Elecampane root was a fixture on the American apothecary shelf long before pharmaceutical cough preparations existed. Mullein, gathered wild from Pennsylvania to the Carolinas, was collected by Amish families each summer and hung to dry for winter cough season.
Ingredients (makes about 2 cups)
- 1 cup raw, unfiltered honey
- 1 cup raw apple cider vinegar (with the mother)
- 2 tablespoons dried elecampane root, coarsely chopped
- 2 tablespoons dried mullein leaf
- 1 tablespoon fresh or dried thyme, 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- Optional: 1 teaspoon dried hyssop, 1 sprig fresh rosemary
Method
- Combine elecampane root and vinegar in a clean pint jar. Let sit 24 hours — roots benefit from a head start before the honey goes in.
- Warm honey gently until pourable, add to the jar along with mullein, thyme, oregano, and any optional herbs.
- Cap loosely and infuse at room temperature 4 to 6 weeks, shaking gently every few days.
- Strain through fine cheesecloth, pressing herbs gently, and bottle.
- Take 1 tablespoon every few hours at the onset of symptoms, or twice daily as a seasonal tonic.
Elecampane root was listed in the US Pharmacopeia from 1820 through the late 1800s for chronic coughs and bronchitis. Store in a cool, dark place up to 6 months.
This recipe is one of twenty in The Forgotten Apothecary — our full digital cookbook of pharmacy-counter tonics, switchels, oxymels, and healing syrups.