Delicious herbal medicines? It’s possible with electuaries! Use these 13+ tips to make an electuary that pleases even the pickiest palate.
Image by adamkontor from Pixabay
Kids can be pretty picky about taking herbal medicines. If it tastes bitter or strange, they don’t want anything to do with it. Some herbs can be tough for adults to ingest, too.
Before reading this article, your options may have been limited to: 1) choke it down, or 2) stay sick. (I guess there is a third option: Add Kool-Aid mix to your nasty herb tea and pray it doesn’t become nasty Kool-Aid.)
But today, I’m going to show you a fourth option, and it’s much better than any of the other three.
Today, I’m going to show you how to make electuaries.
Electuary Basics: How to Make an Electuary
An electuary is a mixture of powdered herbs with a sweet binder. You can use honey, maple syrup, or any other sticky substance. My favorite is peanut butter.
For an herb with a pleasant or neutral taste, I typically use equal parts herb and peanut butter. However, the proportions are very flexible and can be altered depending on the taste of the herb and the finickiness of the eater.
You May Also Enjoy:
“Pharmaceuticals vs. Herbal Medicine: 3 Vital Differences”
“Case Study: Head Wound Healing of Tissue Defects Using Herbs”
One of the reasons I like peanut butter is that it gives you more flexibility with proportions. Add too much honey or syrup, and an electuary will turn into a runny mess. But peanut butter is thick enough to stay in place, no matter what proportion you choose.
Spoon your herb powder and peanut butter into a bowl and stir them up with a spoon. Then roll them into balls and store them in an airtight container. (Wet your hands first before rolling them, or they’ll stick to you.)
Refrigeration is not strictly necessary, unless using maple syrup, but it will extend their shelf life. Electuaries should last a couple of weeks in the fridge. I say “should,” because ours always disappear long before then. They’re like herbal cookies—too delicious!
You May Also Enjoy:
“Our 13 Favorite Books About Herbal Medicine”
“The 7 Stages of Home Medicine-Makers”
“What’s the Difference Between Essential Oils and Herbal Medicine?”
You can also store them in the freezer. This extends the shelf life into months. Also, I think the frozen ones just taste better. If you prefer honey or syrup, the freezer also helps to firm them up.
You might even spoon them into molds, like these gummy bear molds I bought off Amazon.
Texture Tip
I recommend finely ground herb powders for electuaries. Coarser-ground herbs affect the texture and are too noticeable while eating.
Dosing
Dosing electuaries is easier than you may think, because you don’t have to worry about factoring in the binder. Just measure your initial amount of powdered herb, and divide up your finished product to match.
You May Also Enjoy:
“Calendula: Lymph Mover, Detoxifier, Cancer Fighter, and Skin Beautifier”
“How to Make Your Own Tinctures, Salves, and Essential Oils”
“10 Medicinal Uses for Comfrey: Wound Healer, Muscle Relaxer, Ulcer Treatment, Eyewash, and More”
Here’s what I mean. Let’s say you’re starting out with 4 tablespoons of powdered herb. Add your peanut butter (or other binder) and stir it all up.
It doesn’t matter how much peanut butter you add. If your desired dosage is 1 tablespoon, divide the mixture into 4 equal parts. Each part now contains 1 tablespoon of herbs.
Getting Fancy With Herbal Electuaries
Image by Steve Buissinne from Pixabay
Now that you’ve got the basics down, let’s move on to some fun variations.
Extra Sweet
Sometimes you really need to hide those herbs. Maybe it’s an extra picky child or an extra nasty herb. In either case, a little extra sweetness can go a long way. My favorite option is to add some raw honey to the mix. This doesn’t make the mix too terribly sticky, and the honey adds many medicinal benefits.
Alternately, you could make a peanut-butter-and-jelly electuary. These can be a bit messier, depending on your jelly, but who doesn’t love a good PB&J?
You May Also Enjoy:
“How to Label Homemade Herbal Medicines and Why You Should”
“Oatstraw: Stress Reliever, Love Potion, Brain Booster, and More”
“Elderberry: Natural Remedy for Colds, the Flu, Inflammation … Even Cancer!”
Finally, you could always fall back on sugar. I know it’s not healthy. But desperate times sometimes call for desperate measures.
Here is my minimal-sugar suggestion: Don’t add sugar directly to your electuary mixture. Instead, form the electuary into a ball as normal. Then sprinkle sugar onto a plate and roll the electuary around on it.
This way you only sweeten the outside, minimizing the sugar content while retaining a burst of sweetness. Plus, this option lets you make some with sugar and some without.
Surprise Inside
What’s better than biting into a yummy electuary? Finding a treat inside. To make these sneaky snacks, form your electuaries around the tasty edible of your choice. My suggestions are chocolate chips, nuts, cherries, raisins, or dried cranberries.
Make a few of each and put them all in the same container. Now every bite will be a surprise!
You May Also Enjoy:
Going Gourmet
Now let’s really turn up the “wow” factor. It’s time to impress your friends and coworkers, and get your family to cheer. These electuary options will make you the talk of your herbal community.
Herbs and Spices
Raid your spice cabinet to add some zing to your electuaries. Try adding a dash of nutmeg, ginger, or cinnamon to the mix. Or stir in cocoa powder to craft a truly decadent treat.
Feeling really bold? Add some cayenne pepper. Yum!
Herb Cookies
I said earlier that electuaries were like herbal cookies. Well, these actually are herbal cookies. Note that cooking the herbs is pretty hard on their medicinal components. The cooking time is fairly short in this recipe, but you would still be best off choosing a hardy herb. Something that could handle decoction1)Decoction: A preparation in herbal medicine in which the medicinal components of a plant are extracted through boiling or simmering in water for an extended time. This method is often used on tougher plant parts, such as roots, twigs, or bark. A decoction is similar to an infusion, but uses more heat over a longer period of time. would be ideal.
