An easy recipe for a simple and effective cough syrup

An easy recipe for a simple and effective cough syrup

In the series about syrups I discussed how to make your own syrups. Today I will give you an easy recipe for a simple and effective cough syrup. Let’s start with a list of the tools you will need:

  • A pan or pot that can be used on fire, preferably earthenware, otherwise stainless steel
  • The medicinal herbs you want to use, dried
  • A stove
  • A strainer
  • A funnel
  • A cheesecloth
  • A clean glass pot or bowl
  • A well-sealable glass bottle or multiple bottles
  • A transparent measuring cup

Hygiene is essential

It is extremely important to make sure that all your materials are clean and dry and that your materials are pure. As we discussed last time, the dosage of a syrup is critical. Too much sugar and you get crystallisation, too little sugar and shelf life will be compromised. In either case, you get spoilage and your work is wasted. That is why there should really be no residual moisture in any of your jars, funnels, et cetera, because that can lead to an incorrect ratio.

Materials that aren’t clean can contain organisms which will subsequently cause fermentation. All of this may sound logical, but it goes wrong often enough. To spread risk, it is better to keep your syrup in smaller bottles, so that you only expose part of your preparation to the air, and thus oxidation.

Cough syrup recipe essentials: distilled water and sugar

We prefer to use distilled water to make syrup, for the above reasons. If there’s no other option, you can also use “normal” water. In either case, just to be on the safe side, we boil it just before using it.

In our recipe we use white sugar and honey, but just white sugar or brown sugar or honey is also possible. Honey has additional health benefits to offer, which is why we use both in this case.

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