When you have a large crop of marshmallow from the garden or farmstand, you don't have time to casually include it in complicated recipes or to frantically figure out how to use it up before it goes bad without getting sick of it. You want to make the most of your harvest and to actually enjoy it.
Here at Plant to Plate, we like to keep things simple! Here are some of my favorite ways to use or preserve marshmallow:
- Make a cold infusion. Steep the marshmallow, alone or with other herbs, in cold, cool, or room-temperature water for 5-12 hours. This is the preferred preparation for marshmallow and other mucilaginous herbs because heat destroys mucilage. Marshmallow flowers, leaves, other aerial parts, and roots can all be used in this type of tea (infusion).
- Unlike most roots that are used in herbal preparations, marshmallow roots are not recommended for decoctions since decoctions involve even longer exposure to heat.
- Powder the root and add it to smoothies and baked goods. Be sure to include plenty of liquid, as marshmallow root tends to absorb liquid in the intestines. But it is rich in beneficial dietary fiber and other nutrients.
- Add the flowers and leaves directly to smoothies.
- Add the flowers and leaves to salads. Specifically, you can use them as Decor in an Interesting Salad. (Wondering why I capitalized those letters? Read more about Interesting Salads here!)
- Make herbal candy. Marshmallow is the namesake of the popular confection for a reason! The common sweets were originally made from the plant. While herbal marshmallow candy is unlikely to resemble the super-sweet, heavily processed version in stores today, it is still delicious and, in some ways, a similar consistency.
- Make a tincture. This is not as highly recommended for marshmallow as it is for other herbs because the benefits of mucilage are not gained from tincture. Mucilage is water-soluble, so it can be extracted in water via the cold infusion method described earlier. But it is not soluble in alcohol. Of course, marshmallow has other properties besides mucilage. If a tincture is desired, an herb:solvent ratio of 1:5 at 25% alcohol is suggested.
- Dry or dehydrate it for later use. This applies to the whole plant, although different drying methods are used for the root and the aerial parts. See our How to Dry Your Herbs articles here for more information.
Further Reading
Growing marshmallow? Check out these quick facts like its best growing conditions, companion plants, and expected yields.
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