Homemade Elderberry Cough Drops are immune boosting, all-natural little gems made with just 3 ingredients and in less than 20 minutes! Try this healthier alternative to the traditional store bought cough drops.
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How to soothe a sore throat with homemade elderberry cough drops
It's been a little rough over here. I've been sick for the last 2 weeks and that's not ideal when your job is food related. The last thing I wanted to do was cook or eat anything.
Just when it looked like all hope was lost, I got a big ol' package in the mail of some all-natural, immune boosting, elderberry products.
All credit for this reversal of fortune goes to fellow food blogger and friend, Katie at A Fork's Tale. She has heard my endless support of local farms, my love for the farm-to-table movement and my holistic approach to wellness.
So, she was nice enough to refer me to a farm local to her in North Carolina named Norm's Farms who just happens to make elderberry products!
What is elderberry?
Elderberry are tiny berries that taste like a cross between a blueberry and a cranberry and have major antioxidant power.
They've been used for centuries as a natural remedy for a wide variety of aliments. Even skin wounds!
Norm's Farms is a family-owned sustainable farm in Pittsboro, North Carolina, growing elderberry plants through a bio-dynamic, holistic method of farming.
At the start of each winter season, I take a daily elderberry supplement to help combat any sickness.
After busting open the big box Norm's Farms sent me, I immediately saw the Natural and Soothing Black Elderberry Wellness Syrup
You can take this stuff straight, as-is, and it tastes fantastic!
It's sweet with a slight cinnamon/clove flavor and it totally soothed my sore throat. How much easier would this be to take every day instead of an elderberry pill?
Also included in my gift box was Norm's Black Elderberry Extract
It's the same base as my recipe for Honey Lemon Ginger Cough Drops and found the elderberry melds perfectly with the fresh ginger.
Use a candy mold, like the one pictured above, to make the cough drops. No mold? That's okay, just use a silicone baking mat
How to choose the best honey
I always use raw local honey in my recipes. I always have it in my pantry, so it's the only type I ever use in recipes.
When it comes to honey you have to be careful and do your research before purchasing.
Many store bought varieties have been ultra filtered, which removes all of the pollen and means it's not really honey anymore.
They also may contain other types of less expensive sugars, like glucose, dextrose, corn syrup, etc.
Basically it's best to know and trust your source when buying honey and try to buy local whenever you can.
So next time you have a cold and need some relief from a sore throat and cough, make these Homemade Elderberry Cough Drops!
Homemade Elderberry Cough Drops
Ingredients
- ½ cup local raw honey
- 2 tablespoons Elderberry Extract (Norm's Farm is preferred)
- 1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger
For coating drops use: powdered sugar, cornstarch, arrowroot powder, ground cinnamon, etc
Instructions
- Using a wooden spoon, mix together honey, elderberry extract, and fresh ginger in a medium sized, deep saucepan with heavy sides and bottom. Heat to boiling over medium-low heat, stirring often to prevent burning.
- Using a candy thermometer, heat mixture to 300-310F/148-154C degrees, until it reaches the hard crack stage (if no thermometer, test the mixture by dropping some of it in a cold bowl of water and if it harden, it's ready).
**Watch the pan closely, as the mixture will foam up the sides of pan. Take the pan off the heat briefly to allow foam to subside, then place pan back on heat to continue cooking. May have to turn heat down to low to prevent honey from burning. - One mixture reaches the hard crack stage, remove from heat, and allow to cool for a couple for minutes until thickens slightly.
- Pour mixture into small candy molds or drop by teaspoons onto parchment paper or a silicon mat. Allow to cool until drops are hard and firm.
- Once drops are fully cooled, dust with powdered sugar, cornstarch, arrowroot powder, ground cinnamon, etc, to prevent drops from sticking together. Store in a tightly covered container in cool, dry place.
Recipe Notes & Tips:
- Use a wooden spoon for stirring the mixture because metal spoons absorb heat.
- Use a saucepan with heavy sides and bottom, so it will conduct heat evenly. Also, use a large enough pan that will allow the mixture to expand while boiling and not spill over the sides.
- Make the cough drops on a cold, dry day. Rainy or humid weather will cause the mixture to be grainy and may not set up properly.
- To test if mixture has reached correct temperature, drop a little of the mixture in a small bowl of cold water and it should immediately harden and become solid.
- Once drops are fully cooled, dust with powdered sugar, cornstarch, arrowroot powder, ground cinnamon, etc, to prevent drops from sticking together.
- Store drops in a tightly covered container in a cool, dry place for up to 4 weeks.
- To prevent drops from sticking together during longer storage: wrap the drops individually in pieces of parchment or wax paper.
Christina
Is it possible to use fresh elderberries? I just harvested a bunch from my bush and would love to make these - they sound wonderful. Thanks!
Karrie
Hi Christina, That's so nice that you have your own elderberry bush! If you want to put the whole elderberries in the cough drop mixture, I'm not sure how it will turn out. You can make a homemade elderberry syrup with the fresh (boil with cinnamon, cloves, and ginger and strain the mixture). Please let me know how it all works out for you and if you have any other questions!
