Monday, July 8, 2013

Make Your Own Cough Medicine from the ~ Pantry Series


Welcome to part two of our "Make Your Own Medicine with Pantry Provisions" (see here for more posts regarding our pantry series).

“Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food."
~ Hippocrates

Jacqueline at Deep Roots at Home (with a nursing background and love for natural healing) has graciously agreed to share some information from her archives that will turn your basic food storage into a medicine cabinet as well!

Cayenne, ginger, raw honey and apple cider vinegar are staples in our "Essential Pantry List".

Today, we will learn how to make a cough remedy using these pantry provisions:

cough syrup, home remedy, home made, cayenne, vinegar, honey, medicinal
If you are the adventurous and independent type, here’s a homemade cough syrup recipe that really works. The ingredients are a simple combination of spices and nutrients with no side effects ~no drowsiness, no dry mucous membranes, no cautions about using machinery or driving.

We made this in our home recently to get some relief so we, my older daughter and I, could sleep. It worked for us! (Note: I would not give this mixture to a young child, because the taste is too strong, and do not give honey to children under 1 year of age.)

The recipe is from Herbally Yours by Penny C. Royal. It seems to work for all kinds of coughs but especially for that dry cough that keeps you awake and hangs on long after the cold is over.

Ingredients:

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1 Tablespoon honey
1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar
2 Tablespoons water

Mix and take by the teaspoonful. Stir well each time before taking. We keep this in the refrigerator.

The recipe doesn’t mention how much to take. We took 3 teaspoons the first time because we had had this bad cough for over three weeks and were desperate for some relief. It worked, and we got a good night’s sleep.

cough remedy, homemade, cayenne, honey, ginger mixture

Consider the beneficial effects of the individual ingredients:
  • Ginger has long been used and recommended for arthritis and bursitis, because it is a natural anti-inflammatory. Also ginger is a natural antihistamine. It has also been used for for motion sickness and nausea, and in addition, it’s known for relieving chest congestion.
 ginger, ground, spice
  • Cayenne is used as a natural fat burner and pain killer, to treat ulcers, increase metabolism, improve circulation, boost the immune system, and aid digestion.

organic cayenne, ground, spice
  • Raw Honey will draw pus and poisons out of wounds and it is useful for relief from colds. In its raw state it contains untold amounts of micro nutrients and enzymes. 
The next time you have a cough that just won’t quit, you might want to give this homemade cough recipe a try.

Apple Cider vinegar, homemade cough remedy

“The doctor of the future will give no medicine but will interest his patients in the care of the human frame,
in diet and in the cause and prevention of disease.”
~Thomas Edison


Disclaimer: Any cough persisting more than a week, accompanied by headache or fever, and any cough which is productive of thick yellow or green mucous should be evaluated by a physician. I am not a doctor. I do seek scientific confirmation of the safety and effectiveness of the herbs and remedies I use. Using remedies is a personal decision. Nothing I say on this blog is intended to treat or prevent disease.

For 38 years, I have been a wife to my husband and a teacher of our children in the home. Now a new season has come, and with the blessing of my husband, I write this blog as an encouragement to myself and others. (Titus 2: 3-5) How important is this role of speaking into the lives of younger women! The habits of the home in one generation become the morals of society in the next. As William Ross Wallace said: “The hand that rocks the cradle, rules the world.”

21 comments:

  1. How long can you store this in the fridge? I've made a different mixture with honey, olive oil, and lemon which worked great but it didn't last very long...it got stinky so I threw it out.

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    1. Will have to ask Jacqueline and will get back to you :) Good question!

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    2. Here is Jacqueline's response :)

      Hi, JES
      I have had this keep for 4 weeks before we used it up and made more. If one uses ACV with the mother, it might just last a long, long time (4-5 mo.?) b/c we are talking about raw honey, cayenne, ACV, and ginger. One should use discretion, though, before using if stored past one month. “If in doubt, throw it out.”
      Blessings to you!!

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  2. Dearest Jes,
    Wanted to tell you what a blessing this little corner of the internet is. I am slowly working my way through all the wonderful recipes and making our home more friendly to the environment. I'm really loving it. I want you to know I really appreciate the effort you put into this, I'm learning so much.
    Blessings Gail

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    1. Thank you for your kind words of encouragement Gail! I appreciate you taking the time to comment and share :)

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  3. I had a terrible sore throat last winter and made this up. It doesn't taste good (though the pinterest user who posted said it did, lol, but...I took it about 9p and when I woke at 2am I'd have sworn my throat was just as sore. However by morning the sore throat was completely gone and I never developed any chest cold from it as I normally would. I will be making this up to use again this winter.

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    1. Wow, what a testimony! Thanks for sharing that!!!

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  4. Thanks for the info! Thanks for the info! I made here a list of home remedy for cough and colds. its effective and give it a try. let me know if it works for you! here are my lists: CLICK HERE FOR MY LIST

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  5. Just made this up for the sore throat I had been having for almost a week, instantly felt better! Thanks for such a wonderful recipe!

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    1. Excellent! Thank you for sharing your results!

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  6. Wow! I love this blog! You have so much useful information to share.......... please write a book or magazines or something!!!! You'd write an amazing book!!!

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    1. Hi Maggie, thank you for taking the time to encourage! :)

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  7. Very interesting DIY. I have known of cayenne pepper to be used together with lemon with detoxifying but I have not yet heard of it as remedy for cough. I am guessing maybe because of its high in vitamin C? Great post!

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  8. Very interesting DIY. I have known of cayenne pepper to be used together with lemon with detoxifying but I have not yet heard of it as remedy for cough. I am guessing maybe because of its high in vitamin C? Great post!

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  9. Very interesting DIY. I have known of cayenne pepper to be used together with lemon with detoxifying but I have not yet heard of it as remedy for cough. I am guessing maybe because of its high in vitamin C? Great post!

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  10. I have fire cider and ginger syrup -- your post made me wonder about mixing those two things and using them as a cough syrup. I'm sure it would be very powerful! Guess I will give it a try.

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    1. Seems like it would be some of the ingredients shared together here... Let me know your results if you decide to try it!

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  11. If I don't have raw honey can I use organic honey instead, as it is only calling for 1 tablespoon?

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    1. Yes, you could! It is just that raw honey has more health benefits due to live enzymes but with the other ingredients, you will still benefit! Happy Wednesday to you!

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  12. JES, I can tell straight away that this will work beautifully. I make a honey, ginger, cayenne, lemon concoction to give to sick friends and family in my comfort baskets each Winter, and it is just the best thing. This is similar so I must give it a try. Thanks! Mimi xxx

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    1. Lemon is wonderful for cough medicine too! Thank you for sharing your recipe! :)

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