Recipes for Homemade Cough and Cold Remedies
Try some of these recipes for homemade cough
and cold remedies:

Ginger Tea
1 inch or so fresh ginger root, sliced thin or grated
1/2 a fresh lemon, sliced (peel & all)
1 clove garlic, mashed
2 c water
Very generous spoonful honey

Place water, ginger, lemon, & garlic in
saucepan; bring to boil, then turn down
heat and simmer gently for 20 min. Strain
into mugs and add lots of honey. The tea
*will* get stronger if you let it sit! Most
invigorating! The garlic adds a bit of
bitterness, but the honey masks that. This
tea is very soothing to the throat and
warms and opens the chest and nasal
passages. Plus there are all those vitamins
and other good things! I now make this tea
at the first sign of a cold, which helps me
fight it off. I find it more effective than
the commercial hot lemon remedies, and of
course cheaper!

Old Fashioned Mustard Plaster
Helps relieve chest congestion due to colds.
1 tbsp dry mustard
1/4 cup flour
Lukewarm water

Sift together mustard and flour in a bowl.
Slowly add just enough water to make a paste.
Spread the plaster on a piece of muslin big
enough to cover chest. Cover with another
piece of muslin. Make sure the skin is dry.
Place the mustard plaster on the chest.
Check frequently and discontinue if there is
any kind of allergic reaction. Remove when skin
begins to turn red, usually after 10-20 minutes,
and don't leave on any longer than 30 minutes
at a time. Then rub the chest w/ petroleum jelly
to keep the heat in. Treat twice daily until
congestion clears up.

NOTE:
For children, reduce amount of flour to 6 tbsp.

Simple Cough Syrup
3 tbsp lemon juice
1 cup honey
1/4 cup warm water

Combine lemon juice and honey in a bowl. Slowly
stir in the water. Store in a covered jar in
the refrigerator - take 1-2 tbsp as needed for
cough. To soothe a sore throat, add 1 tbsp of
mixture to a cup of comfrey root, chamomile or
rosemary tea.

Cranberry Soup
1 cup cranberries
2 cups water
Honey to taste
1 tbsp potato starch

Heat cranberries and water together until
cranberry skins open. Strain and add honey
to taste. Bring mixture close to a boil,
then remove from heat. In a separate bowl,
mix starch with 2 tbsp cold water. Slowly
add this mixture to the cranberry juice -
stir vigorously. Return mixture to heat and
bring to full boil, stirring until it
thickens and becomes slightly transparent.
Store in refrigerator in a covered container.
Serve w/ warm cream. Soothes colds, and is a
good source of vitamins C and B.

Hyssop Cough Syrup
Licorice flavored, soothes sore throats.
2 tbsp dried hyssop (flower tops) or
  1/3 cup fresh hyssop (chopped flowers)
1/4 cup water
1 cup honey
1 tsp aniseed

In a saucepan combine honey and water. Stir
until the mixture is consistency of pancake
syrup. Bring slowly to a boil (over a medium
heat). Skim off any scum that rises to the
surface. Use 1-2 tbsp water to moisten the
dried hyssop. Crush the aniseed. Stir both
into the honey. Cover and simmer over low heat
for 30 minutes. Remove from heat, uncover,
and allow to cool. While the mixture is still
a little warm, strain into a jar. When completely
cooled, screw on the lid. Should keep for 1 week.

Glycerine Lemon Cough Syrup
1 lemon
2 tbsp glycerine
2 tbsp honey

Heat the lemon by boiling it in water for 10
minutes. Cut in half and squeeze out the juice.
Add the glycerine and honey. Take 1 tsp as
needed.

Marshmallow Cough Syrup
2 cups water
2 cups sugar
1/4 cup orange juice or juice of 1 lemon
1 1/2 to 2 1/2 tsp chopped dried marshmallow root

In a small saucepan, bring the marshmallow root
and water to a boil. Reduce heat to low and
simmer for 20 minutes. Strain liquid into another
saucepan (should result in about 1 cup). Over a
low heat, slowly stir in the sugar until it
becomes thick and granules completely dissolve.
(Stir in more water if the mixture becomes too
thick.) Remove from heat and stir in the orange
juice. Transfer to a container and allow to cool
before covering tightly.

Wild Cherry Cough Syrup
2 cups water
2 cups sugar
1/2 tsp cream of tartar (scant)
1 tsp wild cherry bark
1 1/2 to 2 1/2 tsp chopped dried marshmallow root

Make a decoction of the cherry bark and
marshmallow root. (Boil in water
for about 4 minutes. Steep the mixture
with the cover on the pot for a few minutes.)
Slowly stir in the sugar and cream of tartar,
simmer until the mixture becomes thick and
sugar granules completely dissolve.
Transfer to a container and allow to cool
before covering tightly.

Lemon Cayenne Throat Soother
Mix 1 tsp honey with 1 tsp lemon juice and
dash of cayenne pepper. Take like cough syrup.
This does not prevent cough, but does relieve
throat pain in two ways. First, the honey and
lemon coat the throat. Second, the cayenne
pepper brings blood cells needed to fight off
infection to the throat area.