Herbal Pastille Making
What is a pastille?
A pastille (or pill) is made by simply combining powdered herbs with a liquid or honey and rolling them into small pea-size balls. Some common uses are for sore throats, coughs, and, digestive complaints.
Basic Pastille Recipe
Place medicinal powdered herbs in a bowl and mix with honey and enough water to make a sticky paste
You can add tinctures/glycerites/syrups/extracts instead of water
Roughly 3:1 powder to honey (for example 3 T powdered herb to 1 T honey). Add honey slowly and mix in between.
Knead until it has a dough like consistency.
Break off small bits and roll them into small balls, the size of a pea. Cover them in additional powder for a finished look, prevent clumping, and possibly to make them taste yummy! I found a smiley face in one! 🙂
Yummy tasting herb (cocoa, cinnamon, peppermint, lemon balm, orange peel, licorice etc…)
Dry the pills in a dehydrator, on a cookie sheet (at the lowest temperature – 150 degrees), or in the sun.
Once dried keep them in a glass container in a cool, dark place for indefinitely.
Herbal Pastille Recipes
Sore Throat
2 parts Marshmallow 1 part Rose ½ part Sage Honey Coat with Slippery Elm (ethically harvested) or Cinnamon |
Cough
1 part Slippery Elm (ethically harvested) 1 part Marshmallow Root ½ part Cherry bark 1/4-1/2 part Ginger Honey Coat with Cinnamon |
Digestive Bitters
1 part Burdock Root 1 part Dandelion Root 1 part Gentian Root 1 part Coriander 1 part Orange Peel Pinch of black pepper Honey Coat with Fennel Seed Powder and a pinch of Salt |
Sleep
1 part Lemon Balm 1 part Rose 1 part Chamomile ½ part Passionflower Honey Coat with Orange Peel |
*1 part can be whatever measurement you decide – tablespoon, teaspoon, cup, and so on
Why Bitters?
Bitter taste supports and influences different parts of the digestive system. Here are a few ways:
- Stimulates the secretion of saliva, which aids in carbohydrate consumption
- Increases HCL (Hydrochloric Acid) secretion, which breaks down proteins and helps extract nutrients from foods
(Lack of HCL has been attributed to heart burn, stomach ulcers, nutrient deficiencies and food intolerance)
- Causes bile formation in the liver and bile secretion in the gallbladder. Bile is crucial for digestion of fats and oils.
- Regulates blood sugar levels and promotes regular bowel movements by supporting healthy peristaltic movement of the colon
Here’s a list of herbs to try
Black Pepper (Piper nigrum)
Heavily traded herb
Builds our digestive fires and increases the bio-availability of nutrients in our foods and herbal formulas.
Helps body extract more nutrients from the food you eat.
Burdock Root (Arctium lappa)
Nutrient-dense food
Pre-biotic
Move stagnant lymph
Supports live health
Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla)
Irritability and restlessness
Insomnia
Relaxing nervine and mild sedative
Cherry Bark (Prunus serotina)
Expectorant, antitussive, astringent, antispasmodic, anti-inflammatory, nervine, sedative, bitter
Coriander (Coriandrum sativum)
Seed of the cilantro plant
Minor digestive complaints such as gas and bloating
Dandelion Root (Taraxacum officinale)
Helps poor digestion
Promotes healthy liver function
Digestive stimulant
Fennel Seeds (Foeniculum vulgare)
Relieves stagnant digestion like gas and bloating
Pleasant taste
Colic formulas
Ginger Root (Zingiber officinale)
Anti-inflammatory
Stimulating expectorant
Anodyne (pain relief)
Antimicrobial
Colds/Flu
Taste
Gentian Root (Gentiana lutea)
Cooling bitter herb in France/Italy
Used to treat fevers, parasites, and promoting digestion
Over-harvested from its native habitat in the Alps so purchase from cultivated sources
Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis)
Relaxing nervine
Used to decrease anxiety, nervousness, insomnia, and stress
Added to herbal formulas for taste
Marshmallow Root (Althaea officinalis)
Best for dry spasmodic coughs
Digestive inflammation
Sore and dry mouth and throat
Cold infusions
Orange Peel (Citrus sinensis)
Decreases phlegm and promotes digestion
Passionflower (Passiflora incarnata)
Relaxing nervine
Aid in insomnia
Exhaustion, mental fatigue, anxiety
Rose (Rosa species)
Astringent
Anti-inflammatory
Nervine
Antioxidant
Colds/Flu
Analgesic (relieves pain)
Sage (Salvia officinale)
Astringent
Antiseptic
Soothes sore throats
Helps with infections
Slippery Elm (Ulmus rubra)
Soothes mucus membranes
Respiratory system
Digestive tract
Nutritive herb
Anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antitussive, mild astringent, demulcent, expectorant