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Home » Healthy Eats

Honey Lemon Ginger Cough Drops

01/12/2019 Updated: 01/12/2022 By Karrie 104 Comments

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Don't buy store cough drops, make your own!  These all-natural homemade Honey Lemon Ginger Cough Drops have only 3 ingredients and take less than 30 minutes to make.

Honey Lemon Ginger Cough Drops in a small white bowl with lemon halves on the side

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases

This Honey Lemon Ginger Cough Drops recipe post comes to you courtesy of The Flu of 2015, Part Deux.

Yes, this morning, I woke up like this. With a fever, sore throat, post nasal drip, and body aches, AGAIN! 

I haven't been sick in over 12 years and now this Winter season, actually just this month of January, I've been sick twice!  Oh the joy.

Learn how to make homemade cough drops

Uncoated homemade cough drops on a table with a lemon half

An all-natural throat drops recipe

Juno, The Blizzard of 2015, was in full blown competition today with my newfound flu. On a positive note, I had a darn good excuse for not going away today. 

On a not-so-positive note, I needed some throat and cough drops to soothe my throat.  Google to the rescue!!

The Internet proceeded to find me a wonderful natural cough drop recipe to make at home from the website Thank Your Body. 

This was my first time visiting this website and I loved all the recipes and tips for all-natural alternatives to everything imaginable (food, hair stuff, skin stuff, etc). 

I'm really glad I found this site and will no doubt be visiting it again soon.

Homemade honey lemon cough drops with jar of honey on side

Since this was my first time making cough drops, I didn't make any changes to the original recipe at all. 

Next time I make them (which may be soon, like in a couple of days), I might add some orange juice or black cherry juice concentrate, in addition to the fresh lemon juice.

I was also thinking of stirring into the mixture, after it's fully cooked, some lemon or orange zest and more of the fresh grated ginger. 

We'll see how those changes go and I'll update this recipe if it's a success.

Boiling homemade cough drop mixture

Cooking tips:

Making homemade cough drops is just like making candy, but you have to be careful not to burn the mixture.

  • All the moisture needs to be cooked out of the mixture, so let it come to a boil.
  • Once it foams up the sides of the pan, remove from the heat briefly to allow the foam to subside.
  • Place the pan back on the heat to boil again while constantly stirring, so the mixture doesn't burn.
  • Repeat until the temperature of mixture reaches 300F/149C degrees
Cooling cough drops on a silicone baking mat

I used a regular teaspoon to drop circles of the mixture onto a silicon baking mat and set it aside to cool for about 30 minutes.

Or use a candy mold, like the one below, to form the cough drops.

Close up of a honey lemon cogh drop cooling on a baking mat

Pretty little jewels of honey drops.  They look like they have flecks of gold in them!  I didn't want to dust them with the powdered sugar because they are so pretty.

Homemade honey cough drops in a bowl
Honey lemon cough drops coated with powdered sugar in a bowl with lemons and honey on the side

Like this cough drop recipe?  How about trying my Elderberry Cough Drops too!

Next time you are feeling a little under the weather, make these easy homemade Honey Lemon Ginger Cough Drops. So much better than buying the store pre-made ones. 

RECIPE

Coated homemade honey lemon ginger cough drops in a bowl

Honey Lemon Ginger Cough Drops

Don't buy store cough drops, make your own homemade all-natural ones!  Made with only 3 ingredients and in less than 30 minutes.
4.79 from 19 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Condiment
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 3 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes
Total Time: 23 minutes minutes
Servings: 30 drops
Calories: 17kcal
Author: Karrie | Tasty Ever After

Ingredients

  • ½ cup honey
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger (finely grated on a microplane or use the small holes on a hand grater)

For coating drops use: powdered sugar, cornstarch, arrowroot powder, ground cinnamon, etc

    US Customary - Metric

    Instructions

    • Using a wooden spoon, mix together honey, lemon juice, 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 hardens, 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 a 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. 
    • Can use a food grade essential oil instead of fresh lemon juice.  Add a few drops of the essential oil at the end of cooking, after the mixture cools.
    • Make the cough drops on a cold, dry day.  Rainy or humid weather will cause the mixture to 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.
    • If the drops stick to the parchment paper, place them paper side down on a warm damp towel and let it sit for a couple of minutes.
    • Store in a tightly covered container in a cool, dry place for up to 4 weeks.
    • To prevent drops from sticking together during longer storage time: wrap the drops individually in pieces of parchment or wax paper.
    • Original recipe by Erica Hale at www.thankyourbody.com
    Nutrition Facts
    Honey Lemon Ginger Cough Drops
    Amount Per Serving
    Calories 17
    % Daily Value*
    Potassium 2mg0%
    Carbohydrates 4g1%
    Sugar 4g4%
    Vitamin C 0.4mg0%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
    Tried this recipe? Tag me today!Mention @tastyeverafter or tag #tastyeverafter

