sister herb
Official TTI Chef
Herbal Cough Drops
Coughs can sometimes be the most debilitating part of a cold or flu. Persistent coughs can keep someone from sleeping and cause a lot of pain. Generally we don’t want to suppress a cough unless it is a last resort to restore someone’s sanity. Instead we may employ herbs to support a cough, thus helping to relieve it. A conversation about herbal stimulating and relaxing expectorants as well as demulcents and anti-spasmodics could be an article in itself! Instead I leave you with this recipe, a hard candy type cough drop, great for those tickly, persistent coughs that can keep you up at night.
Ingredients
1/2 cup of super strong herbal tea
2 cups of sugar
3/4 cups of black strap molasses
also useful is a candy thermometer and a hard candy mold
(I know what you are thinking, yes, this recipe does call for a lot of sugar. It is not an appropriate recipe from someone with blood sugar issues.)
To begin prepare your hard candy molds for the mixture OR grease a cookie sheet. Also have a small cup of cold water nearby.
The 1/2 cup of super strong herbal tea can use a variety of different herbs. My latest favorite is equal parts bee balm (Monarda spp.), sage (Salvia officinalis) and rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis). Horehound (Marrubium vulgare) is, of course, famous as a cough drop as well.
To make these, blend all ingredients in a medium to large saucepan. Stir constantly on high heat until the temperature reaches 300 degrees F / 149 C, OR the mixture solidifies when dropped into the cool water.
Once it is ready, pour into the hard candy molds (or greased cookie sheet), let cool and then store until needed. Some people coat each piece of candy with powdered sugar to keep it from sticking to one another. Powdered herbs (rose petals, yum!) can be used as well.
Source: http://www.methowvalleyherbs.com/2012/12/creating-herbal-medicine-chest-for-cold.html
Coughs can sometimes be the most debilitating part of a cold or flu. Persistent coughs can keep someone from sleeping and cause a lot of pain. Generally we don’t want to suppress a cough unless it is a last resort to restore someone’s sanity. Instead we may employ herbs to support a cough, thus helping to relieve it. A conversation about herbal stimulating and relaxing expectorants as well as demulcents and anti-spasmodics could be an article in itself! Instead I leave you with this recipe, a hard candy type cough drop, great for those tickly, persistent coughs that can keep you up at night.
Ingredients
1/2 cup of super strong herbal tea
2 cups of sugar
3/4 cups of black strap molasses
also useful is a candy thermometer and a hard candy mold
(I know what you are thinking, yes, this recipe does call for a lot of sugar. It is not an appropriate recipe from someone with blood sugar issues.)
To begin prepare your hard candy molds for the mixture OR grease a cookie sheet. Also have a small cup of cold water nearby.
The 1/2 cup of super strong herbal tea can use a variety of different herbs. My latest favorite is equal parts bee balm (Monarda spp.), sage (Salvia officinalis) and rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis). Horehound (Marrubium vulgare) is, of course, famous as a cough drop as well.
To make these, blend all ingredients in a medium to large saucepan. Stir constantly on high heat until the temperature reaches 300 degrees F / 149 C, OR the mixture solidifies when dropped into the cool water.
Once it is ready, pour into the hard candy molds (or greased cookie sheet), let cool and then store until needed. Some people coat each piece of candy with powdered sugar to keep it from sticking to one another. Powdered herbs (rose petals, yum!) can be used as well.
Source: http://www.methowvalleyherbs.com/2012/12/creating-herbal-medicine-chest-for-cold.html