A lot of people complain about cough. It affects folks not just during the winter season but throughout the year. However, cold and flu season is not the only reason that triggers cough, allergies, acid reflux, asthma, dry air, and smoking are also some of the common causes.
Homemade cough syrups are an economical and effectual way to cure cough than allopathic tablets, which often result into side effects. Though syrups prepared at home have an unpleasant taste, but they accelerate the healing process. Basically, all home-based cough syrups have some common ingredients such as honey, aromatic spices, ginger, alcohol, etc., which kill germs, clear the congestion, soothes your throat and reduces the soreness.
Here are some amazingly helpful and easy-to-prepare syrup recipes to alleviate cough and cold. You can make variations in the recipes below as per your taste and tolerance.
Recipe 1
Ingredients
- Filtered water – 1 quart
- Ginger root – ¼ cup (fresh grated or dried)
- Chamomile flowers – ¼ cup
- Marshmallow root – ¼ cup
- Cinnamon – 1 tablespoon
- Lemon juice – ¼ cup
- Honey – 1 cup
Method
Take a pan and pour some water in it. Now, add all the dried herbs in it. Boil down the water to half. Afterwards, strain this solution with cheesecloth or a fine strainer to remove the herbs. Then add lemon juice and honey in lukewarm liquid. Stir the solution properly. Store the solution in an airtight container. You can use it up to two months.
Note – It is recommended to give one tsp of this solution to children and one tbsp to an adult.
Recipe 2
Ingredients
- Fresh lemon juice – 3 tablespoons (or Young Living Essential Oil – 4 drops)
- Raw honey – ¼ cup
- Coconut oil – 2 tablespoons
Method
Take a pan and mix all the ingredients in it. Heat it until the coconut oil starts melting. Take a spoonful of this warm syrup. Moreover, you can mix it with hot water or tea. Gently warm this syrup every time you use it, in order to melt the coconut oil. It can be stored in the fridge for a month.
Recipe 3
Ingredients
- Zest of 2 lemons – 1½ tablespoons
- Ginger – ¼ cup (peeled and sliced) or ground ginger – half teaspoon
- Water – 1 cup
- Honey – 1 cup
- Lemon juice – ½ cup
Method
Take a small saucepan and pour one cup of water in it. Then mix the lemon zest and sliced ginger in it. Boil the mixture for 5 minutes. Now, filter the solution into a measuring cup. Clean the saucepan and pour one cup of honey in it. Warm the honey on low heat, but don’t boil it. Then add the strained lemon – ginger water and lemon juice to it. Stir the mixture to make thick syrup. Pour this in a clean jar with a lid. This can be refrigerated for up to 2 months.
Recommendation
Children between
- 1 to 5 years – Half to one teaspoon every 2 hours
- 5 to 12 – one to two teaspoon every 2 hours
- 12 and above – one to two tablespoons every 4 hours
- Honey is recommended for children above the age of one.
Recipe 4
Ingredients
- Whiskey – 1 cup
- Peppermint Schnapps – ¼ cup
- Honey – 1 cup
- Lemon – 2
Method
Take a cup filled with honey and squeeze a lemon in it. Then add whisky and Peppermint Schnapps. Stir the mixture properly. Enjoy this drink to avoid coughing associated troubles.
Recipe 5
Ingredients
- Brown sugar – 1 cup
- Vinegar – 1 cup
- Honey – 1 cup
- Whiskey (Rock and Rye) – 1 pint
Method
Get a pan and add vinegar, honey and brown sugar. Boil the ingredients for 25 minutes. Afterwards, remove it from the heat and allow it to cool at the room temperature. Later on, add whiskey and refrigerate it. Intake 2 tablespoons when required.
Recipe 6
Ingredients
- Honey – 3 tbsp
- Butter – 3 tbsp
- Lemon juice (squeeze one lemon) or 2 tbsp of vinegar
- Ginger – ¼ tsp
Method
Mix all the above ingredients and heat them. Intake one teaspoon whenever needed.
Recipe 7
Ingredients
- Honey – 4 tbsp (strained)
- Hot water – 6 tbsp
- Juice of 1 lemon
- Whiskey – 1 tbsp
Method
Mix all the above ingredients and consume as per the need.
Recipe 8
Ingredients
- Lemon juice – ¼ cup
- Honey – ½ cup
- Whiskey – ¼ cup
Method
Combine whiskey, honey and lemon juice. Store the resultant solution in a jar or pot. Take a tsp or two and mix it in a cup of lukewarm water. Alternatively, you can add brandy in place of whiskey.