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     ©  Tasty Ever After  All images and content are copyright protected, so please do not copy or claim my work as your own.  Please do not use any images or republish this recipe without prior permission.  If you want to reference this recipe, link directly back to this post.  Thank you.

    Reader Interactions

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Paulie Martin

      May 18, 2023 at 2:15 am

      5 stars
      is there any way you could add thyme to the mix? or marshmallow root?

      Reply
      • Karrie

        May 25, 2023 at 11:17 am

        Hi Paulie, I haven't tried adding those, but don't see why it wouldn't work. You could try adding them to a small amount of the mixture to make sure all goes okay.

        Reply
    2. Andi

      January 25, 2023 at 6:53 pm

      5 stars
      I love these! I did some with ginger and some without and they are both so good! I got a silicone ice cube tray that is shaped like honeycombs for these. I would suggest pulling up a chair and covertly stirring to prevent burning!

      Reply
    3. Cathy

      May 15, 2022 at 6:06 pm

      5 stars
      I got impatient and mine didn’t get quite to hard crack but Im finding them very soothing and tasty. I doubled the fresh ginger and they’re delightfully spicy. Will be making these again, and being more patient!

      Reply
    4. sarah

      October 07, 2021 at 9:30 am

      5 stars
      I live in the UK and have such an awful stovetop. I ended up burning the honey a bit because i couldn’t get it to boil on a low setting 🙁 ended up taking about an hour total for me, and i think they still didn’t quite reach the hard crack stage. hoping to try this again soon and get it right! for now i’m still going to eat all the slightly burned ones hahahaha

      Reply
    5. Mel

      September 23, 2021 at 4:12 pm

      5 stars
      LOVE these cough drops! It took me a few attempts to finally get it right, as despite making it as instructed and using a candy thermometer they would turn out chewy like caramel rather than hard. But after some research I figured it was probably due to the weather and temperature as it was cold and wet on the days I'd failed at it so, so I waited for a nice dry sunny day and tried the recipe again and they turned out perfect! I'm gonna make tonnes more batches now 'cause I love eating them like lollies haha. Thanks so much for sharing x

      Reply
    6. Penlope

      July 20, 2021 at 11:41 am

      Can i use brown sugar

      Reply
      • Karrie

        July 22, 2021 at 1:32 pm

        I haven't used brown sugar in this recipe Penlope, but I've read where other people have and it just makes the cough drops softer.

        Reply
    7. April

      February 03, 2021 at 1:15 pm

      5 stars
      Thank you so much for this excellent recipe. I followed your instructions to the letter and they came out great. I've never made candy before. Your instructions took this novice through the process with ease. Word of caution. Don't leave your cough drops out on the table in a warm house! Even though I dusted them with ground cinnamon they stuck together into a blob 🙁 I was able to save them though. I placed the mason jar in a hot pot of water until they became soft again, reshaped them, and then wrapped each one in parchment paper and plastic wrap. They are holding up perfectly now. Thank you again for this recipe and guidance!

      Reply
      • Karrie

        February 04, 2021 at 1:05 pm

        You are so welcome April and so happy you enjoyed the recipe!!

        Reply
        • Megan

          March 30, 2021 at 9:14 am

          Could I use ginger powder?? Or is fresh a must?

          Reply
          • Karrie

            March 30, 2021 at 9:26 pm

            I haven't used ground, but other people have told me they have in these drops and it works well as a substitute. Use 1/4 teaspoon of ground ginger for the 1 teaspoon of fresh.

            Reply
    8. brittany

      January 21, 2021 at 10:31 am

      welp, this recipe was going great until my dog started this awful whine where i just knew something was wrong. so i went to check on him, burning the honey in the process, and nope. nothing wrong. just a squirrel in the yard. will be trying this again. it worked great, minus the burnt taste.

