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Cooking TipsEasing Coughs Naturally
by:
Cathy O
Whether it be the dead of winter or the high life of summer, colds and allergies seem to pop up out of obscurity
and “catch” us all off guard. Hand-in-hand with these seasonal terrors move the alarming cough and there are two route you can fight cold's comrade-in-arms----- with either over the counter cough drops ----- or ones that you can do yourself.
Make yourself, you ask? Why not! it's easy and many a of the ingredients inside
these little soldiers can be found right in your own kitchen. Sugar, corn sweetener and water gently brought to a robust boil till they reach what is best-known as the “hard crack” stage wish give you the "medium." The only private secret to a eminent drop is to use a tasty and simple combination of herbs "steeped" in the water before adding it to the sugar-syrup. This extraordinary cough relieving tea on
with your "dry" ingredients" are all you need to do your own natural cough confection-ators.
Some herbs that are found in many a of the different natural cough drops you find on the market that you may want to try alone or in combination are; Coltsfoot, Korean Licorice Mint (easy to grow; seeds are accessible from Seeds of Change), thyme, slippery elm, horehound, comfrey leaf, hyssop, marsh bush
and common mullein, to name a few. Many a of these herbs are perennial so you wish have them for your own personal “medicine cabinet” year after year. Use the leaves only of these herbs either on an individual basis or in combination. It helps to try them out as a tea first, that way you cognize which herbs wish taste better in your cough drops. Just about 2-3 tsp. of herb to 1 1/2 cups boiling water ought give you the concentration that you need; let steep till cool.
Here’s a tried-and-true hard candy recipe, straight from the pages of Cook for American Homemakers. I have used this gem for many a years for lollypop fashioning and it is 1st rate for fashioning the “medium:”
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup light corn sweetener
2/3 cup water (herbal tea)
vegetable coloring (optional)
Mix sugar, flavouring tea and corn sweetener and cook over low heat stirring until sugar is dissolved and mixture boils. Continue boiling without stirring until a small figure is really brittle once
born
into cold water. Wash away crystals from side of pan with a damp cloth. Cook slowly at end so that the sweetener wish not discolor. Move out from the heat and add color. Either drop quickly from the tip of a spoon onto a lubricated
surface or into prepared hard candy molds. Allow to harden and cool all before removing. You can roll them in fine sugar and wrap in plastic wrap or waxed paper for storage.
For gift giving, why not add a personal touch by pressing several of the fresh herbs between waxed paper and use to decorate or wrap your gift box. Add a good tag listing the herbs that you used for a professional look.
Just about the author:
Cathy O is a eminent author who provides recipes for and information on candy and lollipops. "In addition to being a freelance writer, I as well dabble in Aromatherapy, Herbalism and painting once
I am so inspired. Living in the Lake region of Western Me has been of tremendous inspiration to me and I am proud and happy to call it home."
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