This year, the flu season in the U.S. has reached its peak and is now improving. However, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) expects several more weeks of flu activity. While the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)’s expert committee is concerned about the mysteriously canceled meeting this month regarding influenzas — a meeting that has consistently been held since the 1960s — a common cold can happen all year round.

And when a cold spreads, everyone has their go-to cures for it, ranging from steam showers to heated sheets, and hovering over a vaporizer or humidifier. Or, they head to the nearest retailer to stock up on cough syrup, dissolving tablets and a collection of hot tea. But could making homemade cough drops be just as effective as the rest of these remedies? What are the drawbacks? Here’s what you need to know about homemade cough drops.

How to Make Four Types of Homemade Cough Drops

The most convenient part about making homemade cough drops is that a considerable amount of ingredients may already be in your home anyway, especially if you like to bake or drink tea leisurely. These are four popular recipes.

Honey Lemon Cough Drop Ingredients

• 1 cup of honey
• 1/2 cup of water
• 2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon of ground ginger (optional)
• powdered sugar or cornstarch (for coating)

Directions

1. In a medium saucepan, combine the honey, water, lemon juice and (if using) ground ginger. Stir well to mix.
2. Heat the mixture over medium heat, stirring constantly.
3. Bring it to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer.
4. Continue cooking for approximately 15-20 minutes, stirring frequently, until the mixture thickens and reaches the hard crack stage (about 300°F on a candy thermometer).
5. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
6. Drop spoonfuls of the hot mixture onto the prepared sheet to form small, round drops.
7. Allow them to cool and harden completely.
8. Once the cough drops have hardened, lightly coat them in powdered sugar or cornstarch to prevent sticking.
9. Store the cough drops in an airtight container at room temperature. Use them as needed to soothe your throat.

Ginger Honey Cough Drop Ingredients

• 1 cup of honey
• 1/4 cup of fresh ginger root, grated
• 1/2 cup of water
• 1 tablespoon of lemon juice
• powdered sugar or cornstarch (for coating)

Directions

1. Grate the ginger root and set it aside.
2. In a medium saucepan, combine the grated ginger, honey, water and lemon juice. Stir well to mix.
3. Heat the mixture over medium heat, stirring constantly.
4. Bring it to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer.
5. Continue cooking for approximately 15-20 minutes, stirring frequently, until the mixture thickens and reaches the hard crack stage (about 300°F on a candy thermometer).
6. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
7. Drop spoonfuls of the hot mixture onto the prepared sheet to form small, round drops.
8. Allow them to cool and harden completely.
9. Once the cough drops have hardened, lightly coat them in powdered sugar or cornstarch to prevent sticking.
10. Store the cough drops in an airtight container at room temperature. Use them as needed to soothe your throat.

Onion and Honey Cough Drop Ingredients

• 1 large onion
• 2 cups of honey
• 1/2 cup of water
• 1 tablespoon of lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon of ground ginger (optional)
• powdered sugar or cornstarch (for coating)

Directions

1. Peel and chop the onion into small pieces.
2. In a medium saucepan, combine the chopped onion, honey, water, lemon juice and (if using) ground ginger. Stir well to mix.
3. Heat the mixture over medium heat, stirring constantly.
4. Bring it to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer.
5. Continue cooking for approximately 15-20 minutes, stirring frequently, until the mixture thickens and reaches the hard crack stage (about 300°F on a candy thermometer).
6. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
7. Drop spoonfuls of the hot mixture onto the prepared sheet to form small, round drops.
8. Allow them to cool and harden completely.
9. Once the cough drops have hardened, lightly coat them in powdered sugar or cornstarch to prevent sticking.
10. Store the cough drops in an airtight container at room temperature. Use them as needed to soothe your throat.

Strawberry Cough Drop Ingredients

• 1 cup of fresh strawberries
• 1 cup of honey
• 1/2 cup of water
• 2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon of ground ginger (optional)
• powdered sugar or cornstarch (for coating)

Directions

1. To hull strawberries, hold the strawberry between your thumb and fingers, with the leafy top pointing upward.
2. With a small, sharp paring knife, insert it at an angle to remove the leafy top.
3. Carefully rotate the strawberry while cutting around the hull in a circular motion.
4. Remove the green top and the white core without cutting away too much of the outer red flesh.
5. Chop the hulled strawberries into slices.
6. Puree the strawberries in a blender or food processor until smooth.
7. In a medium saucepan, combine the strawberry puree, honey, water, lemon juice and (if using) ground ginger. Stir well to mix.
8. Heat the mixture over medium heat, stirring constantly.
9. Bring it to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer.
10. Continue cooking for approximately 15-20 minutes, stirring frequently, until the mixture thickens and reaches the hard crack stage (about 300°F on a candy thermometer).
11. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
12. Drop spoonfuls of the hot mixture onto the prepared sheet to form small, round drops.
13. Allow them to cool and harden completely.
14. Once the cough drops have hardened, lightly coat them in powdered sugar or cornstarch to prevent sticking.
15. Store the cough drops in an airtight container at room temperature. Use them as needed to soothe your throat.

Myths About Cough Drops

While cough drops can soothe a cough or throat irritation, they do not cure colds altogether. And while cough drops can be taken more than the average medication ex. (allergy medicine usually has a one-per-day maximum), they should not be ingested like candy. Overusing cough drops (ex. more than once every two hours, or up to 12 per day), specifically commercial brands containing menthol, can lead to mouth irritation or digestive issues. It’s important to follow the recommended dosage.

For people with high blood pressure or other underlying health conditions, a medical professional should be consulted before ingesting cough medicine with ingredients such as pseudoephedrine and phenylephrine. However, because homemade cough drops don’t include most of the ingredients that would cause alarm, there’s more flexibility here. This is yet another argument to be made for creating homemade cough drops with less alarming ingredients. Drinking tea and using other forms of treatment such as a vaporizer may also expedite getting over a common cold too.

Frequently Asked Questions

What replaces cough drops?

Gargling salt water, or drinking warm lemon water and tea (with or without honey), are all useful options to treat a common cold.

What are the best natural ingredients for homemade lozenges?

In addition to the ingredients in the recipes above, thyme, licorice root and slippery elm also help to treat throat irritation.

What ingredient makes cough drops work?

Commercial cough drops may contain menthol, which is the cooling sensation that stops throat irritation. Homemade cough drops have honey, lemon, ginger and peppermint, all of which are helpful to relieve throat irritation and reduce coughing. Lemon can also boost the immune system.