      Reply
      • Karrie

        January 25, 2021 at 9:20 pm

        LOL! My dogs will bark and run crazy all around the house, acting like someone is trying to break in, but it's always just be a squirrel sitting on the lawn or a tree branch. They love to do it when I'm in the middle of cooking too. Hope you try the cough drops again Brittany 🙂

        Reply
    9. Dee

      November 22, 2020 at 2:05 pm

      5 stars
      Holy wow! I love these! I made exactly as directed (although I doubled the mixture) and I cannot believe how much I love these. The ginger really comes through! Now that I know what I am doing, another cough drop will never be purchased in my household. Seriously thank you! I love these!

      Reply
      • Karrie

        November 23, 2020 at 2:02 pm

        Yay Dee and that's so awesome!! I'm so glad you love the cough drops and thank you so much for taking the time to review them too!

        Reply
    10. Laetitia

      November 11, 2020 at 2:08 pm

      I tried and turned into perfect drops🤩...
      I don't have the thermometre but I checked out the time and the texture and they are just as yours...

      Thank you for these recepy ...

      Reply
      • Karrie

        November 13, 2020 at 1:44 pm

        That's wonderful Laetitia! So happy you enjoyed the recipe 🙂

        Reply
        • Helena Božnar

          November 20, 2020 at 11:21 am

          5 stars
          Hi there guys. I' ve just tried them out today. They tast great! ( Sorry about my vocabulary, im from slovenia) they are not see trough like yours...they look like caramel, but they are hard. Thats all i wanted. Thank you. Oh just one thing...i added a little bit of chili powder inside. I like it spicy😁 thanks again

          Reply
          • Karrie

            November 21, 2020 at 1:36 pm

            Thank you Helena for taking the time to review! Happy you liked the recipe and the chili powder is a wonderful idea! It's great for sore throats and coughs.

            Reply
    11. Laura Burk

      October 03, 2020 at 6:52 pm

      Love this recipe and I'm about to give it a try. I'm building up a home apothecary and the weather is finally perfect to make these (which also means we'll be needing them soon!) I've been learning a lot lately about the benefits of blackstrap molasses, and was curious if it could be substituted for the honey in this recipe?

      Thanks for sharing!

      Reply
      • Karrie

        October 06, 2020 at 11:41 am

        Hi Laura! All the best of luck with your new home apothecary adventure! I've never made these with blackstrap molasses, so unsure if they will come out right. I did some research and found that molasses and honey can be substituted cup for cup for each other in recipes, BUT molasses has a completely different flavor/sweetness than honey and it holds more moisture, so you may not be able to cook out all the water in the molasses (and the result is the drops will never fully harden). You could half the recipe and try a test batch with the molasses. If you do, please let me know how it turns out for you!

        Reply
        • Sach Paruth

          December 07, 2020 at 12:10 pm

          Hi. If you need to dry out the molassis, use a double boiler so the molassis dont burn.

          Reply
    12. Amy

      September 27, 2020 at 10:16 am

      I’m wanting to try these for upset stomach. I give my daughters ginger tea for nausea and it works great. I just make a little tea bag with ground ginger and add honey to the hot water.
      For these could you leave out the lemon and just use the honey and ground ginger?
      If they turn out I plan to gift some to some pregnant friends that have been having a hard time with morning sickness as well.

      Reply
      • Karrie

        September 28, 2020 at 11:28 am

        Hi Amy, I haven't tried them without the lemon juice, so don't know how they will turn out. When you try it, substitute 2 tablespoons of water for the lemon juice and please let me know how they work!

        Reply
    13. Vanessa

      May 15, 2020 at 3:33 pm

      Thanks for sharing! Do they freeze well?

      Reply
      • Karrie

        May 20, 2020 at 11:28 am

        Hi Vanessa, yes they do freeze well! Just place in a freezer proof container or bag for up to 3 months.

        Reply
        • Janet

          December 17, 2020 at 8:14 am

          Hi!
          I love these.:). Thank you for sharing. I thinking of making them for gifts for friends and I know you said they will store for up to 4 weeks. I am wondering how to package them. When you buy cough drops from a store it seems they last forever. What do they do that makes them last longer.?

          Reply
          • Karrie

            December 17, 2020 at 10:08 pm

            Thank you Janet! They last more than 4 weeks, but I find they get stickier the older they get. You can wrap them individually in wax paper to store them for a longer period.

            Reply
    14. Suzanne

      May 15, 2020 at 3:31 pm

      This looks so good! Does it work with different flavorings?

