Homemade Cough Syrup: Two Simple Recipes

Homemade cough syrup is rich in Vitamin C, antioxidants, antimicrobial properties, and more, making it the perfect addition to your medicine cabinet this cold and flu season. With ingredients like raw honey, garlic, and lemon, these cough syrups are sure to help you and your family get through the next illness quicker while tasting better!

My family will inevitably get sick this holiday season with all of the business and visiting family. It’s a risk worth the joy of seeing our loved ones. This year, I plan to be as prepared as possible with these homemade cough syrup recipes that may even fight colds better than the over-the-counter medications.

The ingredients in these cough syrups: raw honey, garlic, lemon, and herbs, have been used for centuries to fight cold and illnesses. Honey, especially has been proven to help reduce coughs and aid congestion symptoms so that we can sleep better and heal quicker.

With cold and flu season fast approaching once again, be sure to prepare your home with these remedies so that your family can be as healthy as possible!

YouTube Video for the Homemade Cough Syrups

Watch how I made these cough syrups and other homemade cold and flu remedies here:

Homemade Cough Syrup FAQs

Benefits of Homemade Cough Syrup

There are many benefits to these homemade cough syrups. The ingredients alone have been shown to have many helpful properties that reduce cough and cold symptoms and aid congestion.

Lemons

This yellow citrus is high in vitamin C, which is something the body needs to fight infections. Vitamin C is easily depleted when fighting a cold and lemons have been known to help boost that reserve to keep your body fighting. Studies have also found that lemons are high in antioxidants which can help support your organs while fighting off a cold. Many of these antioxidants are found in the lemon peels, which is why it is important to put all parts of the lemon into the cough syrup.

Garlic

There are many studies that have shown garlic to have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial properties, and more that aid in reducing coughs and other cold symptoms. Garlic can also help your overall health, such as regulation of blood sugar and blood pressure, which would help your body be strong enough to fight off infections.

Honey

This rich food also has several antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial properties that are very helpful when trying to heal from an illness. Studies have especially shown to help reduce cough in children, allowing them to sleep better and heal quicker. Again, honey has several beneficial properties that aid many organs, which will also help you heal quicker from a cold.

Overall, home cough remedies, especially those that use honey, have been shown to be beneficial in reducing cough and aiding congestion symptoms. Several studies have shown honey cough remedies to be more beneficial than over-the-counter cough treatments, especially in cases with low or no fever. If you or your kiddos are struggling with a cold or an upper respiratory tract infection, these homemade cough syrups may be just the thing you need!

Risks of Homemade Cough Syrup

There is a risk of botulism with honey and is, therefore, not recommended for children under one year old. These cough syrups are also not recommended for children under one year old for this reason.

How to Use It

As a Preventative: These Cough Syrups can be used in a preventative way. Simply take a teaspoon or so of the infused honey every day during cold and flu season to boost your immune system.

As a Relief During Illness: Take the cough syrup when you are feeling sick to help reduce cough, especially before going to bed. A teaspoon of the infused honey or a whole clove of garlic can be taken every few hours. The infused honey can also be added to tea or used instead of other sugars to aid the illness. It is best to begin taking these home remedies as soon as symptoms begin for the best results.

How Long Does It Last

The homemade cough syrups can last for 6 months up to one year in the refrigerator after the initial fermenting process.

Resources

Cleveland Clinic: Benefits of Lemon

National Library of Medicine: Benefits of Garlic

National Library of Medicine: Benefits of Honey

Seattle Children’s: Home Remedies

National Library of Medicine: Honey for Treatment of Cough

National Library of Medicine: Honey to Reduce Cough and Aid Sleep

Materials for Homemade Cough Syrup

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Here are some materials that you will need to make the cough syrups:

• Either a pint or quart sized mason jar (preferably wide mouth mason jars)
• Plastic lids
• Fermenting lids (optional)

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Ingredients for Homemade Cough Syrup

Cough Syrup Option One: Lemon and Herb

• Raw Honey
• Roughly chopped whole lemons
• Fresh Mint
• Fresh Sage

Cough Syrup Option Two: Garlic and Honey

• Raw Honey
• Garlic Cloves

Instructions for Homemade Cough Syrup

Cough Syrup Option One: Lemon and Herb

• Add the fresh herbs to the mason jar. They do not need to be chopped, they can be added whole. I used a quart sized mason jar, but you can make your batch larger or smaller as you see fit.
• Roughly chop the lemons and add them to the jar with the peeling. The lemon juice can be squeezed out before adding it to the jar, but this is not necessary.
• Cover all of the ingredients with the raw honey. The raw honey should fully cover the other ingredients. You may need to add the honey in batches and then stir the ingredients around to help the honey fully saturate the jar.
• Leave the cough syrup on the counter to ferment for one week. If using a fermenting lid, nothing else is required during this step. If using a regular lid, be sure to burp the jar daily to release any trapped air.
• Place the jar in the refrigerator to continue slowly fermenting for about 1 month.
• Strain the cough syrup using a fine mesh strainer so that only the infused honey remains. Store the cough syrup in a clean glass jar in the refrigerator for up to one year.

Cough Syrup Option Two: Garlic and Honey

• Add the garlic cloves to the mason jar. I used a pint sized mason jar, but you can make your batch larger or smaller as you see fit.
• Cover the garlic with the raw honey. The raw honey should fully cover the garlic cloves. You may need to add the honey in batches and stir the garlic around to help the honey fully saturate the jar.
• Leave the cough syrup on the counter to ferment for one week. If using a fermenting lid, nothing else is required during this step. If using a regular lid, be sure to burp the jar daily to release any trapped air.
• Place the jar in the refrigerator for up to a year after fermenting on the counter. As needed, take either a teaspoon of the honey or a whole garlic clove.

Notes

• This is not official medical advice. Please consult your doctor to see if homemade cough syrup is a good addition to your health regimen.
• The homemade cough syrups can last up to a year is the refrigerator. Throw out the cough syrup if there are any signs up spoilage such as mold.
• Use these cough syrups when you are getting sick. They are the most effective when the symptoms first appear. You can also use these cough syrups as a preventative. Simply take a teaspoon or a garlic clove daily to boost the immune system.
• Raw honey is not safe for babies under one year old to consume, to they may not use these cough syrup recipes.
• It is recommended to use organic ingredients when making these cough syrups.

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