Diane's Homemade Cough Syrup

From Herbs Gone Wild, by Diane Kidman via Sandy Barrett.  This one looks like a really strong cough syrup.  I'm pretty sure it will put hair on your chest but should work quickly!  Make this when you are sick as shelf life is just a few days!

1 c Purified Water

1 tsp Dried Ground Ginger OR 1/2 inch peeled, finely chopped ginger

1/2 tsp dried Licorice Root (Glycyrrhiza glabra)

1/2 tsp dried Horehound (Marrubium)

1/2 c Honey

Dash or two Cayenne Pepper (as much as you can stand)

Take water in saucepan and add dried ground ginger or fresh ginger.

Heat water to a low simmer.

Simmer until the water is reduced to half, then turn off heat.

Add dried licorice root and dried horehound to a tea ball and steep in the ginger tea, covered, for 20-30 min.

(If you like, leave the ginger root in the pan for strong ginger flavor.  It's more soothing to a sore throat and cough when the ginger is on the stronger side.)

Remove the tea ball and strain out the ginger.

If the tea has cooled, return to the pan and heat it up just a little.

Turn the heat off and add honey and stir until totally dissolved.

Add cayenne, as much as you can stand.

Wait for the mixture to cool and store in amber bottle or jar with tight-fitting lid.

Keep refrigerated or freeze.

Good for a week int he fridge.

This works great for congested lungs.