Simple Immune-Boosting, Natural Cough Syrup Recipe

It’s that time of year… sickness has been going around and around this winter like we haven’t seen in years! When our family of 9 entered a SECOND round of sickness through the holidays, I became determined to keep us OUT of the doctor’s office. So, I researched more natural remedies than ever before to try. This simple immune-boosting, natural cough syrup recipe is the natural remedy I put together that worked for us.

Disclaimer: We are not doctors or certified in nutrition or health. None of the following information is meant to be medical advice. Consult a physician for any medical advice. This is a natural way to help manage and soothe cold and cough symptoms, as well as boost immunity.

This post may contain affiliate links. When you shop through them, I may earn a small commission that blesses our large family at no extra cost to you. Thank you!

Hi, I’m Priscilla!

As a young, growing family facing job loss in 2013, with a toddler and a newborn baby, I wanted to learn how to grow food to supplement our rising grocery bill, but I had no experience. So, I called on my mom to help me start my first garden as cheap as possible. I remember her stewarding a small garden from time to time when I was growing up. We started one with blocks, soil, seeds, and a few starters that she helped me invest in. And that’s how I started!

Before I was a homesteading, homeschooling mom I was a professional musician and music teacher. I carried over my teaching experience into homeschooling my children, but I learned it was much different teaching your own children. And, when I started homesteading, I started with NO experience. It was something I never imagined doing. I had to do a lot of researching and learning each season. So, I know how hard it is to start homeschooling and homesteading with no experience! 

After 2020

After the events of 2020, we saw the vital need to learn to grow, raise, and store real God-given food in abundance, and continue homeschooling all of our children. We felt God had a new call and season for us. So in 2021, we left everything behind, and moved from northwest Indiana to southern Georgia. And we just got started!

How we can help you

Now, I’ve homeschooled for 11 years and have 6 children of homeschool age with 1 more in waiting. And, we established our homestead in 2021 with lots of research and no experience. We built up gardens and livestock and had a small farmstead business within 2 years. We stewarded a small farmstead by selling fresh eggs and healthy chickens to many happy customers! 

Also, we started taking and completing several homesteading courses by experts at the School of Traditional Skills, and we continue our education every year. And, I’m always looking for ways to make things more time efficient by making them simpler to do and sustainable. When things are simpler, they are more sustainable in our already full lives.

But, an unexpected turn of events landed us in a rental home in an HOA neighborhood while we search for land. We proved to ourselves that we could still homestead even with all the restrictions. We knew if we could do it, others could do it too! So, we started this blog and our newsletter to equip modern families to live abundantly in their homesteads and homeschools no matter where they live and with no overwhelm or burn out. NO EXPERIENCE NECESSARY! We offer and affordable solutions, free printables, resources, and encouragement for your Christ-centered beginner homesteading, homeschooling journey.

Why this natural cough syrup recipe?

It’s that time of year… sickness has been going around and around this winter like we haven’t seen in years! We have 9 people in our family and a virus went through all 9 of us TWO times. Yes, two rounds through 9 people, overlapping, equaled us being sick through Thanksgiving, Christmas, AND New Year’s Eve. When the second round of sickness came, it was somehow worse than the first! So, as that second round started, I researched more natural remedies than ever before to try.

I was determined to keep us OUT of the doctor’s office. This meant that not only did I need to find something to soothe our coughs, but I actually needed recipes that were immune-boosting, anti-viral, and antibacterial to help PREVENT these coughs from turning into infections. Or, worse, pneumonia. This simple immune-boosting, natural cough syrup recipe is the natural remedy that I put together to try that worked for us.

But, that’s it. We didn’t try fire cider or any other natural remedy circulating out there because I researched the benefits of each ingredient and felt like putting the ingredients I choose into a simple natural cough syrup would be sufficient. And, it was (for us).

(Disclaimer: I’m sure others have tried or done similar remedies. I did not directly take anyone’s recipe. So, any similarities to other recipes are coincidence. I put the ingredients and amounts together based on researching the ingredients and ratios. I will also note here, that we also continued taking simple spoonfuls of honey, drinking home-rendered bone broth, sprinkling turmeric and black pepper in foods, and drinking lemon water along with this cough syrup recipe I am about to share. )

What ingredients do you need for this natural cough syrup recipe?

Raw honey, onions, garlic cloves, and ginger is optional but recommended. That’s it. I said it was simple. You might have all of these things in your kitchen right now!

Why did I choose raw honey in this natural cough syrup recipe?

This is easy. Raw honey is a powerhouse! It has properties that are anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory, immune-boosting, anticancer, anti-fungal, and supports gut health. It also is full of vitamins, minerals, nutrients, amino acids, and more. Read all about 15 health benefits of raw honey here! Known for its huge list of health benefits, as well as for its cough soothing potential, it was an easy choice. We even took spoonfuls of honey each day throughout sickness. It’s a simple, but powerful aid in health!

Why did I choose onion in this natural cough syrup recipe?

Onions are often thought of as just a base for cooking. Throw onions in pretty much anything and it adds flavor. But, our ancestors knew that there was much more to onions than just flavor. Our ancestors put onions on the bottoms of feet for immunity and to fight sicknesses and infections. Onions have been used for generations to create a remedy for ear aches and many other aches and pains.