Recipe 9
Ingredients
- Honey – ½ cup
- Garlic – 1 tbsp (chopped)
- Horseradish -1 tsp (fresh prepared)
Method
Mix up all the ingredients properly. Take 1 or 2 teaspoons when required. You can add more honey to sweeten the taste of this syrup. It has proved to be helpful in curing chronic bronchitis and sinus problems as well.
Recipe 10
Ingredients
- Onion – 1 medium sized (sliced)
- Honey – ¼ cup
Method
Take a bowl and put onion slices in it. Mizzle honey on the top. Cover it with a lid and leave it overnight, or for 5 to 6 hours. Strain this solution in the morning. Consume 1 tsp of this syrup to get relief from cough. You may not cough after smelling this.
- Alternatively, take a thin slice of onion and sprinkle some sugar on it. Wait until the sugar gets converted into the syrup form (minimum 15 minutes). Sip it. You will not find the taste of onion in it.
Recipe 11
Ingredients
- Brown sugar – ½ cup
- Juice of 1 lemon
Method
Mix brown sugar and lemon juice in a pan. Gently cook the mixture on low mode for 15 minutes to make it a little thicker. Store it in a bottle. Sip one tsp whenever you experience coughing.
Recipe 12
Ingredients
- Molasses – 1 cup
- Ginger powder – 1 tsp
- Peppermint flavouring – 1 tsp
Method
Combine all the ingredients and take a tsp after every 4 hours.
Recipe 13
Ingredients
- Honey – ½ cup
- Vinegar- 2/3 tbsp
- Butter – 1 tbsp
- Pepper – a pinch
- Powdered alum – ¼ tsp
Method
Take a pan and add all the above ingredients in it. Now heat the mixture at boiling point. Afterwards, store it in a jar. Slightly warm it before using. However, it can also be taken cold. Consume one tsp of this syrup on daily basis until you feel relieved from cough.
Recipe 14
Ingredients
- Round peppermint candies – 2
- Halls cough drop – 1
- Honey – 2 tbsp
- Water – 2 tbsp
- Tylenol 2
- Karo 2 tbsp
- Whiskey – ¼ cup
Method
Combine all the ingredients and cook them in a pan. Make thick syrup from this mixture. Consume it when you experience the symptoms of cough.
Recipe 15
Ingredients
- ReaLemon – 1 tbsp
- Glycerine – 1 tbsp
- Honey – 5 to 6 tbsp
Method
Take a glass and pour all the ingredients in it. Stir well. This recipe makes 24 doses. Take one dose (1 tsp) at a time.
Recipe 16
Ingredients
- Glycerine – 4 ounce
- Menthol crystals – ¼ tbsp
- Honey – 1 cup
- Whiskey – 1 cup
Method
Take a pan and pour all the ingredients in it. Cook for a while and allow it to cool. Store it in a bottle.
Recipe 17
Ingredients
- Apple cider vinegar – 2 tbsp
- Honey – 1 tbsp
- Water – 1 tbsp
Method
Combine all the ingredients together and stir properly. Use when needed.
Recipe 18
Ingredients
- Organic raw honey – 1½ cups
- Organic extra virgin olive oil – ½ cup
- Organic lemon juice – 1 to 5 tbsp
Method
Take a small pot and add olive oil, honey and lemon juice to it. Heat the mixture on a medium mode. Stir the solution and remove it from the gas after a couple of minutes. Allow it to cool. Afterwards, pour it in a jar and cover it with a lid. Keep it in the refrigerator. Have one tsp of this syrup. Ensure that you stir and make it lukewarm before using.
Recipe 19
Ingredients
- Sage leaves – 2 tbsp (fresh) or 1 tbsp (dried)
- Boiling water
- Lemon
- Honey
Method
Take the leaves of sage (dried or fresh) and pour a cup of boiling water on them. Steep them for a couple of minutes. Strain afterwards, and add lemon and honey to taste. Sip this syrup slowly. The sage tea can help fight the bacteria and, hence, soothes the sore throat.
Recipe 20
Ingredients
- Ground ginger – ¼ teaspoon
- Honey – 1 tablespoon
- Cayenne pepper – ¼ teaspoon
- Apple cider vinegar – 1 tablespoon
- Water – 2 tablespoons
Method
Take a bowl and mix all the above ingredients. Whisk it vigorously. Take a teaspoon of this syrup 2-3 times a day. You can store it in the refrigerator, but it’s better to finish it within 2 days. It tastes dreadful but gives effective results. It will soothe the soreness of throat and relieves you from the persistent cough.