HERB - RECIPE: sore throat and cough drops

[Gaylin Walli]

Cough drops are easy to make, convenient to carry, and
extremely helpful for people with coughs. Keep in mind
that when you are coughing, it's usually for a reason.
Supressing that cough may not be the right thing to
do. Making it easy to cough without damaging yourself
is a decent substitute. Always talk to a doctor or
trained professional about your coughs. Research the
plants that may be best for you. -- jasmine


Homemade Sore Throat and Cough Drops

Equipment:

   a baking sheet with edges (or a large marble slab)
   a non-reactive saucepan with cover
   measuring cups and spoons
   a fine mesh strainer
   a candy thermometer (helpful, but not critical)
   a sharp knife
   an airtight storage container

Ingredients:

   unsalted butter

   1 cup water
   2 cups refined sugar
   1/3 teaspoon cream of tartar
   herbs with high mucilage content (see below)

Suggested herbs (choose one):

   horehound - Use ~3/4 cup dried. This herb is good for
      coughs that are dry that produce little pleghm. It
      is excellent for people with smoker's cough. Supposedly
      this plant has been used in combination with sweeteners
      since ancient times (Hippocrates mentioned it in his
      writings).
   hyssop leaves - Use ~1 cup dried leaves. Hippocrates and
      Galen both recommended this plant for coughs during
      bronchitis. You can also use it for times when your
      throat leaves you a little hoarse and sore. It is also
      good for loosening phlegm that doesn't want to loosen
      on its own.
   marshmallow roots - Use ~3/4 cup dried and chopped roots.
      This plant was highly favored by Charlamagne. An excellent
      treatment for a plain old sore throats and also for coughs
      that come with a common cold (usually from sinus drainage).

Instructions:

Cover a baking sheet with a good coat of unsalted butter (or use a
nice marble slab coated with butter, if you have one of those
really cool kitchens we're all jealous of). Set aside.

Boil the water and wait 1 minute. Pour the just boiled water over
the herbs of choice and cover. Steep 30 minutes, covered. Strain
the liquid through a fine mesh strainer and into a non-reactive
saucepan. Be sure to press the herbs to extract all the liquid
from them.

Heat the liquid on low and add the sugar and the cream of tartar,
stirring until all of it is completely dissolved. (Hint: Some of
the sugar crystals may stick to the pan. If you cover it and let
it cook on low for 3 or 4 minutes, the steam from the liquid
often dissolves the sugar crystals.)

Turn the heat to high and and cook the syrup uncovered, without
stirring. When the syrup reaches 300F on a candy thermometer
or the hard-crack stage (when drops of it in ice water form
brittle threads), immediately remove the syrup from the heat.

Pour the syrup onto your buttered sheet. When the mixture starts
to set (try making a light line in it, the line should stay)
score the mixture into small lozenge shapes with a sharp knife.
When the mixture has completely cooled and the syrup is brittle, cut
along the score lines.

Store the pieces in an airtight container.

Notes:

Any decent cooking basics book should be able to describe the
differences in the stages of candy making. The stage you're
trying to reach is the hard-crack stage (other stages include
the soft ball and hard ball stages). Reading the instructions
for determing these stages is extremely helpful. If you do not
have a candy thermometer, I suggest you read up on the process
before beginning this project.

Some people have suggested using oil instead of unsalted butter
to grease the baking sheet or marble so that vegetarians and vegans
can partake. If you do this substitution, be sure to use a light
oil with not much flavor. Avoid olive oil. Try using canola or
safflower oil instead.
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