If you know me, you know I’m borderline obsessed with herbal digestive bitters. Bitters help stimulate digestion, promote gut motility, and support liver function—making them a great way to enhance digestion naturally. And blending your own digestive bitters allows you to tailor the blend of herbs for your body’s unique needs throughout the year. In honor of spring, let’s dive into how to make spring digestive bitters and explore the herbs that make them so effective.
Health Benefits Of Herbal Bitters
Before I learned about the benefits of bitters, the only bitter thing I regularly consumed was coffee. But once I learned about herbal bitters and how these compounds naturally support healthy digestion, I became a huge fangirl.
Our body’s response to the bitter flavor evolved as a protective mechanism against potentially toxic substances. Poisonous plants, for example, tend to be extremely bitter. So the bitter receptors on our tongue and throughout our body are on alert for the presence of these bitter compounds. When we eat something that triggers these receptors, our body responds by ramping up our digestive function in an effort to move the potentially poisonous food through our body as quickly and safely as possible.
Bitter Foods
However, we all know that not all foods that are bitter are also poisonous. And bitter foods and herbs are actually some of the most nutrient-dense, like cruciferous vegetables and dark leafy greens. Because of our body’s natural response to the bitter flavor, including bitter foods and herbs in our diet can help to trigger our body’s digestive response, helping to break down food, absorb nutrients, and keep things moving.
Dark leafy greens, cruciferous vegetables, and herbal teas like dandelion and chamomile are great natural sources of this bitter flavor. But my favorite way to easily include this unique flavor into my daily life is through digestive herbal bitters. A small dose taken before meals helps to encourage the body’s natural digestive processes without forcing.
Herbal Bitters
Herbal digestive bitters help to stimulate digestive enzymes, bile production, and gut motility. This helps to improve digestion and relieve sluggish digestive issues like bloating, heartburn, and indigestion. They may take some getting used to, but trust me—once you experience the benefits, I think you’ll be hooked.
How To Make Your Own Herbal Bitters
Folk vs Ratio Method
When it comes to making herbal tinctures, there are two basic approaches: the folk method and the ratio method.
With the folk method, you fill your jar ¼ full (for dense herbs like roots, seeds, or berries) or ½ full (for lighter herbs like leaves and flowers) of dried, chopped herbs and then top the jar up with alcohol. The most commonly used alcohol is 80 or 100-proof vodka.
For the ratio method, you measure the herbs by weight and combine them in a specific ratio with the alcohol. The most common ratio for most herbs is 1:5. So you weigh one part of the herb(s) by weight in grams and combine that with 5 parts of alcohol by volume in milliliters.
There is some division as to the “best” method for making herbal tinctures. Two of my favorite trusted herbalists, Rosalee de la Foret and Rosemary Gladstar, fall on either side of the debate. Like most budding herbalists, I started out making tinctures using the folk method. As I’ve gotten more comfortable, I’ve started using a combination of both methods.
My Approach
I try to keep the 1:5 ratio in mind when making tinctures. I record the weight of herbs and volume of alcohol used in each tincture. That way, I can replicate it in the future. However, many herbs are just too fluffy to realistically make a 1:5 tincture using home methods.
For example, I recently measured out the 1:5 ratio to make a peppermint and a skullcap tincture and the herbs were so fluffy that the alcohol wasn’t even sufficient to fully saturate the herbs. In both of these cases, I increased the amount of alcohol and recorded the ratio I ended up with. This way, if I find these tinctures to be very effective, I can confidently recreate them in my next batch.
That being said, if you’re new to making tinctures, my suggestion is to either find a recipe you can follow (like the spring digestive bitters below) or go with the folk method as you get comfortable working with herbs. If it’s good enough for Rosemary Gladstar, it’s good enough for me.
Making Herbal Tinctures
Whatever route you go, don’t be intimidated by making herbal tinctures. It’s as simple as measuring out your herbs, covering them with alcohol, labeling the jar (crucially important!), and placing the jar somewhere cool and dark to extract for 4 weeks.
Be sure to shake the jar every couple of days to ensure all the herbs are fully saturated and combined with the alcohol. This also helps keep the herbs from compressing together. You’ll get the best extraction if the herbs can move in the alcohol solvent regularly.
After the four weeks are up, strain out the herbs through several layers of cheesecloth. You can even pass the tincture through a coffee filter to get all the tiny bits of herb out. Transfer the tincture to a clean glass jar (amber glass is ideal) and label it with the herb, the method used, the alcohol used, and the date created.
Spring Digestive Bitters Herbs
The information in this post is intended for educational and entertainment purposes only. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. It is always best to work with a qualified healthcare professional before incorporating herbs into your diet.
