How to make ginger and lemon cough drops
Hinterland Homesteading with Racheal Pascoe
What a beautiful time of year it is! Whether you are enjoying time sitting in the morning sun with a cuppa, or having a late afternoon wander in the garden, it is a pretty time of year.
The sunrises and sunsets are so clear and crisp with sensational colours. We all deserve to enjoy some sunshine and good weather, considering the rain we have had this year.
My veggie patch at home here is coming along nicely.
I have picked my first sugar loaf cabbage and I can’t wait to enjoy it chopped finely, steamed with a nob of butter with salt and pepper. So delicious.
Asparagus care
If you have asparagus growing, now is the time to cut your asparagus plant down to about two inches above ground level and give it a good feed of manure.
I have just done this with mine. This allows the plants to rest over winter, after producing all spring/summer. Mulch the plants and give them a good water. You will see some growing action again in the springtime.
Homemade cough drops
Winter is also the time for lots of coughs and colds to be doing the rounds. If you find yourself with a tickly cough, you could look at making your own cough drops this year? The ingredients are all natural, honey, ginger and lemon. You might even have all or some of this in your own garden?
The amounts of each ingredient are really dependent on how much of that flavour you like. Honey is a good base for the cough drop, because once you get it to cracking point while simmering in a pot, it will harden in the shape of a lolly.
Lemon is a great source of vitamin C and ginger is so good for you too. Rather than rely on store bought cough drops, it is great it you can make your own, as you know what goes into them.
Simply heat the honey in an oversized pot, as it will froth up and it needs space to rise without overflowing. Start with 200ml of honey. Now, I know heating honey does diminish the medicinal properties, but it is still a good soothing base for a tickly throat. Ideally you need to have the honey simmering for about 25 mins, stirring all the time. (NB: Do not leave the saucepan to go and hang out a load of washing!) You need to watch the pot all the time.
Add about half a teaspoon of ginger powder and the juice of a lemon. With a thermometer, gently raise the temperature to reach 140 degrees celsius. This is when the colour changes from honeycomb to a much darker colour. Remove the pan from the heat and spoon teaspoon amounts onto a tray lined with baking paper. Place in the fridge to cool/set. (I always try one first on the tray, set it in the fridge and make sure that the mixture is going to set, before I go and spoon it all out.) If for some reason the mixture isn’t setting, put it back on the heat.
After about 30 mins of cooling in the fridge, remove the cough drops from the tray and either wrap each one in baking paper or dust them with icing sugar or cornflour. This will stop them from sticking together. Enjoy one to soothe a tickly or sore throat.
Happy homesteading everyone!