      Reply
      • Karrie

        May 20, 2020 at 11:27 am

        Yes, you can use different flavorings Suzanne!

        Reply
    15. Deb

      April 22, 2020 at 9:27 am

      Hey mine turned out to be chewy and they're not hardening. Any tips on how to rectify this? Do I need to cook it for a longer time?

      Reply
      • Karrie

        April 22, 2020 at 4:49 pm

        It sounds like all the moisture wasn't cooked out, Deb. Heat the mixture up again and test it by dropping some of it in a cold bowl of water. If it hardens, it's ready. If not, continuing cooking and stirring the mixture over medium-low heat for a few minutes, then test it in the water again.

        Reply
    16. Jessica

      January 04, 2020 at 7:05 pm

      5 stars
      I love the recipe but cannot get it right. I finally can get the hard crack stage but it always burns. Any tips?

      Reply
      • karrie @ Tasty Ever After

        January 06, 2020 at 8:59 am

        Thanks Jessica! Do you think you might be cooking it at too high of a heat setting or not stirring it enough? Try cooking it over low heat, instead of medium-low heat, while stirring. Please let me know if that works for you!

        Reply
      • Kimberly

        January 14, 2020 at 3:03 pm

        I don’t use a cant thermometer. Maybe that is the problem. Get a bowl you would eat cereal from add a cup of very cold water and ice. Don’t take your eyes off that bubbling pot. When it feels just a little thicker, pT about half teaspoon drop into cold ice water. Now is it holding shape? If so get your parchment paper or candy mold ready. I dusted mine with powdered sugar & cinnamon. I also added lemon zest to my recipe. Hope this helps you. I can’t make anything using a thermometer 🌡.

        Reply
        • Karrie

          January 20, 2020 at 9:17 pm

          Thanks for the great tips Kimberly!

          Reply
    17. Khola

      December 30, 2019 at 10:48 pm

      Hi.. I have tried this recipe.. And it turn out perfect.

      Reply
      • Karrie

        December 31, 2019 at 3:09 pm

        Thanks for your review Khola!

        Reply
    18. Amanda

      November 17, 2019 at 4:12 pm

      Hi can you replace the lemon with anything else? I cant have anything acidic.
      Thanks

      Reply
      • Karrie

        November 18, 2019 at 9:47 am

        Hi Amanda, Yes, you can use a food grade mint flavored essential oil to make a mint honey cough drop. Add a few drops at the end, as the mixture is cooling.

        Reply
    19. Goldie Jain

      November 14, 2019 at 8:54 am

      Hey there.. Mine are still chewy even after trying to freeze them. I'm assuming they should go hard as candy? You think I could reheat them incase they are undercooked? I don't want to waste the whole batch..

      Reply
      • karrie @ Tasty Ever After

        November 15, 2019 at 8:57 pm

        Hi Goldie, They shouldn't be chewy, but freezing them might harden them up a little. You can try to reheat them over low heat, but it's difficult to do without burning them. Please let me know if the freezer worked.

        Reply
      • Angie

        September 16, 2021 at 5:45 pm

        Mine stuck to the parchment paper. How do you remove them?

        Reply
        • Karrie

          September 27, 2021 at 3:37 pm

          Hi Angie, you can place it paper side down on a warm damp towel and let it sit for a couple of minutes.

          Reply
    20. Amena

      November 06, 2019 at 12:35 pm

      Would the heating of the honey to such a high temperature not kill all its benefits?

      Reply
      • karrie @ Tasty Ever After

        November 15, 2019 at 9:01 pm

        Yes Amena, heating honey does kill some of its benefits, but it's still better to use than refined sugar.

        Reply
    21. Viola

      October 06, 2019 at 2:57 pm

      5 stars
      I made these today and ate some. My first time making candy. No thermometer. Turned out great!

      Reply
      • Karrie

        October 08, 2019 at 9:56 pm

        That's so awesome to hear Viola! So appreciative of you taking the time to leave a review too.

        Reply
    22. Sylie

      September 27, 2019 at 11:33 pm

      I am anxious to try this recipe since I have a terrible sore throat from allergy coughing. My big question is: Where does the fresh grated ginger go? there is no mention of straining it out and it doesn't appear to still be in the drops in your pictures. Fresh grated ginger would leave "shreds" wouldn't it? or do they cook down and dissolve? Maybe I am confusing fresh grated with ground? I think ground would leave sediment though, I'm just confused lol

      Also, when I get the ginger thing figured out, I plan to dust mine with either straight up slippery elm powder or mix cinnamon and slippery elm. Slippery Elm powder is amazing for sore throats due to it's mucousy texture, it coats and soothes.

