Homemade Honey Lemon Ginger Cough Drops

This simple herbed honey is usually steeped over a period of time of 1 to 4 weeks, depending on the desired strength of the infusion is needed. The longer it sits, the stronger then flavour and if adding herbs for medicinal benefits, the stronger this will be.

NOTE: It is suggested that children under two years of age should not eat honey. Do your research on this!

These all-natural homemade Honey Lemon Ginger cough drops are great for soothing coughs and sore throats. They can also help give an extra boost to your immune system when you are under the weather. I like to make them at the very first sign of an itchy or achy throat so that they are ready to go. These homemade throat lozenges are so quick to make, and pack a big punch of benefits. 

Honey Lemon Ginger Cough Drops

These homemade cough drops are not only healing for those pesky coughs, they also make wonderful soothing DIY throat lozenges.

The honey helps to coat your throat, helping relieve any scratchy feeling, while the lemon helps eliminate infection. Ginger contains anti-inflammatory properties which can help reduce the pain and inflammation caused by a sore throat. It also helps with boosting immunity and helping to fight the infection. Check out this ginger kombucha, elderberry gummies or fermented honey garlic which would also help when taken at the onset of coughs, sniffles, sore throats or colds.

Cough Drop Variations

• Add a small splash of orange juice or blackcurrant juice 
• If you don’t have time to make the drops, try steeping the ingredients in warm water and sipping on it throughout the day
• Drop one cough drop into a hot cup of tea for a lemon/ginger twist
• Add ½ a stick of cinnamon to the mixture while cooking and strain before letting it cool.

Cough Drop Notes

• The mixture does need to get hot as all the moisture needs to be cooked out, though it will need to be watched so that it doesn’t burn. Stir consistently.
• If you find that the mixture foams up, you may need to lift if from the heat briefly until the foam has subsided.
• If you find that your cough drops didn’t set hard and are a bit sticky, then it could be that they weren’t boiled down long enough. Just add the drops to a saucepan and boil down further until they reach that deep, golden brown colour. Another thing is that they weren’t give enough time to harden completely. Rain and humidity will also affect how the drops set.
• These drops could also be made in a silicon mould, though just make sure that you don’t entirely fill each mould as you want small, super thin drops.
• Instead of dusting each drop with icing mixture to stop them sticking to each other, you could wrap them individually in baking or parchment paper.
• It is suggested that children under two years of age should not eat honey. Do your research on this!
• Ground ginger or grated ginger would work as well as ginger slices.

Making Honey Lemon Ginger Drops

To make these cough drops, you will need:

• ½ cup raw honey
• 1 lemon
• Fresh ginger
• A small saucepan
• A candy thermometer, if you have one
• Wooden spoon

To make these drops, you will first need to juice the lemon. Squeeze out all of the juice and strain it to make sure all the seeds have been removed. 

Add the lemon juice to a small saucepan.

Cut 5 to 6 thin slices of ginger and add it to the saucepan.

Store in the honey and bring ingredients to a boil over medium heat, stirring frequently.

Continue cooking and stirring until the mixture reaches 300˚F / 149˚C. Be careful not to burn the honey. If you don’t have a candy thermometer, you can go by the look of the honey. It will change to a deep, golden brown colour when done.

Another way to test if the mixture is ready is to drop a little of the mixture into a small bowl of cold water. If it is ready, it should immediately harden and become solid.

Once it is ready, remove the pot from the heat and allow to cool for a few minutes. The mixture will thicken as it cools.

Spoon dots of the thickened mixture onto a lined tray.

Allow the drops to cool and harden completely.

Peel off the drops and store in an airtight container. To stop them from sticking to one another, you can toss them in a little icing mixture, arrowroot powder or even cornflour, shaking off the excess.

Store in the airtight container in a dark place for around 3-4 weeks. They can also be stored in the freezer. Just take one out then you feel a store throat coming on and pop it in your mouth.

More Lemon Resources

• Dehydrate Lemon and Make Lemon Powder
• Lemon Pepper Seasoning
• Lemon Syrup
• Orange and Lemon Marmalade
• Lemon Balm Jelly
• Lemon Curd
• Lemon Coconut Slice
• Lemon Cheesecake
• Lemon Cake
• DIY Lemon Extract
• Lemon Meringue Fudge
• Lemon Meringue Pie
• Homemade Lemon Jelly Jam Recipe
• Lemon Rosemary Sugar Scrub
• Citrus Soap
• Lemon Lime Cupcakes
• Lemon Marmalade Jam