Marshmallow - the plant

[BernardSmith]

Has anyone made any wine from marshmallow? I believe that the leaves and roots are sometimes used for food flavorings but more typically the plant is used medicinally - and can interact with certain medications (and can affect (reduce) blood sugar) according to WebMd..) I have a few ounces of this plant and was wondering your thoughts on adding this to a mead...

 

[Quicksilver]

I used to make my kids' cough medicine with marshmallow root. I remember it being bitter.

I'm just curious to what end you would use it in wine? I can't imagine it would taste good, but then I am a noob, so what I don't know yet would fill several large volumes.

But FWIW I vote for the cough syrup.

 

[BernardSmith]

I thought that marshmallow tasted like the candy ... I am unfamiliar with the plant... just found it in my local natural food store

 

[Noontime]

My advice for anything you want to put into wine (and don't know what it tastes like) is to make a tea from it and give it a taste (assuming you know it's edible). It's certainly not exact since fermentation, alcohol, and other factors will extract and change the flavor of the finished wine. But at least it will give you an idea. Marshmallow the fluffy snack is just sugar and vanilla (and usually some other flavorings). I didn't even know there was a plant by the same name, so thanks for that info!

 

[BernardSmith]

David - Thanks for that suggestion. Makes a great deal of sense.

 

[Kittycat]

The marshmallow pants was originally used to make marshmallows, but u have to boil it for like 5-6 hours. So, for mead I don't know if it will work.

 

[BernardSmith]

But kittycat - why would that be a problem? I could make a tea with the plant and boil it down for a few hours and then add that tea to the honey with added water to create the starting gravity I look for in my meads. But that said, do you by any chance have a recipe for making this true marshmallow using the plant? Thanks

 

[mikewatkins727]

You might want to check this out:

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yflTu150QZw&list=RDyflTu150QZw[/ame]

 

[Kittycat]

No I dont. I just saw Alton brown the guy who did good eats talk about how it was used to make marshmallow. Wasn't trying to be rude or any.if u do try it let us know how it goes.

 

[BernardSmith]

Mikewatkins727,You might want to check out Stephen Harrod Buhner's classic Sacred and Herbal Healing Beers...::

Kittycat - I see recipes for candied marshmallows (using the root) but the cooking time is about 10 minutes and the list of ingredients are such that I can see making a mead - a bochet that is analogous to the flavor of the candy ... uses rose water, caramelized sugar , vanilla...

 

[Kittycat]

That's sounds good let u know how it goes

 

[BernardSmith]

That's sounds good let u know how it goes

It's on my to do list for this month - along with a nettle mead, a t'ej (an Ethiopian mead) and an elderflower wine.

 

[randicoot]

Marsh mallow is full of mucilage, which is its main use in candies--it's like meringue when whipped. Not sure if it adds much flavor but I've had its relative, common mallow, which also has mucilage although not quite as much. It has a flavor similar to okra, which they're related to. It'd be interesting to see what you come up with.

Randy