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Homemade Throat and Cough Syrup

It is easy and fun to make your own syrup! There are many different herbs and essential oils that are wonderful to use. This syrup is a great gift for friends and nice to have around in the winter to soothe a sore throat or calm a cough.

This recipe calls for a small amount of essential oil.  When I make this syrup for a child under 5 years old, I leave the essential oil out. A nice adjustment to the recipe for children is to substitute the essential oil with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice into a spoonful of syrup just before your child takes it.

The basic recipe:

1. Add 2 oz. of herbs (by weight) to 32 oz. of water to a soup pot. I like a mix of peppermint. licorice root, and ginger.
2. Bring the herbs and water to a boil and then reduce to a low simmer. Simmer for about 10 minutes until the liquid reduces to half (16 oz.).  I pour it into a pyrex measuring cup to be sure it is 16 oz. This is your herbal infusion.
3. Remove the herbs using a strainer and save the tea. Put this tea back into your pot.
4. Add 1/2 of a cup (4 oz.) of honey and 1/4 cup (2 oz.) of maple syrup to the tea. Cook this at a low, steady simmer for 20 – 30 minutes, stirring now and then. The longer you cook it, the thicker it will get, so play around with the time and see what works best for you.
5. Remove from the heat, measure your syrup in the pyrex and add 2 drops of essential oil per oz. of cough syrup liquid.  My favorite essential oils to add are peppermint (Mentha x piperita), ginger (Zingiber officinale), tea tree (Melaleuca alternifolia), lemon (Citrus limon) and eucalyptus (Eucalyptus globulus). You can add just one essential oil, or a mix of 2 or 3.  The total amount of essential oil  for this recipe is 2 drops per oz.
6. Bottle in glass and refrigerate. It will last for 2-3 months.

Directions: I take one teaspoon as needed. The syrup is very sweet, as syrups are meant to be!

Where to buy essential oils? Read More

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Aromahead's First Book on Amazon!

It is with great excitement that I announce the availability of my book, Essential Living, Aromatherapy Recipes for Health and Home on Amazon.com.

Included are 60 of my personal recipes along with directions for creating each product. The book is easy to use, filled with beautiful pictures, and perfect for anyone interested in natural health care!

I hope you enjoy reading and using this book as much as I enjoyed writing it!

To order a copy for yourself or a friend: Amazon.com

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