      Reply
      • karrie @ Tasty Ever After

        September 28, 2019 at 5:40 pm

        Hi Sylie, Hope these help you with your sore throat 🙂 Grate the fresh ginger on a microplane or use the fine holes on a hand grater. It will come out finely grated and will dissolve in the mixture. I've had people use ground ginger in this with good results and it doesn't leave any sort of a sediment. The slippery elm powder sounds like a great idea! I've never used it before, but will try it and update the recipe.

        Reply
    23. marg aldridge

      September 08, 2019 at 1:08 am

      i hav just made these they turnrd out great , i put them on bakeing paper that i oiled slightly. i am going to try pouring it all out cooling till i can handle them pulling in to a rope then cut with scissors,

      Reply
      • Karrie

        September 10, 2019 at 11:10 am

        That's fantastic Marg and thanks for the review! Please let me know how it works pulling it into a rope and cutting it with scissors. Thinking it might harden up on you too quickly, but if it works for you, I'd like to try it myself!

        Reply
      • Brenda

        December 16, 2019 at 11:22 pm

        Getting ready to make a batch of these for little Christmas presents. I really do want to use essential oils, but if I add it at the end during the cool-down period, wouldn’t that keep it sticky and from hardening, or am I overthinking it? Other than that, great recipe!

        Reply
        • Karrie

          December 17, 2019 at 11:11 am

          Thank you Brenda and yes, you can add the food-grade essential oils directly to the mixture once it cools down slightly. I've had quite a few people do it this way and it didn't keep it from hardening. Please let me know how they turn out and hope everyone enjoys them! Merry Christmas!

          Reply
    24. Michelle

      August 16, 2019 at 1:36 pm

      My cough drops are still sticky and I’ve read your responses to several comments above regarding high humidity or not reaching 300. Do you think if I put them in the freezer they’ll harden to the desired level?

      Reply
      • karrie @ Tasty Ever After

        August 18, 2019 at 11:13 pm

        Yes Michelle, you can definitely put the drops in the freezer to firm up, but they still may not harden completely if undercooked.

        Reply
    25. durgawati

      August 16, 2019 at 12:32 pm

      5 stars
      These were so easy to make and lemon ginger are great remedies for cough. Thanks for posting this recipe!

      Reply
      • Karrie

        August 16, 2019 at 1:05 pm

        You are welcome and glad you liked it!

        Reply
    26. Katherine Judkins

      July 27, 2019 at 8:45 pm

      Are these supposed to be sweet? Mine turned out very bitter. Could I possibly have burnt the honey even though I kept it on low/medium heat and stirred it constantly?

      Reply
      • karrie @ Tasty Ever After

        July 29, 2019 at 3:09 pm

        Yes, they are supposed to be sweet Katherine. It is possible to still scorch the honey if it cooks too fast while trying to reach the 300F degree mark. Do your stovetop elements run at a higher temp? I have a gas stove and it runs hot, so I always have to cook mine on the lowest setting possible to avoid burning.

        Reply
    27. Carol

      July 11, 2019 at 8:02 pm

      5 stars
      Definitely will be making these, but I am curious why they would only be good for up to 4 weeks. Hard candy is usually good for a long time. If they were kept in the freezer they should be okay indefinitely, do you think?

      Reply
      • Karrie

        July 14, 2019 at 12:01 pm

        Thanks Carol and yes, they should last indefinitely in the freezer.

        Reply
    28. Colista

      June 29, 2019 at 3:44 pm

      Could these be stored in the freezer to use in the future? Like if I needed some for later?

      Reply
      • karrie @ Tasty Ever After

        June 30, 2019 at 10:44 am

        Yes they can, but you may want to individually wrap them in pieces of parchment or wax paper so they don't stick together.

        Reply
    29. Bahaa

      May 25, 2019 at 4:37 pm

      How much propolis can I add to this mixture? Thank you

      Reply
      • Karrie

        May 26, 2019 at 1:13 pm

        Hello! I've never added propolis to this recipe, so unsure how of how the mixture would respond to it. Plus, I'm not sure how it reacts to being heated. I have propolis at home, but usually just take it by the spoonful at room temperature.

