Dandelion Root Bitters: Homemade Herbal Bitters Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What are the ingredients in herbal bitters? ›

Here are some aromatics typically used to make bitters: Herbs and flowers: mint, sage, lemongrass, peppermint, sorrel, lavender, chamomile, hibiscus, passionflower, yarrow, rose, milk thistle, and valerian.

Taraxacum officinale, known as dandelion, is a bitter herb indicated in a number of different instances. Both the leaf and the root are used and possess very similar actions. Dandelion is commonly used for dyspepsia, improvement of appetite and stimulation of digestion as well as jaundice and constipation (2).

Herbal bitters have a long and storied history of use in traditional medicine. For thousands of years, our ancient ancestors foraged bitter herbs like dandelion, chamomile and milk thistle to support digestion and to treat ailments such as bloating, nausea and heartburn.

Dandelions are bitter because of a class of water soluble chemicals called sesquiterpenes. The key to enjoying dandelions is understanding how to work with these chemicals to minimize their impact on your taste buds. Sesquiterpenes are part of the milky juice that runs throughout the dandelion plant.

Bitters help to stimulate digestive juices and enzymes and can also help to relax smooth muscle that lines the digestive tract to help relieve cramping. In addition, bitters might lower blood sugar levels by stimulating the release and use of insulin and taming sugar cravings.

What are Bitters Made of? Bitters are a neutral alcohol infused with spices, herbs, fruits, roots, and other ingredients. Common ingredients include cinchona bark, gentian root, cascarilla, orange peel, and others. Most bitters are 35 to 45% ABV (alcohol by volume), so they have a relatively high alcohol content.

In some people, dandelion can cause increased stomach acid and heartburn. It may also irritate the skin. People with kidney problems, gallbladder problems, or gallstones should consult their doctors before eating dandelion.

Dandelion tea is an excellent source of potassium, a mineral and electrolyte that stimulates the heartbeat. Potassium may help the kidney filter toxins more effectively and improve blood flow. The polysaccharides in dandelion are known to reduce stress on the liver and support its ability to produce bile.

Dandelion Root

Not only does it metabolize this important hormone, but it also helps eliminate it, whether the estrogen is from natural sources or from artificial sources such as hormone-replacement therapy, plastics, or plants. To keep metabolism and elimination working well, we want to nourish the liver.

Maror (Hebrew: מָרוֹר mārôr) are the bitter herbs eaten at the Passover Seder in keeping with the biblical commandment "with bitter herbs they shall eat it." (Exodus 12:8).

Is milk thistle a bitter herb? ›

The roots and aerial parts of the milk thistle plant have a bitter and appetizing (motive and savoury) taste and are used in traditional medicine to treat patients with spleen or liver disorders as well as patients with chronic constipation.

Dandelions have been around for centuries, and have many uses. Dandelion root is a naturally bitter herb, and is honored for its many benefits and medicinal properties. Dandelion roots are especially nutritious, and are the main source of making the magical dandelion root tea we know and love.

All parts of plant are edible, though the leaves and the flowers are the most delicious. Because the greens are quite bitter, they are often paired with ingredients that temper the bitter bite.

I never though I'd write an ode to roasted dandelion tea. But here I am, singing the praises of this toasty, grassy, slightly bitter backyard weed. You know dandelion—it's bunny food.

Bitters have been used since prehistoric times, and bitter infusions of medicinal plants are still widely used to treat and prevent illness in health-care systems around the world. Today, approximately seven thousand modern medicines are derived from bitter plant medicines.

“They may also provide support for liver function. Digestive bitters can help the liver's natural detoxifying activities. Bitters can relieve bloating, gas, cramping, nausea, heartburn, and other digestive discomforts.”

The reason why people take digestive bitters is to aid their digestion and help mitigate symptoms of indigestion. A 2021 review of studies in Nutrients found that bitters can help with regulating hormones related to gut health and can increase gut motility (i.e., how foods move through our digestive system).

While wormwood has the reputation as the bad boy of the bitter botanical world, found in absinthe, vermouth, and amaro, probably the most popular bitter botanical used in alcoholic beverages is gentian. It's found in nearly all bitters, many vermouths, and most Amari.