Simple Onion-Ginger-Clove n' Honey Cough Syrup + Bourbon-based Cough Syrup Recipe!

I loathe over-the-counter cough syrups.  They remind me of acid rain, bad childhood memories of being ill, and what it might taste like to drink melted plastic merged blended with deconstructed magic markers.  That being said, I'm sick again, and went to the kitchen to try to solve my illness woes....

This simple cough syrup is ridiculously easy to make, and makes a great cough-syrup hot toddy when mixed with a good Bourbon and some lemon juice (for adults and at bedtime only- recipe below!).  

Ingredients for the Syrup Itself:

• 1 yellow onion 
• 1 red onion
• 2-3 "knob-fingers" of fresh ginger
• 2-3 TBSP of whole cloves
• Raw organic honey (you need enough to cover all of the ingredients in the pan so they are somewhat submerged in it, for me I used approx. 3/4ths of a 16 oz. container to make a big batch!)

Instructions:

Peel the onions, cut them into 4ths (chunks), cut 2-3 "knob-fingers" (I seriously don't know what else to call this, I'm sorry) off a big piece of ginger, and put these ingredients into a medium pan.

Throw in the whole cloves.  Cover all the ingredients with the raw organic honey, making sure the ingredients are mostly covered by the honey.  See pic below.

Turn on the stove, and simmer this pan of goodness for 20 minutes on low heat.  After that, once cooled a bit, pour the mixture into a mason jar/glass jar that seals tightly to maintain freshness, and store in the refrigerator, where it will last a few weeks, though it probably will not last that long since you and the household will consume it way faster than that!

(I threw in some extra cloves once it was all done, just because)

****SECRET ADDED BONUS RECIPE!!!!****

*THE BEST HOME-MADE COUGH SYRUP FOR COUGH SUPPRESSION AT BEDTIME*

Advice: Only use this if you are of drinking age/an adult (because you know, alcohol) and only use for bedtime (because if you are coughing up phlegm, you wanna get that stuff out, but only while you are awake.  If you do not suppress a bad cough, you will never get good sleep at a time you really need to rest and recuperate- so save the majority of your cough suppression meds/this concoction right before you are going to bed, and focus on expectorants (thinning the phlegm and getting it the heck out of you) for during the daytime.

Ingredients:

• 1 shot-worth of good high-quality Bourbon (Barenjager will also work, if you dig the flavor)
• 1-2 TBSP of the Onion-Ginger-Clove n' Honey Cough Syrup you just made (use less if you are using Barenjager, as that is actually honey-liquor itself)
• A squirt or two of lemon juice (fresh, or from the container- whatever you have around, whatever is easy- give yourself a break, you are sick making your own cough medicine!)

Instructions:

Mix all ingredients in a heat-safe mug/cup and warm in the microwave for 45 seconds or so.  Drink before bed.

Enjoy and stay well, everyone!!!