Homemade Garlic Cough Syrup

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At the start of cold & flu season our trusty bottle of cough syrup is used quite a bit. I've received this recipe from an elderly woman who remembers her Gramma making it. We keep it in a glass jar in the fridge and it lasts for over a year if it isn't finished up by then. Because of it's lasting aroma, it's best when everyone in the household takes it at the same time. VBG

Boil 1lb. peeled & sliced garlic cloves with 1 qt. cold water. Boil until soft (about 15 minutes) Add 3 Tbl. braised fennel seeds and 3 Tbl. caraway seeds. Remove from heat, cover and let stand 12 hours. Strain the liquid and add equal amount of cider vinegar (approx 3 cups) Bring to boil again and add enough sugar to make a syrup. (approx 4-5 cups) This makes about 1 ½ quarts.

I'm interested in any other homemade health recipes.

-- Charleen in WNY (harperhill@eznet.net), October 09, 2001

Answers

Charleen, Your cough syrup sounds interesting but I have 2 questions. First, is how strong is the garlic taste? Second, could you please explain to me about the braised fennel seeds. I have never done that. Thanks for the info. I too would like to learn more about this sort of health care. Joanie

-- Joanie (ber-gust@prodigy.net), October 09, 2001.

Hi Joanie,

According to Webster, braise is to cook in fat with added moisture. I certainly didn't do that. I put the fennel seeds in a frying pan and put over high heat and stirred quickly until they were hot and started to give off the fennel aroma. This is a very old recipe, so what they meant for braise and what we mean for braise might be 2 different things. I suppose every recipe loses something in the translation. As far as the strength of garlic is concerned...Yes, it's very garlicy, when cooking it, the house reeks but sealed in the fridge it's fine. I suppose it would all depend on the garlic variety. We use garlic often, so I don't really notice how strong it is, we're used to it.

-- Charleen in WNY (harperhill@eznet.net), October 09, 2001.


OK. Now what is your recipe for getting my kids to swallow it?

-- Ann Markson (tngreenacres@hotmail.com), October 09, 2001.

Ok, heres My old Grannys recipie-She would heat honey, a little water and Jack Daniels-about a cup of water, two tablespoons honey and enough Jack to burn your throat. Now, Granny is a strict tea- totaling Methodist, could not would not abide any drinking, but she keep a small bottle of JD for colds. Stuff tasted awfull. Then She would put you to bed in a REAL feather bed, and smother you with quilts-until you actually sweated. Believe me, you got better fast and you didn't dare get sick again.

My husbands Scandinavian Family had a similar cure, though they added lemon to the mix, and not nessasrily, Jack Daniels-they would use what ever alcholic drink they had, usaually though it was a Whisky or Brandy-and you make it AS HOT AS YOU CAN POSSABLY STAND IT. Drink it quick, then go to bed-you can't do anything after drinking this stuff anyway. Living in Kentucky, we've modified this to Maker's Mark. For kids-Ive been hesitant to add the alcohol, uasually I brew HOT HOT HOT camimile tea, honey and lemon. Now, there's some scientific proof behind this- the heat and alcohol act as an expectorant-check your OTC cough syrups-many of them have high alcohol content. Honey coats and soothes the throat-I think the lemon is a good source of Vitimin C and a mild germ killing agent. I'm teling ya, this stuff works.

-- Kelly in Ky (ksaderholm@yahoo.com), October 09, 2001.


Kelly - Your Granny's recipe sounds like my DH's "cure" - a cup of hot tea with lemon, honey, and a shot of Yukon Jack! Whenever I have a sniffle, he says "Time for the cure"!

-- Cindy in NY (cjpopeck@worldnet.att.net), October 09, 2001.


I'm wondering if it isn't "bruised" fennel seeds, instead of braised. If I understand correctly, bruising means that you crush the fennel seeds a bit.

-- Ardie/WI (ardie54965@hotmail.com), October 09, 2001.

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