Whether it’s the dead of winter or the high life of summer, colds and allergies seem to come out of nowhere and “catch” us completely off guard. Hand-in-hand with these seasonal terrors comes the dreaded cough, and there are two ways you can fight the cold’s companion-in-arms—– with over-the-counter cough drops—- or the ones you make yourself. you can do yourself.

Make yourself, you ask? Why not! it’s easy and many of the ingredients inside these little soldiers can be found right in your own kitchen. Sugar, corn syrup and water gently brought to a high boil until they reach what is known as the “hard crack” stage will give you the “medium”. The only secret to a successful fall is to use a simple and flavorful combination of herbs “soaked” in the water before adding to the sugar syrup. This wonderful cough relief tea along with its “dry” ingredients are all you need to make your own natural cough drops.

Some herbs found in many of the other natural cough drops you find on the market that you may want to try alone or in combination are; Coltsfoot, Korean Licorice Mint (easy to grow; seeds are available from Seeds of Change), thyme, slippery elm, horehound, comfrey leaf, hyssop, marshmallow, and common mullein to name a few. Many of these herbs are perennial, so you’ll have them in your own personal “medicine cabinet” year after year. Use only the leaves of these herbs, either alone or in combination. It’s helpful to try them as a tea first, that way you’ll know which herbs will taste best in your cough drops. About 2-3 tsp. of herb to 1 1/2 cups of boiling water should give you the concentration you need; let stand until cool.

Here’s a time-tested hard candy recipe, straight from the pages of Cooking for American Homemakers. I have used this gem for many years to make lollipops and it is top notch for making the “middle:”

1 cup of sugar

1/3 cup light corn syrup

2/3 cup of water (herbal tea)

vegetable coloring (optional)

Mix the sugar, herbal tea, and corn syrup and simmer, stirring, until the sugar dissolves and the mixture comes to a boil. Continue to boil without stirring until a small amount becomes very brittle when immersed in cold water. Wash the crystals from the side of the pan with a damp cloth. Cook slowly at the end so the syrup doesn’t discolor. Remove from heat and add color. Drop quickly from the tip of a spoon onto a greased surface or into prepared hard candy molds. Allow to harden and cool completely before removing. You can roll them in powdered sugar and wrap them in plastic wrap or waxed paper for storage.

For gift giving, why not add a personal touch by pressing some of the fresh herbs between waxed paper and use to decorate or wrap your gift box. Add a nice label listing the herbs you used for a professional look.