Onions also aid in heart health, digestion, cancer prevention, immunity, and inflammation. However, onions are also anti-bacterial and used for many home remedies, but just keeping them in your diet consistently is great for health. So, onion was an easy add to this natural cough syrup recipe.

Why did I choose garlic cloves in this natural cough syrup recipe?

Garlic cloves were another no-brainer. Garlic cloves have also been used for centuries in cooking and medicinally. It is also used for ear aches, pains, and sickness. It is commonly used for coughs, colds, and flus. Garlic is powerful when it comes to health. Garlic boosts immunity, blood pressure health, cholesterol health, reduces inflammation, and aids in cancer prevention. Another benefit of garlic is that it is antibacterial and antiviral which is why it is used in many home remedies. For me, just another powerful ingredient that I had to include.

Why does ginger make this natural cough syrup recipe even better?

Ginger may seem like a no-brainer for some, while others never think to use it. Ginger also has antiviral, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory properties making it powerful against infections. It can also help move or thin mucus. In my research, I found that to help prevent or recover a respiratory infection, adding ginger can be helpful! As soon as I discovered that, I knew this needed to be included as an option.

But, this natural cough syrup recipe can stand without the ginger. Without the ginger, this recipe is still cough-soothing and immunity-boosting. But, to make this more powerful, ginger is a great addition, especially if there are concerns of sickness leading to an infection. (I will link some articles on ginger below.)

Simple Immune-Boosting, Natural Cough Syrup Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 medium onion
• 4-5 fresh garlic cloves
• 1 cup of raw honey
• Optional: 1-2 Tbsp ((or to taste)) of freshly grated ginger (read above on ginger)

Simple Instructions:

1. Slice or dice the onion and garlic cloves. 

2. Grate the ginger (if using). 

3. Put the onion, garlic, and ginger all into a small saucepan. 

4. Pour 1 cup of raw honey into the saucepan.

5. Heat on LOW for about 30 minutes being sure to only warm the raw honey, not boil it. The point here is to infuse the onion, garlic, and ginger quicker than if you just put them in a jar for weeks at room temperature. (Cooking or boiling the raw honey will take away the health benefits of the raw honey. Read about the amazing 15 Health Benefits of Raw Honey!)

6. After 30 minutes of warming the honey mixture, remove from heat and let it cool.

7. Once cooled, strain the honey into a jar or airtight container. (You can leave the onion, garlic, and ginger in the honey if you desire. It may be a little harder to take, but it will infuse more into the honey for a stronger dose.)

8. Refrigerate up to 3 months.

9. Recommended way to take: Take 1 tsp for kids ages 2+, 2 tsp for ages 12+, and 1 Tbsp for adults as needed. OR, add the suggested amount into warm water or tea and drink!

How to store this natural cough syrup recipe, and how long does it store?

Store this natural cough syrup recipe in the refrigerator in a glass jar with an airtight lid, or another type of airtight container. Glass is always recommended. This natural cough syrup recipe will last for up to 3 months in the refrigerator. Do NOT leave this out at room temperature.

Why does this natural cough syrup recipe only store for 3 months if it uses raw honey?

We know that raw honey pretty much never expires as long as it is not introduced to any bacteria, etc. However, whenever you infuse raw honey with herbs, vegetables, or any other food item it introduces bacteria (and possibly other particles) into the honey. Whether it is good or bad bacteria that is introduced, it then drastically shortens the lifespan of raw honey. Also, just like food naturally expires, the food, and their components, that are infused into the honey will expire. The refrigeration process is the only thing that will prevent expiration for up to 3 months.

Conclusion

We hope you’ve enjoyed this post, and we hope this helps you live abundantly! As always, we want to equip modern families to live abundantly in their homesteads and homeschools no matter where they live and with no overwhelm or burn out. So, we try to provide simple solutions and simple resources, as well as links to other simple resources to help you on your adventure.

If you found it helpful, please share this post and subscribe to our newsletter for more simple solutions, free printables, resources, and encouragement!

Articles on ginger:

• Safety and effectiveness of ginger for acute respiratory infections
• Fresh ginger (Zingiber officinale) has anti-viral activity against human respiratory syncytial virus
• The Ultimate Guide to Ginger for Respiratory Infections
• Is Ginger Good for Your Lungs?
• https://advancedhealthline.com/how-to-prevent-bronchitis-from-developing-from-a.html
• How ginger can help with a cold

Resources for you:

• Free Printables for Homesteading, Homeschooling, and more!
• School of Traditional Skills-where we learned (from experts) almost EVERY homesteading skill we know in bite-sized pieces at our own pace!

Learn more skills:

• Fermenting Course by Lisa Bass
• Best Dehydrator for your Homestead Kitchen
• $20 off Best Mixer for big batches in your Homestead Kitchen
• Non-Toxic Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven and Bread Pan
• Sourdough Starter Kit or Sourdough Bundle
• $20 off Our Grain Mill: “the World’s Best”
• Simple Sourdough Course by Lisa Bass
• Freshly Milled Grains Course by Lisa Bass

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