Also, this recipe uses a lot of sugar. I’d say we’re on the very outer fringes of herbal medicine at this point. You’ve been warned.
Mix 1 cup of peanut butter, 1 cup of sugar, 1 egg, and your desired herbs in a bowl. Oil a cookie sheet and spoon the mixture out as desired. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for about 10 minutes. Then take them out and let them cool.
Optionally, you can add a Hershey’s kiss to the center while they’re cooling. Now you’ve got a delicious desert that’s at least a little bit healthier than a normal cookie.
No-Bake Electuaries
No-bake electuaries involve some heat, but this recipe is much easier on the herbs than the previous one.
Combine 1-3/4 cups sugar, 1/2 cup milk, 1/2 cup butter, and 4 tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder in a saucepan.
Bring it all to a boil, and let it cook for about a minute and a half. Now remove it from the stovetop and stir in 1/2 cup peanut butter, 3 cups of quick cooking oats, 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, and your desired quantity of herbs.
Distribute spoonfuls onto wax paper and let them cool.
Dosing is easy to figure out. Take your total quantity of herbs and divide it by the number of cookies you ended with. That’s your dose per cookie.
Chocolate-Coated Electuaries
The heading pretty much says it all. Make an electuary as normal, then dip it in melted chocolate. Now pop in into the freezer to harden and you have another gourmet delight. You could do the same thing with any other coating medium. Try caramel-covered or yogurt-covered electuaries.
To be perfectly honest, a lot of these last options are not the healthiest, which might partially defeat the purpose of an electuary. However, these can be a fun project to make with the kids, and can be a really good way to introduce herbal medicine to a public who thinks we’re out here chewing on sticks and roots all day.
Now you have everything you need to craft delicious herbal medicines. Mix and match any of these techniques to become an electuary master, and never have your family members turn their noses up at an herbal medicine again.
What Do You Think?
Have you made an herbal electuary before? Do any of these ways to make an electuary sound tempting? Do you have any other ideas for spices, fillings, or other variations? Let me know in the comments!
_______________
This is an updated version of an article that was originally published on June 19, 2018. The author may not currently be available to respond to comments, however we encourage our Community members to chime in to share their experiences and answer questions!
Psst! Our Lawyer Wants You to Read This Big, Bad Medical Disclaimer –> The contents of this article, made available via The Grow Network (TGN), are for informational purposes only and do not constitute medical advice; the content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of a qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. If you think you may be suffering from any medical condition, you should seek immediate medical attention. You should never delay seeking medical advice, disregard medical advice, or discontinue medical treatment because of information provided by TGN. Reliance on any information provided by this article is solely at your own risk. And, of course, never eat a wild plant without first checking with a local expert.
The Grow Network is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate program designed to provide a means for our team to earn fees for recommending our favorite products! We may earn a small commission, at no additional cost to you, should you purchase an item after clicking one of our links. Thanks for supporting TGN!
Scott Sexton is a TGN Trailblazer, a highly experimental gardener, an unrelenting weed-eater, and a largely non-profit herbalist (much to his wife’s chagrin). When Scott is not teaching foraging classes, testing out theories in the garden, or grazing in the forest, he can be found at his Facebook page, “A Forager’s Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse.”
References
| ↑1 | Decoction: A preparation in herbal medicine in which the medicinal components of a plant are extracted through boiling or simmering in water for an extended time. This method is often used on tougher plant parts, such as roots, twigs, or bark. A decoction is similar to an infusion, but uses more heat over a longer period of time. |
|---|
COMMENTS(12)
Thanks so much for these options. Was wondering how I could get my family excited about Herb’s. I am so excited to learn about the medicinal uses! I’m new to this community, and look forward to learning more! Thanks for everything!
Welcome to the community, and thanks for your comment! I’m sure you’ll find all kids of useful articles and things here. And, yes, the sweeter herb options are always a good option for getting family members engaged.
Thanks for the ideas and recipes – it’s always fun to experiment with new healthy ideas.
You bet. Thanks for your comment. And I love experimenting too!
Someone asked about eating raw garlic: you chop up a clove, put it on a tablespoon, pour olive oil over it, and swallow it down. Slides right down your throat with no problem. I as taught this at an herbal school I attended. I also purchase Super Garlic Syrup. That is a bit harder to swallow, but is great on salads.
Garlic is a great medicine, but it’s also pretty stout. Sometimes I’ll just tough it out and eat it raw, but I agree that using an oil a really good way to go. I do that with turmeric too.
”a really good way to introduce herbal medicine to a public who thinks we’re out here chewing on sticks and roots all day.” Scott, you’re hilarious! Great article by the way,, thank you!
Thanks for all the great ideas!
Children aren’t the only ‘picky eaters’. Dogs and husbands can be somewhat reluctant ingestors as well!
You’re super right Terese. We can use all the tricks we can get.
I often make “healthier candy” using equal amounts of finely chopped pitted dates and nuts (usually walnuts, but almonds or pecans work too). I add either a small amount of water or a tincture to the mix, roll them into bite size balls, and freeze them. Sometimes I will then roll them in powdered cacao, storing them in the refrigerator in a closed container. Last year during flu season, I gave each of my coworkers a half dozen date/nut balls with a turmeric/ginger/black pepper tincture as the moistening agent. it worked out to about a half teaspoon of tincture for each 3/4″ ball. So two made a dose. None of my co-workers missed time due to illness last winter.
That was a funny way to get medicine. As I don’t have kids I’ll try it with my dogs as I have a lot of trouble to give then any kind of medicine they need to swallow. Thanks for the tips =)