Description
Horehound cough drops
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 cup dried horehound
- 3 cups boiling water
- 2 cups of brown sugar
- 1/2 cup of honey
Instructions
- To start make a strong decoction by steeping 1 cup of dried horehound leaves in 3 cups of boiling water. Cover and let steep for 15 minutes.
- Strain completely and squeeze leaves to get all the liquid out.
- You should have 2-3 cups of the decoction.
- Add all ingredients to 3 quart pot.
- Stir in sugar to completely dissolve.
- Put a lid on the pot and begin to heat it over medium heat. When it boils rapidly, remove the lid and with a brush and water, dissolve any sugar crystals that may be adhering to the side of the pan.
- Do not stir the mixture or it will seize.
- Boil rapidly and insert candy thermometer.
- Boil to the hard crack stage or 300 F.
- Remove from heat. Add flavouring if desired (eucalyptus, lemon, or vanilla) but stir as little as possible.
- Pour hot mixture out onto greased baking sheet.
- Allow to cool for 2 minutes.
- Using two greased spatulas begin to fold the candy mixture over on itself and repeat until the mixture is cool enough to handle with gloves on.
- Then pull the candy as you would pull taffy. Its best to do this with two people, pulling a small amount of the recipe at a time.
- Once the candy begins to stiffen, cut into 1/2 inch pieces with buttered scissors. and drop onto buttered pan.
- Allow to cool completely.
- Dust with icing sugar and wrap individually in parchment paper or wax paper.
- Store in glass jar in air tight container.
- Will last for up to 2 years.
Notes
Use cough drops as needed to soothe sore throats.
