Throat feeling a little scratchy? Skip the line at the grocery store and scavenge in your own kitchen pantry to make these homemade cough drops. As one of the many natural remedies to combat a sore throat, making a batch of these cough drops is not only fun but practical. You can even eat these as hard candies!
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While it may seem daunting to make your own DIY natural cough drops, it couldn't be easier than setting a pot on the stove to boil. All you need is a candy thermometer (which you can buy here), parchment paper or wax paper, and a large heavy-bottomed pot. You can even go all out and buy silicone candy molds if you plan on making this home remedy cough drop recipe for the kiddos to boost their immune system during flu season.
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But before we get into the recipe itself, let's take a quick look at why these honey cough drops work to help a scratchy throat. Unlike cough syrup you can buy at the store, these homemade honey cough drops use natural ingredients to soothe your throat. This recipe only uses three: honey, ginger, and lemon. And the best part is these throat lozenges taste great.
According to the Mayo Clinic, honey, especially raw honey, has been proven as an effective cough suppressant. One study compared the use of honey to improve a nighttime cough to over-the-counter dextromethorphan, a common ingredient in cough medicine. Just be sure to avoid giving honey to little ones under the age of two.
The other two ingredients, fresh ginger, and lemon act as a natural throat soother. Ginger is said to contain anti-inflammatory properties, which is why so many people tend to steep a honey lemon ginger mixture in boiling water to soothe their throat. These throat drops are just a tad easier to bring around (and are totally tasty).
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To begin, add the honey, lemon juice and grated ginger in a large saucepan and cook over medium heat until it reaches 300 degrees F, which is considered the hard-crack stage.
Spoon the mixture on a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet and let harden. Once hardened, you can roll the drops in a bit of powdered sugar to prevent them from sticking to each other. The cornstarch in the powdered sugar helps a lot! Store in an airtight container at room temperature.
