Digestive Bitters

Suffering from gas, heartburn, and bloating?  Craving sugar and experiencing elevated blood sugar levels?  Adding bitter herbs before or after meals just may help.  Most of us cringe and avoid foods that taste bitter, but bitterness actually has an important role in digestion, liver function, and balancing appetite.

Elecampane can be used as a digestive bitter and infused in honey to treat coughs.

Using digestive bitters before or after each meal can be easy and inexpensive when you make your own bitter extracts.  

Click Read More (below) to see the complete post.

There are many recipes, but I chose Elecampane Orange bitters as I grew elecampane in my garden last summer and was excited to use it.

Freshly dug elecampane root

Elecampane leaves

Why Bitters?

The tradition of eating a salad before a meal began when naturally bitter wild greens like dandelion and garlic mustard greens, filled the salad bowls. 

Wild Garlic Mustard Greens

The bitter greens and roots eaten by our ancestors have been replaced with plants that have been cultivated and hybridized to be less bitter.  Even people eating a whole food diet will be hard pressed to get adequate amounts of bitter flavor from the foods they eat.

But why should we add bitters to our diet?

The compounds that create the bitter taste activates our digestive system by stimulating the flow of digestive enzymes and bile, and balancing stomach acid (HCI) levels.  This aids in the digestion of proteins and carbohydrates allowing our bodies to absorb more nutrients from the food we eat.  This awakening of the digestive processes can;

• soothe gas and bloating
• relieve heartburn, upset stomach, and nausea
• reduce sugar cravings
• help maintain healthy blood sugar levels
• balance appetite
• support liver health

According to Urban Moonshine, Organic Herbal Apothecary this is how it works;

A small amount of bitters about 1/4 teaspoon is dropped on to the tongue.  The tongue detects the bitterness and stimulates the secretion of digestive enzymes and bile.  These digestive juices effectively break down the food, making the nutrients available for absorption.

A thorough explanation of how bitters benefit the digestive system can be found here.

Roots of dandelion, gentain, and angelica are commonly used to make bitter extractions.  I found a recipe that includes elecampane which is often used to soothes coughs, but can also be used as a digestive bitter.

Elecampane Orange Bitters

Supplies

Wide mouth quart canning jar with lid

Scale that measures grams

Mortar and pestle or coffee grinder

This inexpensive scale measures grams, kilograms, ounces, and pounds.

Ingredients

20 grams elecampane - dried

10 grams dandelion root - dried (roasted if possible)

10 grams fresh ginger root - minced

5 grams licorice root

5 grams astragulus

3 grams black peppercorns - cracked 

3 whole cloves

1 organic orange - fresh

1 vanilla bean pod - cut 

1 quart brandy

Bitter roots join vanilla bean, licorice, orange and peppercorns.

The Process

• Weigh all your ingredients.  A digital scale that measures grams works best.  (You cannot easily convert this recipe to ounces.)

• Place elecampane, dandelion root, licorice root, astragulus, and cloves in a quart canning jar.

This mortar and pestle grinds beautifully.

• Crack the peppercorns with a mortar and pestle or give a quick grind in a coffee bean grinder, then add to the jar.

Minced ginger and sliced and mince vanilla bean.

• Mince the ginger.  Cut the vanilla bean in half lengthwise and then chop finely.  Add ginger and vanilla bean to the jar.

• Cut up the orange (peel and all) and drop into the jar.

Unpeeled oranges take up the most space.

• Pour brandy over the herbs and orange and fill to the top of the jar making sure all the ingredients are completely submerged.

• Put on a cover and give it a shake.

Brandy makes a smooth extract.

• Allow the mixture to infuse for 2 to 4 weeks, shaking it occasionally.  Taste it after two weeks and consider it done it when it tastes good to you.  I let my batch infuse for just over 4 weeks.

Spent roots, herbs, and orange chunks ready for the compost bin.

• Strain out the solid using a fine mesh strainer.  Pour finished liquid into amber bottles and store out of sunlight.  

• Fill a dropper bottle and place it in a handy spot so you will remember to take it before meals.  The recommended dosage is 1/4 teaspoon 5 to 6 times daily.

To Use

Before meals or after meals place 1/4 teaspoon directly on your tongue.  Or give your tongue a few spritzes with a spray bottle.  (The key is for your tongue to detect the bitter taste and activate your digestive system.)

If the full strength extract is too strong for you add 1/2 teaspoon water (or sparkling water).

Additional Information

• Here is another bitters recipe;

Orange Cacao Bitters

organic roasted cacao nibs

organic dried orange peel

organic dandelion root

vodka or brandy - at least 80 proof

Fill a pint jar 1/4 full of equal parts of the cacao nibs, orange peel, and dandelion root.  Cover with alcohol of choice, filling jar.  Cover with a lid and shake well. Allow to infuse for 2 weeks, and then strain, place in dropper bottles.  Use before or after meals, or add to cocktails.  (This recipe is courtesy of Mountain Rose Herbs.)

• You can use any hard liquor (80 to 100 proof) to make bitters, although most recipes will call for vodka or brandy.  Brandy is one of my favorites for bitters and vanilla bean extracts as the brandy actually enhances the flavor.

• Because bitters stimulate liver function, using bitters daily is a gentle way to detoxify your body.

• Some sources believe the use of bitters can help control appetite and sugar cravings.

• Using bitters for heartburn instead of acid reducing products keeps the stomach acid at a balanced level.  Having adequate levels of stomach acid is necessary to kill pathogens and effectively digest proteins. Read more about stomach acid levels here.

• Rosalee de la Foret created the elecampane orange bitters recipe and has additional information and recipes on her Herbs with Rosalee webpage. Check it out here.

Sourcing Ingredients

My daughter pointed out to me that sometimes people are stymied when I suggest they source ingredients from their backyard.  While it is incredibly satisfying to make medicine from the plants that surround us, it shouldn't be a barrier for those who do not have backyard access to medicinal herbs.

I source many of the herbs I use from Mountain Rose Herbs.  I can count on this online store to have the herbs that are not available locally and have always been pleased with the quality of their products.

Elecampane and dandelion root can be grown in a zone 4 garden (or lawn) or purchased online.

Organic oranges are usually available at co-ops and sometimes Trader Joes stores. 

Fresh ginger root is available in most grocery stores.  Co-ops may stock organic ginger.

You can find brandy or vodka at your neighborhood liquor store.

Give bitters a try and let me know what you think.