If you don't like the additives in store-bought cough drops or just want to save a little money while soothing an aching throat, it's easy to make your own drops right in the kitchen with ingredients you probably already have.


Photo by Doonvas.

WikiHow has a great recipe for DIY cough drops that requires little more than corn syrup, sugar, and some food coloring (if you want them in pretty colors). You'll need to get your hands on some loose medicinal herbs like comfrey leaf or slippery elm, which—okay, you may not have on hand—but you can easily find them in most large health food stores or online.


Once you've gathered your ingredients, it's just a matter of boiling them together and dropping small blobs of the mixture on a greased surface to cool. Roll the drop in powdered sugar so they don't stick together, store them in a small tin or bag, and you're good to go.

Hit up the recipe at WikiHow for exact ingredient measurement and tips on how to combine herbs. If these homemade cough drops make you want to expand your horizons and try your hand at making other cold remedies, check out our post on how to brew your own cold and flu elixir using olive oil, lemon, ginger, and (woo!) Southern Comfort. We aren't doctors, so we can't vouch for the effectiveness of homemade health remedies but if you drink enough of your DIY cough syrup, at least you won't care that you're sick.

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How to Make Homemade Cough Drops [WikiHow]