Homemade sore throat pastilles

Serves:

Makes approx. 30

Ingredients

• 1 x herbal tea bag (I used peppermint)
• 1/4 cup (60ml) fresh boiled water
• 2 tbsp manuka honey
• 40g slippery elm bark powder (and a 1 tbsp extra, for dusting)

Method

Put the teabag into a tea cup with the boiled water, leave to brew for 2 minutes.

Nest, put the honey into a medium size heat-proof bowl and pour in the tea. Stir to melt the honey.

Add slippery elm bark powder and mix well to form a thick paste.

Line a bread board with some baking paper and transfer the pastey ‘dough’ onto it. Dust over with some extra slippery elm bark powder and use the back of a metal spoon to flatten and shape it into a rectangle, about 5mm thick.

Take the smallest ring from a set of cutters (or the lid off something like a vanilla essence bottle) and use it to cut out small pastilles. Press out any remaining dough into a rectangle again, and cut out more shapes until all the dough it used up. 

Arrange the pastilles in a storage container and, with lid off, leave to harden in a dark, cool, dry place. This can take 1-2 days. Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

Serving Suggestions

Note

• Slippery elm bark powder is a natural source of fibre that has anti-inflammatory properties. You can buy it at your local health food store.
• If you want to harden your pastilles quickly, you can pop them into the freezer.
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