How to Make Cough Syrup

Cough syrup can be acquired over the counter, but you can also make it from ingredients from your kitchen and the health-food store. You may not feel like shopping when you get sick, so it might be a good idea to gather the ingredients you'll need and have them ready to whip up into a cough syrup at the first sign of a cough or sore throat.

Instructions

• 1

  Bring two cups of water to a boil on the stove or in the microwave. You can use a pan as small as 2 quarts to make the cough syrup.

• 2

  Chop up some elecampane root into small pieces. Elecampane root is a natural cough suppressant and the whole root can be purchased at a health foods store. If you cannot find it, you can substitute ginger root. Add the root pieces to the boiling water.

• 3

  Boil the root for several minutes until it starts to become soft. Then, squeeze the juice from half a lemon and add it to the mixture. You can add juice from an entire lemon if you can stand the taste.

• 4

  Add a couple spoonfuls of honey to the cough syrup. The honey not only will soothe the throat, it covers up any unpleasant taste in the cough syrup. You can use anything else you desire to improve the taste such as sugar or peppermint.

• 5

  Pour in a couple spoonfuls of your favorite whiskey if you desire. The whiskey helps you relax and sleep and is good for a nighttime remedy.

• 6

  Make the cough syrup fresh every 4 to 6 hours and drink while your symptoms persist.