Well then, that time of year is upon us again, when every trip into town multiplies the chances of bringing home a cold, a cough or a sore throat.🤧 Since I very rarely fall ill, neither public transport nor shops nor other places where people gather gave me much fear of catching anything this season, but, but… I was felled by plain carelessness. A sudden drop in temperature + an unzipped jacket = a sore throat. The maths is simple. 😁
Normally I would go to the pharmacy and ask for lozenges, but it struck me that they are not at all hard to make yourself – and that the ingredients could be matched to my own needs and preferences and, of course, be natural. That is exactly how this recipe for honey, lemon and ginger lozenges came about.
Because of the ingredients in them, these lozenges are excellent not only once cold symptoms have already appeared but also as a preventative. The honey, lemon, ginger and cinnamon they contain all help strengthen the immune system and shorten recovery time.
What the ingredients do:
- Lemon– a source of vitamin C. Vitamin C helps strengthen the immune system, ward off illness and acts as an antioxidant, and studies show that vitamin C plays an important role in shortening recovery time when taken as soon as the first cold symptoms appear. Incidentally, for this recipe we will use not only the lemon juice but the zest too (because that is where the essential oil, with all the properties just listed, is concentrated).
- Ginger – the gingerol and other compounds in ginger root have strong anti-inflammatory properties and bring quick relief to a sore throat. What's more, ginger is excellent at fighting rhinoviruses, which are what cause colds.
- Honey– has antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal properties that help ease a cough and a sore throat. Honey is one of the best home „remedies” for treating colds, especially those involving the respiratory tract.
- Cinnamon – has antibacterial properties. In traditional Chinese medicine it is widely used as a remedy for a sore throat. Incidentally, a mixture of cinnamon and honey is a cornerstone of Ayurvedic medicine.
Please note!!! THIS IS NOT A MEDICINE. If cold symptoms persist for a fairly long time, you must see a doctor! Homemade lozenges are only a supportive/preventative measure.
And now about the recipe. The process for making these lozenges is very simple, but there are a few details that can trip you up.
- This recipe needs a kitchen thermometer. Since the principle here is the same as for ordinary sugar sweets (that is, the sugar syrup has to be heated to 149-154 C so that only about 1% water remains in it – that way the cooled mixture crystallises properly and isn't sticky, and you get hard lozenges), it is very important to know the exact temperature of the syrup at all times.Honey is very easy to overheat, and then the lozenges turn bitter, so be careful!If you are worried about overheating the honey, it is better to heat it over a lower flame – it takes longer, but you have less chance of ruining the whole batch.
- Do use a larger pan with high sides, because the syrup rises a great deal as it boils. If the pan is too small, the syrup can start running over the sides.
You can always adjust the ingredients and their quantities to your own taste and to the properties you want. I would strongly recommend adding a few drops of, for instance, eucalyptus extract (it must be suitable for taking by mouth!). That adds extra flavour and anti-inflammatory properties.
In theory the sugar can be replaced with honey, but I decided against a honey-only recipe because honey has a tendency to attract moisture. Even after heating the syrup to „hard crack temperature”, pouring it into moulds and turning the lozenges out and rolling them in icing sugar, they may not be hard enough or may start going sticky over a few days (especially if the relative humidity in the room is fairly high).
One more little thing! Reaching 149-154 C can take a while. Since water starts boiling at 100 C, you have to wait for all the water to evaporate. Only once it has will the temperature start climbing again.
P.S. I recommend pouring them into silicone moulds (no need to grease them first). If you don't have any – not a problem. Tip a generous layer of icing sugar onto a baking tray. Make small hollows in it. Once the syrup is ready, pour it into these hollows (an example ishere). Or lay out baking paper and pour „coins” onto it, which you can roll in icing sugar once they have set.
