I've been making and using digestive bitters for several years now and I love them!
Digestive bitters have been around for centuries, used to aid digestion by stimulating digestive enzymes, stomach acid and bile, as well as stimulating the liver. Bitters can also calm an upset stomach and reduce inflammation.
Digestive bitters are made by steeping herbs in alcohol along with flavourings. The recipe consists of combining three flavour elements - bitter, sweet and aromatic in brandy (or vodka).
BITTER ELEMENT:
Blue vervain – flowers & leaf
Burdock root
Citrus fruit – flesh & peel
Dandelion root
Hops
Motherwort – flowers & leaf
Yellow dock root
SWEET ELEMENT:
Apple
Blackberry
Cherry
Date
Fig
Honey
Maple syrup
Mulberry
Nectarine
Peach
Pear
Plum
Raisin
Raspberry
AROMATIC ELEMENT:
Allspice
Black pepper
Caraway
Cardamom
Chamomile
Cinnamon
Cloves
Coriander
Fennel seed
Ginger
Lavender
Lemon balm
Peppermint
Rosehip
Rosemary
Sage
Star anise
Thyme
Vanilla
Portions:
½ cup dried (one cup fresh) bitter element
Up to ¼ cup dried (or ½ cup fresh) sweet element
½ teaspoon – 1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup (optional)
1 – 5 tablespoons aromatic element
2 cups brandy
Method:
Choose which elements use want to use (preferably ones you have on-hand) and mix them in a glass jar with the brandy. Tighten lid and shake well. Label and date the jar. Leave in a dark place for 2 – 6 weeks (the longer it steeps the more bitter the flavor will be).
Strain the brandy through a sieve covered in muslin/cheesecloth into a glass jar. Label and store in a cool, dark place.
Use up to one teaspoon in water, fizzy water or (my favourite) kefir water before meals.
Here is the recipe for the last batch of bitters I made…..
Dandelion, Orange & Spice Bitters
Dandelion root
Orange peel
A touch of local honey
Cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, star anise, vanilla
Brandy