Onion and Honey Overnight Syrup
Thin onion slices rest in honey overnight. Adults and older children may take half a teaspoon of the syrup when the throat feels scratchy.
Important: this remedy is only a supportive home measure. Keep taking any medicine your doctor has prescribed, monitor your readings, and consult your doctor before adding anything new.
Onion honey overnight syrup for a scratchy throat
In many Indian kitchens, sliced onion is left under honey overnight so the onion lets out a thin juice. The next day, adults and older children take only half a teaspoon of that syrup when the throat feels scratchy. It is a familiar home comfort, not a medicine and not a promise to clear a cough.
Keep both the spoon and the batch small, and finish it within a couple of days. Honey must never be given to a baby under one year, even on a fingertip. If a cough stays beyond a few days, or breathing feels tight, a doctor should see the person instead of another spoon of syrup.
Ingredients
- 1 small onion, thinly sliced
- 2 teaspoons raw honey
- A clean glass jar with a lid
How to prepare
- Put the onion slices in the jar and pour on enough honey to cover them.
- Close the jar and leave it overnight at room temperature until a thin syrup collects.
How to use
- Adults and older children may take half a teaspoon of the syrup, not the onion pieces.
- Once or twice in a day, for a short spell only, is enough.
- Stop and see a doctor if the cough lasts beyond a few days or breathing feels hard.
Helpful habits
- Strain the syrup if you do not want bits of onion in the spoon.
- Make a small jar and finish it within two days. Keep it covered.
Precautions
- Never give honey to babies under one year.
- This is a kitchen comfort, not a cure for cough, cold, or infection.
- A cough beyond a few days, fever, wheeze, or chest pain needs a doctor.
Frequently asked questions
Can babies have onion honey syrup?
- No. Honey is not safe for babies under one year, even a small lick.
How much should an adult take?
- About half a teaspoon, once or twice in a day, for a short time only.
Does this cure a cough?
- No. It is only a soothing kitchen spoon. A cough beyond a few days needs a doctor.
