Horehound Cough Drops

Its a cold and dreary day here, lots of rain and fog. I'm sitting in my customary spot at the kitchen counter with my cup of tea and beside my computer is a heaping dish full of my favorite homemade candy remedy, Horehound cough drops! I love these little "suckers" throughout the winter season. Not only are they great for any kind of upper respiratory discomfort but they're sweet little candies that can help with dry-mouth and are just a general pick me up.

Now I have to admit that I created this batch yesterday, and was less than pleased with the results. Its not that they came out bad at all, I simply didnt listen to my own advice scrolled in the margins of my recipe and I did not prepare enough "molds" to make as many cough drops as I had syrup for. However, I realized last night while I was pondering, that this blog is not to prove how perfect I am at being a kitchen witch or to show off in any way, this blog's main purpose is to share the knowledge and wisdom that was once shared with me so that others may develop a new interest or rekindle an old interest, and learn something new along the way. So please don't judge the recipe by the photos. Its quite possible to create cute little prefectly circular cough drops that can be wrapped up in wax paper or just coated with extra sugar and are great for sharing, I just didn't accomplish that this time. My batch, at least for now, is going to be saved just for me as I dont mind if the candy is all lumpy and oddly shaped.

First a little background on Horehound. It is an herb that is related to the garden variety mints and is a native of Asia and Europe although it is naturalized in the US as well. For decades its common use has been as an expectorant and is a common ingredient in most cough medicines. If you like Ricola brand original cough drops than you have had Horehound cough drops. Theirs are just fancy. New research by the German Commission E concludes that Horehound is also good for treating loss of appetite and dyspepsia. The history of the herb and its uses goes back to ancient times, as it was used for these same purposes by the Egyptians and the Romans. An herb with a history that goes back that far is generally considered to be very reliable. One particular characteristic of Horehound is its incredibly bitter taste. Although it has for centuries been brewed into teas and infusions, its most common application is in candied lozenges because the taste is more tolerable with the sugar and honey that goes into that production. Now on to some fun!

What you will need:

Essentially with this recipe you are making candy, so you need a cooking thermometer that goes up at least to 330 Degrees F which is sugar's hard crack stage. I have a digital meat thermometer that goes that high and I paid about 10$ for it at a discount store. They can be found without paying gobs of money for a special "candy thermometer"

Really there are only 4 ingredients.

Water 1cup
Herb 1cup fresh OR 1/2 cup dry
Sugar 2cups
Honey 2-3 heaping tablespoons

The only other thing you may need (unless you have candy molds) is confectioners sugar. I use confectioners sugar to create a make shift candy mold in a pie pan or other shallow dish. More details to follow.

Start by making a decoction with the Horehound and water. Decoction means to boil an herb for 10-15 minutes as opposed to steeping it for 3-5 minutes. You want to put the herb and the water into a small saucepan (non-reactive) and boil together for 10-15 minutes.

In the meantime, while your herb is boiling, grab a shallow pan or dish (I used an aluminum pie pan but anything will work really) and fill it at least 1/2 inch with confectioners sugar. You want to tamp the sugar down and pack it all the way to the edges of the dish.  I used the handle end of a wooden spoon to make small holes in the surface of the sugar, this is a make shift candy mold. Because the sugar will repel the hot candy when you pour it, the candy will find its way into the little holes and be able to harden there separately and quickly. I also find this method very convenient because I coat the drops at the end with powdered sugar so they do not stick together and this way they are already in the pan all I have to do is shake them up when they cool and coat them evenly.
NOTE: Make multiple molds ready. Even if you do not use them all, when the end of the process is near you will not have time to make another mold ready. make up 3 or 4 dishes worth and you should be well covered for this size recipe

OK back to the herb you have boiling away.

When its done itll look like a really thick, dark, tea.

Take it off the heat and let it cool a little bit. the next step is to strain the herb out and have just the liquid left. I used just a small colander strainer but you can use cheese cloth in a pinch. You want to squeeze the herb as best you can with the flat side of a spoon to get out all the juice possible.

When you have all of the juice strained out, rinse out your sauce pan and put the juice in and set back on the stove. Add sugar and honey and stir with a wooden spoon as the concoction starts to bubble. Turn the heat down to super low/just barely medium and keep an eagle eye on this stuff. It will try to boil over on you so you must keep stirring it and keeping it moving. Use a wooden spoon as the metal could do funny things to the mixture, and besides, wooden spoons are always best when cooking and creating with herbs.

It took my mixture about 20 minutes to reach the hard-crack stage of sugar which is 330 Degrees F. When its ready this stuff is wicked hot. I did not feel comfortable playing with the camera and a sticky sugar that was over 300 Degrees to take any shots of the pouring but just go slow and steady and very carefully. Wear oven mitts as the chances are the handle to the pot is pretty hot as well. Please always wear closed toed shoes when you're in a kitchen. Its a rule I learned once upon a time and have since been proven correct any time a knife falls or hot liquids spill. Precaution. Its kind of a big deal.

Once its reached the temperature it needs to be, pull it off the stove and carefully pour into the molds. Either set the molds (once full) on a heat-proof surface or throw them in the refrigerator or freezer to cool them quickly. Wash your saucepan with as hot of water as you can stand. If you cant get the sugar off just fill the pan with water, put it back on the stove and heat it up. Boil the water and the sugar will come off and make it very easy to wipe out.









Once cool toss the drops in the powdered sugar to evenly coat them. I store mine in the refrigerator so they do not risk melting and getting sticky before I can use them.

Enjoy!!


Sources:
http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/learn/horehound.php

Sacred Plant Medicine- Stephen Harrod Buhner

Note: not an alternative to seeking medical assistance. Always consult your physician before taking any alternative/herbal treatments for any conditions. Dosage may vary based on preference, taste, and size of person. Recipes call for 1tbsp per dose up to 3 times per day but again dosage varies person to person. I am not a physician, I just prefer to care for my own health and the health of my family in the most natural ways possible.