        Reply
        • Kim Mitchell

          October 23, 2019 at 5:20 pm

          What about using Ginger and lemon essential oils instead of lemon juice and such?

          Reply
          • Karrie

            October 28, 2019 at 10:09 am

            Hi Kim, essential oils are more concentrated, so unsure of the amount to add to this recipe and what it would taste like.

            Reply
    30. Mary

      March 25, 2019 at 2:45 pm

      5 stars
      Hello. Oh my goodness I haven't made hard candy in thirty years. Now I have a cold and fiund your recipe to make ciugh drops. It it very simple and easy. Unfortunately I didn't have a candy thermometer. Just a good pan, lots of store bought honey, quute a few lemins, fresh ginger and a wooden spoon aling with a 13 year old xat, and a onebyear old dog. Who both wanted to go outside. Unfortunately I was making cough drops which I slightly burned. I could only take a few spoonfuls out of the pan. The mixture wouldn't come out of the pan. What a mess I made. But I was able to suck in a few. Blackened honey with ginger and lemon. Not a fun day. But thank you for this recipe.

      Reply
      • karrie @ Tasty Ever After

        April 03, 2019 at 11:31 am

        OMG Mary, I know it was not a fun day for you, but I just had a giggle a little while reading your comment because I have 2 dogs who HAVE TO go outside every single time I start cooking something. I swear they do it on purpose! Hope you are feeling better now and are able to make these drops again without any animal interference (LOL!) Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review too.

        Reply
    31. Namita

      February 10, 2019 at 1:58 am

      5 stars
      Hi,
      I made the cough drops but they are extremely chewy! Anything I can do now on the ready drops to make them hard?

      Reply
      • Karrie

        February 11, 2019 at 11:02 am

        Hello Namita, They should fully harden at room temp, so it sounds like the moisture wasn’t cooked all the way out of the mixture or it’s possible there’s too much humidity in the kitchen to prevent them from hardening. You could try to reheat the cough drops in a pan over very low heat and get it to temp BUT it’s kind of tricky because you have to make sure the mixture doesn’t burn.

        Reply
    32. Anna

      February 08, 2019 at 1:55 am

      5 stars
      Just made these today with (and for) my four-year-old nephew. It was super easy and we had so much fun! I was worried he wouldn’t like the ginger, so I subbed half a tsp of cinnamon and half a tsp unsweetened cocoa (another natural cough suppressant). He loves them and they soothed his cough right away! Thanks for the recipe and the cooking tips!

      Reply
      • Karrie

        February 08, 2019 at 10:32 am

        You are welcome Anna and thank you so much for taking the time to comment on the drops! Love your idea on subbing out the ginger with cinnamon and unsweetened cocoa and I'll have to try that next time I make them!

        Reply
    33. Patsy

      January 31, 2019 at 11:52 am

      Hi I’ve tried to make them two time and they will not get hard I let one batch sit over night on the counter top and one batch in the refrigerator and they didn’t get hard
      I don’t have a candy thermometer
      Maybe didn’t cook them long enough or is it possible that I cooked them to long?

      Reply
      • Karrie

        January 31, 2019 at 6:12 pm

        Hi Pasty, they should harden at room temp, so it sounds like the moisture wasn't cooked all the way out of the mixture or it's possible there's too much humidity in the kitchen to prevent them from hardening. Did you try to drop some of the mixture in a cup of cold water to test it? You could try to reheat the cough drops in a pan over very low heat and get it to temp BUT it's kind of tricky because you have to make sure the mixture doesn't burn.

        Reply
    34. Callie

      January 22, 2019 at 10:06 pm

      5 stars
      The cough drops worked so well!

      Reply
      • Karrie

        January 28, 2019 at 12:36 pm

        Thanks Callie and glad you like them!

        Reply
    35. Patricia garris

      November 05, 2018 at 4:17 am

      I don’t use sugar (gave up sugar and substitutes except honey) for dusting, but dusted with cinnamon. Came out great.

      Reply
      • Karrie

        November 05, 2018 at 9:25 pm

        That's so awesome dusting the drops with cinnamon worked! Great idea Patricia and thanks for letting me know. I'll update the recipe too with your suggestion.

        Reply
    36. Shannon

      October 27, 2018 at 11:50 pm

      5 stars
      What type of honey did you use?

