Making Marshmallows

I was delighted with our first harvest of Marshmallow root from the bed we planted. In celebration, I decided to make a truly delicious herbal preparation from this wonderful healer - real herbal marshmallows! 

A one year old Marshmallow root. I divided this root for replanting and then used half of the root to make marshmallows and marshmallow syrup.

Traditionally, marshmallows were made using real Marshmallow root, a wonderful herb that has an abundance of gooey mucilage and pectin, providing the soft structure of marshmallows. The ingredient list on a packet of modern day marshmallows showed the following ingredients, with no real Marshmallow in sight:

Sugar, Wheat Glucose Syrup, Water, Gelatine, Corn Starch, Flavours, Colour.

​Many of the homemade recipes on the web also use little or no Marshmallow root, instead relying on the sugar and gelatin to provide the structure of the marshmallows. Of the recipes I found using real Marshmallow root, the root was often extracted using hot water - which does not sufficiently extract the wonderful gooey constituents that you need for creating that fluffy structure.
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Here’s the trick - to best extract the mucilage from Marshmallow root, start with a cold water infusion. Simply let the chopped herb sit in cold water for 2+ hours and you will notice the water get thick and gooey - this is the mucilage and pectin coming out. Simmering the mixture after this further extracts other constituents.

Marshmallow root, cold infused and decocted (simmered) giving a golden, thick consistency

Now the marshmallow extract just requires some sweetening, a little vanilla to flavour, and something to give some firmness to the structure. Options for this include egg whites, gelatin, gum tragacanth or agar (these last two are vegan options). I chose gelatin for this recipe, however I would also add egg white next time for increased fluffiness. 
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​Apart from the fun of making this herbal creation, why is Marshmallow such a wonderful herb to grow and use? This soft and gentle healer, Althaea officinalis, has much to offer us as plant medicine. The soothing properties of Marshmallow root heal hot, inflamed and irritated conditions of the body, whether this is in the form of a sore throat, chronic cough, stomach ulcer, reflux, burning urination or eczema on the skin. Research has shown the anti-inflammatory action of Marshmallow to be superior to medication (1), and the protective qualities have been shown to also enhance the immune response to heal infections in the gut and skin (2).

Pretty, soft and sweet to taste, Marshmallow is a wonderful plant to grow in the garden

To use Marshmallow root as medicine, infuse 1-2 tsp of dried root in a half cup of cold water for 2 hours. Top up with boiling water and drink as a tea. Marshmallow root also extracts well as a glycetract.

Marshmallow Recipe

• 188gm Marshmallow root, fresh, chopped finely (47gm equivalent dried root)
• 400gm cold water
• 3 Tbspn gelatin (or agar for vegan option)
• 1 C sweetener - dried works best, such as xylitol or sugar, see note below.
• Pinch of salt
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

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1. Infuse Marshmallow root in cold water for two or more hours, then simmer gently for 45mins, stirring occasionally.
2. Strain through muslin cloth, squeezing tightly to extract the gooey goodness. Either allow to cool first or wear gloves to protect from the heat. This should yield around 1 cup of extract.
3. Take ½ cup of strained Marshmallow extract and sprinkle the gelatin on top, allow to soak in.
4. Take second ½ C of Marshmallow extract and place in saucepan with the sweetener option. Bring to the boil, stirring occasionally for 5 mins. Add vanilla and salt.
5. Place gelatin mixture in a large bowl and beat on low with an egg beater. With the beater running, slowly pour in the hot marshmallow mixture, taking care not to splash yourself. Beat for ten minutes till light and fluffy.
6. Pour into a dish lined with parchment paper and dusted with 1 tsp tapioca starch. Leave to sit for 4hrs, then carefully slice with greased knife. 
7. Enjoy! 

Beating the mixture together makes a creamy consistency. Continue beating until fluffy.

The finished creation. Pronounced as yummier than the shop ones at our house

Roasting the marshmallows. A bit melty, but delicious!

Sweetener note: honey can be used for this recipe, however I chose not to as the recipe requires boiling the honey which is seen to be toxic in Ayurveda. On a practical note, the heaviness of honey can mean it falls to the bottom of the marshmallows, and the flavour can be a bit overpowering. 

References:
1 - (Beaune, A. and Balea, T. [Anti-inflammatory experimental properties of marshmallow: its potentiating action on the local effects of corticoids]. Therapie 1966;21(2):341-347)
2 - (Recio MC and et al. Antimicrobial activity of selected plants employed in the Spanish Mediterranean area, Part II. Phytother Res 1989;3:77-80)