# DIY: Cough & Cold Lozenges

**Published:** 2024-11-07

Syrups are great for coughs and colds, but they do have downfalls.  They can require refrigeration.  Only lasts a short while, meaning that if you don’t use it all up, you waste it…and you certainly have to make a few batches through the winter if you want to have it on hand.

I wanted something that could be taken on the go, something that was shelf-stable.  Something that would make taking “medicine” easier.  I came up with this idea.  And it works, and it tastes good (faintly of elderberries and mostly like sugar).  Shelf-stable, too, so they will last all winter, and you could send someone to work with a little baggie of them.  How neat is that?

##### **Cough & Cold Lozenges**

**Ingredients:**

- 3 tbsp. elderberry
- 1 tbsp. echinacea
- 1 tbsp. slippery elm
- 1 tbsp. fenugreek
- 1 tbsp. wild cherry bark
- 2 tbsp. rosehips
- 1 cup water
- 2 cups cane sugar

**Directions**:

**Step 1: **Prepare to make a strong tea by adding all the herbs into a glass jar.

**Step 2:** Pour boiling water over the herbs (about 1 cup) and let it steep for several hours (or overnight).

**Step 3:** After it’s steeped for at least several hours, strain the tea into a pot.  Mash the berries down to get all the juices in them.  You can pour a small amount of filtered water through the strainer.  You want to end up with 1 cup of syrup.  If you mess up and pour too much water while straining, you can simmer it until it’s back down to the final amount needed — 1 cup.

**Step 4:** Add cane sugar to the tea and stir it in.  Do not use regular white sugar, which is beet sugar; choose organic cane sugar for best results.

**Step 5:** Bring the herbal tea to a boil.  It will double in volume, so make sure your pot is big enough to contain it.   Allow it to boil, without stirring, for around 10 minutes, possibly a bit longer.  Using a candy thermometer, you want to reach at least 250ºF.

**Step 6:** Pour into a mold (I used this one) and give them a few minutes to harden.  Alternatively, you could just pour the syrup onto parchment paper and break it up later with a knife.

**Step 7:** Once they’re hardened and cooled, transfer them to an airtight container.

**Usage**:

- Take 1 drop as needed if you have a sore throat, cough, or feel a cold coming on.
- Pair with lots of [**electrolytes **](https://earthley.com/products/electrolyte-powder)and [**herbal throat spray**](https://earthley.com/products/herbal-throat-spray), it can help get rid of discomfort faster.  You can also drink chicken broth and take [**cod liver oil **](https://earthley.com/products/cod-liver-oil)for additional healing benefits.