Teresa
Can store bought elderberry cough syrup be used to make the cough drops
Karrie
Hi Teresa, I'm not sure if cough syrup would work in this recipe. It really depends on the ingredients and thinking they put ingredients in the syrup to keep it fluid, so might not harden correctly. Since cough syrup typically has sweetener in it, the drops could turn out too sweet also. You could try making a very small batch by using the recipe adjuster scale to see if it works. Let me know if you do try it and if it turns out for you!
Alice Breneman
Can I make the cough drops with Elderberry powder instead of the extract?? I can't wait to try them 🙂
Karrie
Hi Alice, I'm not sure the Elderberry powder would work in this recipe as-is, as there needs to be some moisture, but you could make an extract with the powder and then make the cough drops. Please let me know how they turn out for you!
Leona
Where can I find the mold to make the cough drops in? Not sure what "size" to purchase. Thanks so much!
Karrie
Hi Leona, Any type of candy mold will work and any shape or size that you desire. They can be found online or in local home and craft stores. I'll upload a link in the post to a mold I use, so you can see the size and type. Let me know if you have any other questions about the mold or recipe 🙂
Tina
Could I use Maple Syrup instead of honey? For vegan purposes.
karrie @ Tasty Ever After
I haven't tried making these with maple syrup instead of honey, so I don't know exactly how they will turn out, Tina, but I did a little research on it. Found that maple syrup can be substituted in making some homemade cough drops, so it's probably worth a shot to see if it works. I'd start with making half a recipe to see how the syrup interacts with the elderberry extract.. Please let me know how it turns out!
Rasha Watson
Hello. I would like to try this but I have dry elderberries and the syrup but no extract, can I make them with either of those things?
Karrie
Hi Rasha, The syrup should be fine to use as a substitute (using the same amount as called for in the recipe for the extract). The syrup has sugar in it, so it might make the drops a little sweeter. Please let me know how they turn out for you!
Vanessa
Thanks for sharing! Do they keep long?
Karrie
Thanks Vanessa and they keep up to 4 weeks or in the freezer indefinitely.
Suzanne
this looks so good! What a great item to give out at Christmas time instead of cookies!
Karrie
Thanks Suzanne and great idea!
Amy
How many lozenges does the recipe make?
Karrie@tastyeverafter.com
It makes 30 cough drops, Amy.
Ashley Morrison
Hi There! how long are these good for? Will they keep for a long time in a sealed container?
Karrie
Hi Ashley! I always use them up within a few days, but they should keep for as long as you need them. For longer storage, it's best to wrap the drops individually in pieces of parchment or wax paper, so they don't stick together.
Lynn C
Just made these today. I use the elderberry syrup on a regular basis but I will be traveling out of the country in a few weeks so I decided to make these for easier travel. My one question, doesn't honey lose some of it's healing properties when boiled? I mixed arrow root powder with ground ginger for the coating. Thank you for sharing this invaluable recipe. Health and happiness to you.
Karrie
Thank you for taking the time to comment Lynn and so happy you liked them! Great idea to mix arrowroot powder with ground ginger for the coating. I'll try that next time I make them. Yes, honey does lose some benefits when boiled, but it's still better than granulated sugar.
Savannah Baker
Elderberry is my favorite go-to when I'm sick - and I'm excited to hear about Norm's Farms! I typically make my own elderberry syrup, but with us moving cross-country in the next few weeks, that just wasn't possible this year. Anytime I get sick, I'm guaranteed to have a sore throat, so I'm pinning this recipe to remember for later. Thanks for sharing! <3
karrie @ Tasty Ever After
Thanks Savannah! I take an elderberry supplement every day at the start of cold season and it's always helped me to not get sick. Love that stuff! Norm's Farms product are great when you don't have time to make your own too. Good luck moving!
Taylor
Is it possible they don't harden at all? If so what could of gone wrong?
Karrie
Yes Taylor, it is possible for the drops to not harden correctly if the sugar hasn't been heated to the hard crack stage. Cooking sugar to 300F degrees will evaporate all the water and make the sugar harden properly. Were you able to use a candy thermometer and did the mixture reach 300? If no thermometer, then you can test the stage of the mixture by dropping some of it into a bowl of cold water and, if it hardens, it's ready. Hope this information helps!
Kourtney
Hi! These look wonderful!! Are they ok to use for children?
Karrie@tastyeverafter
Hi Kourtney! Thanks and I would think they would be safe for children, as long as there are no allergies to any of the ingredients.
Stephanie | The Foodie and The Fix
Oh no, I hope you're feeling better, Karrie! These Elderberry products sound fantastic! I've never made homemade cough drops before, but I'm completely inspired (plus these ones sound delicious) Can't wait to check out the Elderberry Ginger Pecan Jam! XO
Katie Crenshaw
I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE these cough drops! I need some right now. What a brilliant idea! I am making a batch to get rid of these nagging allergies and scratchy throat.
simonacallas
These drops look amazing, they remind me of those beautiful gemstones; and I am sure my daughters would love them. You did a great job here, Karrie, as always ❤❤