We also use garlic and honey.
I also make up a tea with catnip, lemon balm, lavender, rose hips and thyme. Each ingredient has a purpose and it works well to help people recoup quickly from the cold or flu.
I add a liberal amount of honey to the tea as well.
Here is some other information I have written before. I hope you don't mind that I am copy and pasting this from my HomeSchool Lounge account!
Basic Syrup Method
Good for cough syrups and children's formulas.
To make a syrup, add about 2 oz. of herb to 1 quart of water and gently boil down to one pint. Strain and when still warm add 1-2 oz honey and/or glycerin. You can add a little Irish moss powder or powdered marshmallow root to thicken or gel a medicine but use only 1/4 -1 tsp. as a little thickens a lot.
Syrups will keep several months in a cool place in air-tight glass container. Cough syrup herbs include- Wild cherry bark, licorice, thyme, anise seed, fennel seed, Irish moss, small amounts of lobelia (for spasmodic coughing). Also used are angelica root, coltsfoot, horehound, elecampane root, lemon balm, rosehips, slippery elm, sage, yerba santé, and mullein. (I personally used ½ thyme, ½ ginger.) 1/2 to 1 tsp. of syrup usually is good dosage- 4-6 times daily or as needed.
All-Purpose Salve
1 part plantain leaf (topically healing and soothing)
1 part lavender blossom (antiseptic, topically healing, repels insects)
1 part peppermint leaf (cooling, antispasmodic, and pain relieving)
1 part thyme leaf (antiseptic and anti-fungal, increases blood flow to the area, healing and astringent)
In a glass container, infuse ¾ cup of above mixture in ¾ cup oil of choice. Can also float 190-proof vodka on top to prevent molding. Cover with 1-3 layers of cheesecloth, held on with an elastic band. Infuse for two weeks in a warm dry spot.
In double boiler, gently warm 8 oz. herb oil. Add 1 tablesthingy grated beeswax. Can experiment with adding other enriching ingredients, such as lanolin, vitamin E oil, cocoa butter, coconut oil, balsam poplar bud oil.
When ingredients are melted together, check consistency by placing drop or two of mixture into ice water. Add small amounts of beeswax (¼ teasthingy at a time) to firm salve, or slightly larger amounts of herb oil (1 teasthingy at a time) to thin salve.
When ready, pour into shallow, large-mouth glass jar. Let set until cool.
This is wonderful for all sorts of things. Sore muscles, reduces inflammation, heals scrapes, relieves minor burns, and even provides a measure of protection from biting insects. Excellent chest rub to break up congestion.
Pastilles
½ cup dried herb of choice
pure maple syrup or honey
Pulverize herbs into fine powder. Mix powder with just enough maple syrup or honey to form a ball. Helps to add mucilaginous plant such as dried marsh mallow root or gum tragacanth to act as glue. TO firm up consistency, add in more powdered herb ½ teasthingy at a time. Powdered sugar will absorb excess moisture and sweeten the mixture, and could be added, also ½ teasthingy at a time.
When mixture is firm enough, mold into ¼ inch balls. Place on a sheet of waxed paper and let set for 12-48 hours to harden. Once hardened, the pastilles will last longer in the mouth. Wrap each pastille individually in bits of wax paper for future use. Store in cool dry place.
(These are fantastic for upset stomachs and diarrhea, using peppermint as the herb!)
For winter months when colds and flu run rampant, stock up on dandelion root and leaf (if you were unable to harvest any yourself, this can usually be found readily at health food stores and natural food co-ops in dried form), garlic, ginger, lemon balm, oats (scottish oats are really wonderful, but old-fashioned will also work well), and thyme. Eat oats all the time in winter, it keeps you stout and strong!
Also, astragulus root tincture, 30 drops per day for adult, boosts immune system, keeping it on the defense ahead of cold season. To make a tincture, place dried herb in glass container with tight fitting lid. Fill jar with herb 1” below opening. Cover herb with vodka, rum or other alcohol. (Vodka tends to be cheaper and it's aftertaste blends well in juice or water.) Soak for 4-6 weeks (I always wait 6 weeks, just to make sure), shaking every couple of days. When ready, strain herbs out and save alcohol. Store alcohol tincture in glass jar. Tinctures are actually a more affordable way to utilize herbal medicine compared to teas or making pills. The alcohol not only extracts the most medicine from the plant, but also concentrates it for usage.