      Reply
      • karrie @ Tasty Ever After

        October 28, 2018 at 11:15 am

        Hi Shannon, I used a local raw honey because it's what I always have in the pantry. Feel free to use your favorite honey for the drops!

        Reply
    37. Nicky

      October 15, 2018 at 3:12 pm

      Just added ground cinnamon so hopefully they taste good

      Reply
      • Karrie

        October 15, 2018 at 4:10 pm

        What a great idea Nicky! Cinnamon is very beneficial in fighting colds, so hope they turn out! Please let me know if they do and I'll update the recipe.

        Reply
    38. Lisa Hoffman

      September 21, 2018 at 12:25 pm

      These are easy to make, but they stick your teeth like crazy. What can you add to make them harder? Thanks.

      Reply
      • Karrie

        September 21, 2018 at 4:02 pm

        Hi Lisa! If they are still sticky, it's possible not all the water evaporated during the cooking process. Drop a little of the mixture into some cold water, if it hardens immediately, then it's ready. Another possibility could be the humidity. I've made hard candy before when it was humid and it turned super sticky, even though I cooked it to the hard crack stage. Hope this helps!

        Reply
    39. Megan Etzel

      September 17, 2018 at 9:20 am

      I felt a cold coming on and can't do store bought cough drops so I tried yours. I subbed pineapple juice for lemon juice. These worked out great! Thank you!

      Reply
      • Karrie

        September 17, 2018 at 10:30 am

        What a great idea to use pineapple juice for the drops, Megan! Thank you so much for the taking the time to review and so happy you liked them. Can't wait to make a batch this week with the pineapple!

        Reply
    40. Jamie Agee

      March 07, 2018 at 11:03 am

      Hey there, if you don’t have a candy thermometer how long do you think it would take to cook?

      Reply
      • Karrie

        March 07, 2018 at 11:31 am

        Hi Jamie, It should take take about 20 minutes and you can test it by dropping some of the mixture into a cup of ice water. If it hardens immediately, then it's ready! Hope you enjoy the recipe and let me know what you think of it.

        Reply
    41. Ashley

      February 02, 2018 at 1:07 pm

      When cooling them, can u put them jn the freezer? Or should i let them sit out on the counter?

      Reply
      • Karrie

        February 02, 2018 at 1:39 pm

        Hi Ashley, They cool pretty quickly on the counter, but I don't see why you couldn't put them in the freezer to speed the process up.

        Reply
    42. Ashley

      January 23, 2018 at 1:23 pm

      How long do these stay good in fridge or room temp?

      Reply
      • Karrie

        January 27, 2018 at 1:55 pm

        Hi Ashley, they should stay for at least 3-4 weeks in the refrigerator. You may have to dust them with a little more coating powder, so they don't stick.

        Reply
    43. Kelly

      December 31, 2017 at 10:23 am

      Just wondering if you made those few changes to the recipe and if so how it turned out, the orange juice sounded good?

      Reply
      • Karrie@tastyeverafter

        January 02, 2018 at 10:51 am

        Hi Kelly, Happy New Year!! I haven't made them with OJ yet, but need to soon! I'll definitely update the post when I do

        Reply
    44. Bethany Brady

      November 20, 2017 at 11:38 am

      How does one keep the candy from sticking to paper? I used waxed paper, as I had it on hand, is parchment paper specifically better than waxed?

      Reply
      • Karrie@tastyeverafter

        November 20, 2017 at 9:40 pm

        Sounds like the heat from the mixture might have melted the wax in the paper, causing it to lose it's non-stick ability. Parchment paper has a silicone coating and doesn't melt when heated, so it's best to use it or a silicone mat to cool the cough drops.

        Reply
        • Gabriella Sanford

          August 25, 2019 at 1:38 am

          I used foil cause that's all I had and it came off perfectly no sticking at all but I also cooled them in the fridge!

          Reply
          • Karrie

            August 25, 2019 at 12:04 pm

            That's great news on the foil working and can't believe they didn't stick! Maybe cooling them in the fridge helped and thanks for the tips, Gabriella 🙂

            Reply
    45. Gwen

      July 31, 2017 at 9:46 pm

      How often do you use these drops per hour/day

      Reply
      • Karrie@tastyeverafter

        August 01, 2017 at 2:22 pm

        Hi Gwen, they may be used as often as you need them. They are made with all-natural ingredients so there's no harm in eating as many as you want, except for maybe a stomach ache from all the honey (aka sugar)

        Reply

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