Herbal Cold and Cough Care Syrup and Tea
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Herbal cough and cold care ranges from off the shelf products to a mix of homemade recipes tailored to your specific symptoms. The sore throat syrup has a mild licorice taste that is quite palatable. I think even kids would take it without a fuss. The cold and flu herbal tea recipe below has more of a kick.
Cold and Cough Care Sore Throat Syrup Recipe
Adapted from Rosemary Gladstar’s “Cough-be-Gone and Sore Throat Syrup”
In Rosemary’s book, she lists the ingredients as follows:
- 4 parts fennel seed
- 2 parts licorice root
- 1 part cinnamon bark
- 2 parts slippery elm bark
- 2 parts valerian
- 2 parts wild cherry bark
- ½ part ginger root
- 1/8 part orange peel
To make 1 quart of herbal infusion, Rosemary recommend 2 ounces of herb mixture to one quart of water. To get roughly the right weight, I used 2 tablespoons fennel seed, 1 tbsp licorice root, 1 tbsp, slippery elm bark, 1 tbsp valerian, 1 tbsp wild cherry bark, 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon bark, 3/4 teaspoon ginger root and 1/4 teaspoon orange peel. All measurements were a little generous so I had enough to get 2 ounces.
Over low heat in a heavy bottom pot, simmer the herbs and water until it is reduced by half, so that you have one pint of liquid.
Strain the herbs out of the liquid, rinse chunks out of the pot, return the liquid to the pot.
For each pint of liquid, add one cup of honey. You may go up to a one to one ratio for a sweeter syrup (1 pint honey to 1 pint liquid).
Heat gently and mix until the syrup is well blended.
Add a small amount of brandy, if desired, to help preserve the syrup and act as a relaxant.
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Remove from heat, bottle and label. This syrup should last for several weeks, even months, if refrigerated. (Most herbs have preservative qualities.)
Rosemary suggests taking 1 to 2 teaspoons every hour or two throughout the day, or as needed for cough.
Cold and Flu Tea Recipe
Adapted from Healing Naturally by Bee
For one mug of tea use:
- 1/2 teaspoon dried ginger (spicy, warming, immune balancing)
- 1/4 teaspoon stevia leaves (or to taste )
- 1/2 teaspoon chopped sage (spicy, antihistamine)
- 1/2 teaspoon chopped thyme (spicy, antibiotic, antiviral)
- Juice of half a lemon (sour, vitamin c)
- A dash of cayenne pepper (hot, immune enhancing) [optional]
Place herbs in mug and cover with boiling water (leave enough room for your lemon juice). Cover and steep for 5 to 10 minutes. Strain herbs, mix in lemon juice and sip slowly. The warmth and natural antihistamine action of the herbs is great for congestion and runny noses. You can adjust the amount of the herbs a bit to taste. I was a little generous with the cayenne in the photo above – too hot for me! *Note: I had originally listed larger portions of the herbs, but with the dried herbs, I think these amounts will probably be better for most people. You can use more to taste.
Longer steeping will give a stronger brew, but if you leave it too long it may become more bitter, so no more than 15 minutes is recommended. Covering the tea while it’s brewing will help to trap “the good stuff”. 🙂
You may also find our other Cold and Flu Remedies useful, including:
- Make Homemade Elderberry Cough Syrup with Juice or Dried Berries
- Easy Homemade Cough Drops for Treatment of Sore Throats and Coughs
- Immune Boosting Herbs in Finger Gelatin
Originally published in 2012, updated in 2017.
How about something for joint pain.
Love this post!
I have found a super simple way to help coughs, colds, and stuffy heads: mullein leaf tea. I buy it in bulk when it is available, have used commercially available tea bags, and even learned what it looks like and foraged for some of the common mullein that grows everywhere here.
Just breathing in the steam from a hot cup of mullein tea starts the sinuses clearing, and because it has expectorant properties, it will get everything flowing quickly.
