Homemade Cough Syrup

Well, we are sick in this household.  Ken has an awful cough and I have an earache, soar throat, sinus congestion, and general achiness.  I'm actually going to post this and crawl back into bed.  One of the nice things about working part time is that you can stay in bed when you're sick.

Anyways, I am a big fan of Pinterest.   It can turn out to be a huge time suck for me.  Especially when I pin things with good intentions to actually do them.  I have done a few things and will continue to do them.  I thought I would post about my successes and failures on Pinterest in a little series called Pinned It! Did It!


I'm a big fan of home remedies.  Since I try to keep chemicals out of my cleaning products and food, it makes sense to keep them out of my body when I'm sick.   I had horrible sinus congestion about a month back and decided to look for something to help my aching head.

I came across this glorious concoction on Pinterest a couple months ago courtesy of good food matters.  I knew I had to pin it with cold and flu season coming up.

I modified the recipe a bit so it looks like this.

Homemade Cough Syrup
1/4 teaspoon Cayenne
1/4 teaspoon ground Ginger
1/4 teaspoon Garlic Powder
1/4 teaspoon Onion Powder
1 Tablespoon Apple Cider Vinegar (use one that has the mother in it, ex.  Bragg's Organic)
1 Tablespoon Honey

Put in a small container and mix well.  It will make a suspension type liquid  that you have to mix well before each use.  Take one Tablespoon as needed.
 

The Finished Product

 I'm sure you are all wondering how it tastes.  It tastes like a salad dressing with a little kick.  It's not hot and actually tastes pretty good.  It helps clear up sinuses and knocked out my sore throat within a half hour.  I can't tell you how it works on a cough because Ken refuses to take any kind of medicine, especially my "snake oil".  

I keep mine in an old honey jar.  I removed the water from the original recipe to keep it shelf stable.  The dose I took this morning has been sitting for a month and was still good.  I added garlic and onion because I believe those ingredients are just good for you when you are sick.

Now for the necessary disclaimer:  I do not claim to have  expertise in any medical or pharmacological field.  Any home remedy I recommend is based on my own use.  Try at your own risk.