Recipes for Horehound Candy That’ll Easily Treat Minor Maladies

Horehound candy is a popular home remedy for minor health ailments like cold, cough and upset stomach. Preparing horehound candies at home is very easy. Read ahead to find some recipes that will help you get started…

Horehound candy is an old-fashioned candy which is very famous in European countries. This candy is prepared from extract obtained from the leaves, flowers and stems of horehound plant. The horehound plant, Marrubium vulgare, is a flowering plant native to Europe, Africa and Asia and belongs to the mint family.

Romans and Egyptians have admired this plant for its useful medicinal properties. Even the English herbalist, John Gerard, considered this plant as a remedy to cold and cough. Horehound candy’s taste is bitter-sweet and is helpful in soothing itchy throat. Cream of tartar, sugar, horehound extract are some of the main ingredients of this candy.

How to Make Horehound Candy

Recipe #1: Using Traditional Ingredients

Ingredients

• Dried horehound leaves, flowers and stems – ¼ cup
• Water – 3 quarts
• Brown sugar – 3 cups
• Cream of tartar – 1 teaspoon
• Lemon juice – 1 teaspoon
• Butter – 1 teaspoon
• Superfine sugar

Procedure
Take a pot, pour water into it and bring it to boil. Then, remove the pot from heat and add the horehound leaves, flowers and stems in it. Leave it to steep in this hot water for about half an hour. Later, strain the leaves, flowers, stems and leave the liquid to settle.

To prepare the first batch of horehound candies, take 2 and ½ cup of the liquid and pour it into a saucepan. Then, add cream of tartar, brown sugar, lemon juice to it and bring the liquid to boil. Use a cooking thermometer to keep an eye on the temperature. When the temperature of the liquid reaches 240 degree Fahrenheit, add butter and continue boiling the liquid until the temperature reaches 312 degree Fahrenheit. Do not stir the liquid when it boils. Now, pour the liquid into a shallow buttered pan and leave it. Shape the mixture into small candies and roll these candies into superfine sugar. Then, with help of wax paper store these candies.

Recipe #2: Using Simple Ingredients

Ingredients

• Horehound tea (loosely packed) – 1 cup
• Sugar – 4 cups
• Dark corn syrup – 2 cups

Procedure
Prepare strong horehound tea by boiling the tea leaves in water. Drain the leaves and collect one cup of the liquid. Then, take a saucepan and combine sugar, corn syrup and one cup of horehound tea. Boil the liquid until it begins to caramelize. Now, turn off the heat and pour the caramelized liquid on a greased cookie sheet to form a thin layer. When the liquid starts hardening on its edges cut the candies with cookie cutters.

Recipe #3: Using Organic Ingredients

Ingredients

• Horehound leaves and stems – 1¾ pints
• Water – 1 pint
• Organic sugar – 3 cups
• Organic butter – ½ cup

Procedure
First, prepare a strong brew by boiling the stems and leaves of horehound in water for about 30 minutes. Then, strain the tea and add sugar to the extract. Boil the liquid and add butter to it. Let the liquid boil until it caramelizes. Then, pour it into a greased shallow tin and cut it into squares when it hardens.

These were some easy to make horehound candy recipes. So, make these candies at home and store them in tight jars. Happy Cooking!

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