Mountain Rose Herbs stocks Mullein oil, flowers, leaf and seeds, for those who would like to give this a try who don’t have the opportunity to forage. For those who have the opportunity to go wildcrafting, you can find photos to ID mullein here – https://commonsensehome.com/weekly-weeder-13-common-mullein/ (as well as more information about its properties).
Herbs for Allergies!
That I may be able to help with right away :-)- https://commonsensehome.com/home-remedies-for-allergies/
Love Commonsense Homesteading and Love Mountain Rose Herbs!!!
Love love love herbal healing! I would like to learn more about allergies, so far what has worked the best is a clay water cure during my hay fever sneezing, but I wonder if anything else would help ease symptoms as well?
Cheryl – check out this post – https://commonsensehome.com/home-remedies-for-allergies/
I have found that improving my overall diet and health has helped with my allergies, not knocked them out completely, but helped!
I really enjoy your posts, and all the information.
I would love to learn of something palatable for pain. I have a crampbark tincture I use regularly, but I have fibromyalgia, arthritis, corporal tunnel and migraines. When I have a bad flare up I can be down for a few days at a time.
I would love to see a herbal remedy that would help someone suffering from GERDS and for a chronic sinus infection. I love this cough remedy!!
Did you have a post about allergies yet? Always trying something or other here! Thanks for these ‘receipts’.
Deb – yes, there is an allergy post up – https://commonsensehome.com/home-remedies-for-allergies/
Now it looks like I’ve got lots of ideas for more things to try!
Id like to learn more about using herbs as foods like elixirs, to nourish and heal.
I am just getting started and could really use some help!
Something for chronic lower back pain, please.
I would like to learn more about elderberry syrups and what they are good for and if there are other ways to use them.
I do have a post about how to make elderberry syrup and jellies here – https://commonsensehome.com/elderberries-how-to-make-syrups-and-jellies/
I use them in an amount similar to the syrup when we’re not feeling well, and I also use them for flavoring kombucha – https://commonsensehome.com/elderberry-health-benefits/
I’d love to know more about allergy (stuffy nose) remedies, pain remedies for neck and back issues and also, would love remedies for toddlers who have issues falling to sleep, some sort of calming remedies??
Thanks!
I do have something for allergies now – https://commonsensehome.com/home-remedies-for-allergies/
Will have to work on the toddlers remedies in the future, but a dream pillow (mesh bag filled with herbs, or herbs stitched into a bag so your toddler won’t open it and make a mess) might be an open.
There are some dream pillow herb ideas at:www.cambridgenaturals.com/herbal-recipe-dream-pillows/
Catnip: Relaxing, helps bring deep sleep.
Chamomile:Calming, relaxing, and said to keep bad dreams away.
Cloves: Brings warmth and an exotic feeling to dreams, add only 2-4 per pillow.
Hops: Relaxing and brings peacefulness.
Lavender: Soothing, relaxing and eases headaches.
Lemon Verbena: Uplifting, used to add “lightness” to dream blends.
Mugwort: Greatly enhances lucid dreaming and helps with remembering of dreams.
Peppermint or Spearmint: Enhances clarity and vividness in dreams.
Rose petals: Brings warmth and love, may be used to evoke romantic dreams.
Rosemary: Traditionally used to bring deep sleep and keep away bad dreams.
I would like to learn more about comfrey and remedies that can be obtained through it’s uses. Thanks !
i have lupus and fibro so I say pain relief!
Something for recurring pneumonia and bronchitis!
I would really like to see some ideas on pain relieving things. I have arthritis, work in retail (read: on my feet a lot), and my wife has fibromyalgia. Anything to help these would be AWESOME!
Yes, there are several methods for treating pain naturally. But I don’t have the knowledge those at Mountain Rose have.
Since this post was written, there have been a number of posts added to the Home Remedies series, including Home Remedies for Sore Muscles and Home Remedies for Arthritis.
Great recipes! Would love to win this!
I have bookmarked this for easy access, cols season is approaching.
I am just now accumulating my herbs for cold and flu, only a week late. Had the flu last week :(. I WILL be prepared next time.
Thanks