar in our cough drops? Cough drops are made in much the same way as hard candy. Hard candy is made by cooking sugars down until they reach what’s called a hard crack stage in candy making. The big difference between candy and cough drops is the additions that go into the drops themselves. Ingredients like benzocaine (a local anesthetic) and menthol. 

Harmful Ingredients in Cough Drops 

There are a few other ingredients that are commonly used in cough drops that are in no way beneficial to your overall health, let alone getting over a cold. These ingredients include dyes like Red 40 and Blue 1. 

Health risks connected to Red 40

Red 40 is a synthetic food dye that is used in many snacks, candies, drinks and more. It poses many risks to your bodily and mental health including possible allergies, hyperactivity, like ADHD, hives, irritability, asthma, and migraines. Red 40 also contains a known carcinogen called benzene. Benzene, a highly flammable chemical, is known for having less than desirable effects on humans. The Center for Disease and Control says, “Benzene causes harmful effects on bone marrow and can cause a decrease in red blood cells, leading to anemia. It can also cause excessive bleeding and can affect the immune system, increasing the chance for infection.” Basically, it doesn’t belong in your cough drops or anything else you’re consuming. 

Why Homemade is Better

The biggest benefit of making your own cough drops, is being able to control the ingredients that go into them. With ingredients like honey, lemon, elderberry, chamomile, mullein, and peppermint you can trust that you’ll get all the benefits of store bought cough drops, without all the nasties. 

Honey

Honey is naturally full of antioxidants, is antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory according to the National Institutes of Health. Did you know that because it is antimicrobial, it can last virtually forever and never go bad. It soothes coughs and sore throats naturally and is just a great thing to have on hand. 

Lemon 

Lemons are full of vitamin C, making them a great thing to consume when sick. Vitamin C helps boost your immune system and fight off infection. 

Elderberry 

Elderberries are full of antioxidants and are very good for boosting your immune system, which helps fight infection. It has been used for centuries in traditional folk medicine and in reference to the Elder plant, Hippocrates, known as the “father of medicine”, called it his ‘medicine chest’. 

Mullein 

Mullein is very good for respiratory infections and can help promote a productive cough. It’s a very foragable plant as it grows almost everywhere. Both the leaves and flowers can be used for medicinal purposes. 

Chamomile 

Chamomile has anti-inflammatory properties, which can be very helpful for sore throats and colds. It has been used for thousands of years in natural medicine and has the perk of being absolutely delicious and beautiful. 

Peppermint 

Peppermint’s main active agent is menthol, making it an amazing addition to cough drops. It can help soothe sore throats, thin mucus, and make it easier to breathe.

Yarrow

Yarrow has drying capabilities which can be great for colds and flus. The astringent nature of it can help with mucus build up. It is also an antiviral which can help fight your illness. Both the leaves and the flowers are edible and medicinal. You can find yarrow tea in the grocery store, but it can also be foraged easily in the summer months. 

Ginger 

Ginger has antiviral properties and anti-inflammatory properties, which helps fight illness by killing off viruses and reducing inflammation. It’s also an awesome thing to take for boosting your immune system. 

Instructions

Step 1 – Prepare Your Dish

Line a casserole tray with parchment paper and dust it with arrowroot powder to prevent sticking

Step 2 – Step Your Tea

Boil your water and pour it over your herbal tea of choice. I like to use two to three bags of herbal tea to make it extra concentrated. Let steep till it is cool.

Step 3 – Cook You Honey Mixture

Next, add all of your ingredients to a small heavy bottomed pot and put it on a medium low flame. Let it simmer till it reaches 300 degrees fahrenheit, also known as the hard crack stage in candy making. This could take up 30-40 minutes. Stir so that it doesn’t burn

Step 4 – Pour Into Dish

Once it reaches this temperature, pour it into your prepared casserole dish and let cool for around 10 minutes.

Step 5 – Score Your Cough Drops

Dust the top of the cough drop sheet with arrowroot powder and take a knife of bench scraper and press score lines into the cough drops. This will allow you to break them apart in a uniform manner when they are fully cooled. You may need to do this a couple of times over a few minutes to make sure the score lines are deep enough and stay.

Step 6 – Alternative Method

You can also lay out a sheet of parchment and drop teaspoon sized circles an inch apart to make round drops.

Step 7 – Store

Once fully cooled, break your cough drops apart and cover them with more arrowroot powder so that they won’t stick to each other. Store in a glass jar in your fridge.