This herbal bitters formula blends common spring roots and herbs that support the body’s detoxification systems and help stimulate digestion. This is particularly useful as we start to emerge and reawaken from the winter months.
- Dandelion root is a classic bitter herb that helps stimulate digestion and support healthy liver function. It also helps remove excess fluids from the body.
- Nettle is a deeply nourishing spring herb that supports the body’s detox organs in eliminating waste.
- Chamomile is a very calming herb that has anti-inflammatory effects on the digestive system. It is especially helpful in calming digestive upset due to nerves or anxiety. Its bitter flavor also helps to stimulate gastric secretions, helping to relieve sluggish digestion.
- Fennel is a delicious culinary herb that is also a useful carminative, helping to reduce the buildup of gas and bloating, as well as stimulating digestion.
- Ginger is one of the best herbs for digestion and one of my favorite herbs in general. Its warming, stimulating energy helps with stagnant digestion, aids in the absorption of nutrients, and speeds gastric emptying.
- Orange peel is mostly used to add a bright, citrusy flavor to this blend, though it does lend a bit of added bitterness, as well.
Making The Tincture
As discussed above, making herbal tinctures is a pretty straightforward process. In the spring digestive bitters recipe below, I’ve included the weight measurements of the herbs. These amounts are specifically for a 16-ounce jar of tincture. If you don’t have a kitchen scale or want to make a smaller or larger amount, I’ve also included the “part” measurements for each herb. While it isn’t as exact, you can measure these parts by volume (a tablespoon for each part, for example) and fill whatever size jar you plan to use with the herb blend.
Add the herbs to a 16-ounce glass jar and then carefully fill the jar to the top with vodka. You want to make sure the herbs are covered and that there aren’t any air pockets. You can use a spoon, knife, or chopstick to carefully stir the herbs and distribute the vodka.
Cover the top of the jar with a square of wax paper and secure the lid. Give the jar a shake to help distribute everything.
Let the herb mixture sit for about an hour, and then remove the lid to check the alcohol level. There’s a good chance the herbs have absorbed some of the alcohol, so top it off with vodka if needed. Secure the lid and set the jar somewhere away from direct sunlight and heat and where you’ll remember to shake it every few days.
Straining The Tincture
After four weeks, strain the tincture through several layers of cheesecloth. You can do a second pass through a coffee filter. This will get the smallest bits of herb and sediment out but it does take some additional time and certainly isn’t strictly necessary.
Transfer the tincture to a glass jar or bottle and label it with the name of the blend, the herbs included in the blend, and the date. Store the tincture away from direct light and heat.
How To Use Spring Herbal Digestive Bitters
To use these spring digestive bitters, adults can take one dropperful (about 20-30 drops) or ¼ teaspoon about 15 minutes before meals to stimulate digestion.
Other Posts You May Like
The Health Benefits of Nettle Infusions – Nourishing nettle infusions offer many health benefits, from immune function to healthy bones. Plus, they’re incredibly easy to add to your daily routine.
Bitter Is Better: How This Overlooked Flavor Supports Gut Health – Discover the surprising health benefits of bitters to support digestion, boost nutrient absorption, and improve gut health naturally.
Immune-boosting Elderberry & Echinacea “Stay Well” Tincture – With elderberry, echinacea, and ginger, this “Stay Well” herbal tincture is a must-have to support immune health during cold and flu season.
Spring Digestive Tonic Bitters
Equipment
- 16-ounce glass jar
- Wax paper
Ingredients
- 15 grams Dandelion Root (5 parts)
- 15 grams Nettle (5 parts)
- 12 grams Chamomile (4 parts)
- 9 grams Fennel Seed (3 parts)
- 3 grams Ginger (1 part)
- Peel from about ½ an orange finely chopped
- 80- proof vodka
Instructions
- Add herbs to a 16-ounce glass jar. Carefully fill the jar with vodka, covering the herbs. Cover the top of the jar with a square of wax paper, then secure the lid. Give the jar a shake to make sure everything is nicely distributed.
- After about an hour, remove the lid to check the alcohol level. There’s a good chance the herbs have absorbed some of the alcohol, so top it off with vodka. Secure the lid and set the jar somewhere away from direct sunlight and heat where you’ll remember to shake it every few days.
- After four weeks, strain the tincture through several layers of cheesecloth. You can do a second pass through a coffee filter if you want to get the smallest bits of herb and sediment out but this does take some additional time and certainly isn’t strictly necessary.
- Transfer the tincture to a glass jar or bottle and label it with the name of the blend, the herbs included in the blend, and the date. Store the tincture away from direct light and heat.
- To use, adults can take a dropperful (about 20-30 drops) 15 minutes before meals to stimulate digestion.
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