I started some Marshmallow (Marsh Mallow) plants from seed about six weeks ago, and was finally able to transplant them into the yard today. They prefer a sunny, but cool and moist place to grow… hopefully the edge of the woods will work well enough for them.
Marshmallow has many medicinal uses, although that’s another post for another time! But I stumbled across this recipe from like the 19th century and was excited to find it, and wanted to share. ‘Cause I love stuff like this.
Hopefully my plants will thrive where they are, and I’ll get to experiment with them one day!
Original Marshmallows From Marshmallow Root
- 4 tablespoons marshmallow roots
- 28 tablespoons refined sugar
- 20 tablespoons gum tragacanth (or gum arabic- a natural product which can be bought online)
- 2 cups water (Water of orange flowers for aroma or instead of plain water)
- 1 -2 egg white, well beaten
- Make sure the mallow roots aren’t moldy or too woody. Marshmallow gives off almost twice its own weight of mucilaginous gel when placed in water.
- Make a tea of marshmallow roots by simmering in a pint of water for twenty to thirty minutes. Add additional water if it simmers down. Strain out the roots.
- Heat the gum and marshmallow decoction (water) in a double boiler until they are dissolved together. Strain with pressure.
- Stir in the sugar as quickly as possible. When dissolved, add the well beaten egg whites, stirring constantly, but take off the fire and continue to stir. Lay out on a flat surface. Let cool, and cut into smaller pieces.
There’s also this one which is similar…
2 egg whites
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup raw cane sugar
1 tbsp powdered Marshmallow (root)Whip egg whites until almost stiff. Add vanilla and whip until stiff. Then whip in the sugar, 1 tsp at the time. Finally, add Marshmallow and whip again. Place by teaspoonful on cookie sheet. Bake in 325 oven for 1 hour.
A city girl learning to homestead on an acre of land in the country. Wife and homeschooling mother of four. Enjoying life, and everything that has to do with self sufficient living.
Can you replace the gum tragacanth (if you can’t pronounce it, don’t put it in your food) with gelatin? How much?
Please answer the questions posted here, thank you
“if you can’t pronounce it, don’t put it in your food”
Or you can better educate yourself and learn what things are. Instead of following a fallacious axiom.
I wonder how to modify this to make marshmallow “fluff” or creme? Any suggestions?
Just don’t bake it?
Thank you!
Kendra, I just stumbled across your website, and enjoyed the marshmallow recipe. I was checking to see if the plant I remember as being Marshmallow really is: Althea, aka
(violet-colored) hibiscus. Seeing the pictures on your recipe page, I see that what you have is definitely not what I remember. I’ll have to do more research. But I will be back to visit your blog in depth. Am looking forward to moving out of CA back to somewhere that I can have garden and livestock, and can forage wild edibles.
Thank you Kendra!
Check out Richters’ Nothing wrong with Horizon who’s strictly medicinal now as I order from them too. Or have.
The Bible says not to plant a field with mingled seed, which like hybrids, they are mingled, thus adultery. Which things used to be kept purer. Wasn’t no cansirs, dizeezes much then like it’s now.
Did you make these with fresh or dry marshmallow root?
Can I order marsh mallow powder on line, where? Enjoying your site!
I’d look at the Bulk Herb Store, or Horizon Herbs. They might have it.
Mountain Rose Herbs carries it.
I think gelatin is what is used now in current recipes.
So has anyone actually attempted the first recipe with the fresh root? What kind of results did you have?
Hi i need to make Confectionery marshmallow, but i need to use tragacanth in it, but when i make it, it stays separate instead. what should i do?
Hi Just found this site looking for a marshmallow recipe using the root and not gelatin or corn syrup, etc. This looks great and will try. I use the root to manage my interstitial cystitis. I have a lot of GI problems and this seems to calm the inflamed track. But the mucous lining of my bladder is greatly helped by marshmallow root tea. But I had lots of root (MountainRose source is a huge amount for the volume I need) and I love marshmallows but no longer tolerate (or want to eat) corn syrup or HFCS. I’ll give this recipe a try and report back. Happy Holidays everyone.
Thanks so much for posting these recipes! Do you have a good one for root beer? I just made the 2nd of these recipes. The taste wasn’t bad, but the texture was not exactly marshmallow-like. I think the hour long cooking time is way too long, maybe more like 20 minutes, or maybe they need to be cooked at a lower temp. Mine were burning up after 35 minutes.
We had a local restaurant that did an authentic marshmallow-themed dining night. All the courses had marshmallow incorporated into them. I saw the menu, and it looked pretty good!
Thank you for This recipe. Just found your website and Love it.
I take marshmallow root for my allergies.
I saw a video on making marshmallow from wild mallow. It was very involved, and they used the (pea) from the top of the plant to make the mallow. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bdGAUejE8BM
Oh cool! Thanks, Kim 🙂