How to Make Natural Cold Lozenges

Horehound can be used to make cold lozenges!

Horehound is an herb that is actually a specific variety of mint. Originally used successfully by physicians in ancient Egypt to treat respiratory ailments, it eventually was brought to Europe and cultivated for its medicinal properties. Today, horehound maintains a well-respected place among natural healing modalities to ease difficulty in breathing due to chronic disease or infections. The plant can be grown at home, but due to its tendency to overtake a garden, it should either be grown in pots or alone. The dried herb can be purchased in bulk and placed in new, unbleached tea bags (available at health food stores) for use as a tea in various preparations. This article will show you how to use horehound in tea form to create cold lozenges.

Things You'll Need

• 2 cups raw turbinado sugar (preferably organic)
• ½ cup very strong horehound herbal tea
• ½ tsp. cream of tartar
• Small candy molds, greased with vegetable oil
• Wax paper and/or a small metal covered tin

Instructions

1. Boil the first three ingredients together in a saucepan until very thick and syrupy. It should become difficult to stir, but not yet totally solid.

2. Pour into the candy molds once the mixture begins to harden and become dense, yet is still able to be slowly poured.

3. Set aside and allow the lozenges to cool at room temperature.

4. When cool, remove the lozenges from the candy molds and lay them on a large sheet of wax paper to fully dry and harden. Wrap them in small squares of wax paper when they are completely solid.

5. Place the wrapped lozenges in a covered metal tin. Allow a lozenge to dissolve in your mouth to ease cold symptoms. Up to six lozenges daily is usually recommended.

Tips & Warnings

• If the contents of the saucepan become too hard too quickly, simply add small amounts of distilled water and honey/sugar. Gently reheat until completely dissolved and pliable again.

• Keep prepared lozenges in a cool and dry place to prevent them from dissolving before use.

• Ideally, these lozenges should be wrapped individually to keep them from sticking together. To do this, cut a sheet of wax paper into squares measuring 2 inches in both length and width. Place a lozenge at the top-center or bottom-center of the paper. Carefully roll the lozenge in the paper and twist the ends tightly.

Resources

• Another way of preparing lozenges
• How to make horehound cough syrup and yet another way to make horehound cough drops (lozenges)
• Purchase horehound herb here