Cough drops and cold medicine can get expensive, and it’s not always easy to tell exactly what ingredients are in the medications you’re taking. But with this simple recipe, you can make all-natural cough drops yourself with ingredients you likely already have in your kitchen.
YouTube user Dave Hax takes us step-by-step through how to make this DIY cold remedy that he says is “perfect to help soothe a sore throat, and act[s] as a great natural cold or flu remedy.” And with just a few household ingredients, it’s never been easier to make your own soothing cough drops for pennies on the dollar.
What You’ll Need:
–1 cup of sugar
–1/2 cup of water
–1 tablespoon of lemon juice
–1 tablespoon of honey
–1/2 teaspoon of ground ginger
–1/4 teaspoon of ground cloves
How to Get Started:
To begin, mix all of the ingredients together in a small pot over medium heat, and stir well until the mixture begins to simmer.
Reduce the heat to low and continue stirring frequently for approximately 15-20 minutes. It will be ready once the mixture looks dark and thick with a consistency similar to syrup.
While you’re waiting, you can start preparing the baking sheet. You may need two baking sheets, depending on how many drops you’re planning to make. Line each baking sheet with parchment paper.
Once the mix has finished simmering, use a spoon to scoop small drops onto the parchment paper. Be careful doing this, because the mixture is still very hot. Hax explains that you can also use a piping bag instead of a spoon for more symmetrical-looking drops, but because it’s easy to burn yourself he doesn’t recommend that method for beginners.
After you’ve used all of the mixture, let the drops cool for about 20 minutes. Then sprinkle a generous amount of powdered sugar on top to prevent them from sticking together, making sure to coat all the drops completely.
And that’s all there is to it! You can store them in a small container lined with parchment paper, and they make a delicious, all-natural alternative to traditional store-bought cough drops and cold medication. You can also dissolve the drops in a mug of hot water for a soothing drink.
This recipe takes under an hour from start to finish, and if you have most of the ingredients already it’s also incredibly inexpensive. Plus, the drops taste great!