Marsh Mallow – the Prodigal Weed

Wild, edible and medicinal, the mallow plant, after which the marshmallow sweet treat was named, comes from a large family of mallows.

Called Malvaceae, the perennial mallow plant is a flowering plant with small white flowers and is in the Mallow family. Mallows includes okra, cottons and hibiscus, and you can certainly see the resemblance in the mallow flowers. The mallow plant is native to Europe, Northern Africa and Western Asia, and was brought to North America

Every part of the marsh mallow plant, Althea officinalis, is edible and medicinal.

Like okra, the marsh and rose mallow plants are known for their mucilaginous properties. The mallow plant’s root, leaves and flowers, all contain mucilage, with the highest percentage (11%) available in the late fall and winter, and can be eaten raw, cooked or dried for tea.^[1]https://www.sigmaaldrich.com/life-science/nutrition-research/learning-center/plant-profiler/althaea-officinalis.html

Marsh mallow plant… a prodigal weed that serves from root to seed!

The Marsh Mallow Plant – The latin word for marsh mallow, tells us what it’s about: Althea officinalis, is named after the Greek Althea, meaning to heal or cure.

From Medicinal Mallow to S’mores

Roasted marshmallow and s’mores are virtually as synonymous with summer as cookouts and swimming pools… hot dogs and baseball. When it comes to winter treats, few things add that crowning touch to a cup of hot chocolate like marshmallows floating on top.

The Devolution of the Marshmallow Plant

Far from today’s sugar-filled puff balls, marshmallows originated from medicinal use of the sap of the marsh mallow plant in the treatment of coughs, colds and irritated throats. Of course the marshmallow treats of today no longer contain any of the ingredients of their namesake.

So, how did we get from an edible, medicinal plant to a squishy, sugary marshmallows with not a hint of real mallow—or anything else medicinal—in it?

The same way most of us have lost touch with other powerful healing herbs: the convenience of modern medicine and the mass manufacturing of convenience.

Marshmallows originated from medicinal use of the sap of the mucilaginous root of the marsh mallow plant in the treatment of coughs, colds and sore throat.

Meet the Multi-Talented Mallow Family

We are finding differing information as to the exact numbers in the Malvaceae family, so including here two sources. If you know of more reliably exact information, please advise!

The Malvaceae, or the mallows, are a family of flowering plants estimated to contain 243 genera with 4225+ species.^[2]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malvaceae#cite_note-3

From Susun Weed on The Wise Woman Herbal Ezine:
The mallow family contains nearly 200 genera (a genus is a group of closely related plants within a family, along with more than 2000 species (specific plants within each genus).

The mallow family includes many beautiful, edible, medicinal, and useful plants.

Popular Mallow Family Plants

• Cacao
• Cotton
• Hibiscus
• Hollyhock
• Jute
• Marshmallow
• Okra
• Rose of Sharon

Beneficial Parts of the Marvelous Marsh Mallow Plant

All parts of the mallows have edible and/or medicinal value. Here are the parts and forms used.

• Leaves of Mallow
  • fresh
  • dried
• Roots of Mallow
  • fresh
  • dried
• Flowers or Mallow
  • fresh
  • dried
• Seeds of Mallow
  • green
  • ripe

While most mallows share beneficial properties, the marsh mallow, Althea officinalis, has far more of the mucilaginous properties that are beneficial in cooking and medicinally for colds and sore throats. The mucilaginous properties of the mallow plant provide a protective layer when used in herbal medicine remedies for skin, digestive tract and throat.

SOURCE: Susun Weed, herbalist, author- The Wise Woman Way

Mucilaginous Plant

If you’ve ever cooked okra, then you’ll understand the mucilage component. Mucilaginous simply means having a thick, sticky or gelatinous consistency.

Most mallows are completely edible with medicinal properties. Some are more mucilaginous than others, such as the marsh mallow and rose mallow. These unpretentiously prolific “wasteland” plants have many uses and benefits.

Uses for Mallows Plants

• Bark – used as a substitute for hemp and medicinally; can be made into teas and concoctions
• Leaves and flowers – edible and medicinal, harvest marshmallow leaf in late summer after first year 
• Seed casing – emulsifier
• Seeds – aka “peas” or “cheeses” for mucilage and emulsifiers
• Flowers – as edibles and ornamentals

The seeds are often called “cheeses” and the plant, “cheeseweed” for the wedged rounded seed pods that look similar to a wheel of cheese.

Marshmallow – a Medicinal Herb With Many Benefits

Althea officinalis Traditional and Proven Benefits and Uses

• Respiratory Inflammation, including asthma^[3]https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7090173/
• Coughs and sore throats^[4]https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/30064132/?i=6&from=althaea%20officinalis^[5]
• Helps treat kidney, urinary and bladder problems including kidney stones
• Bruises, muscle aches and sprains
• Dysentery and urinary hemorrhaging
• Digestive tract disorders – heartburn, indigestion, Crohn’s disease
• Skin inflammation and irritation, eczema, contact dermatitis
• Mucous membranes of sinuses and the alimentary canal^[5]https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19799989^[6]https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5524553/#B12
• Cleanse, detoxify and heal wounds
• Help treat nervous conditions
• Antibacterial activity – effective on gram positive bacteria, including diseases such as:^[7]https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5524553/#B12
  • A. hydrophila^[8]https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5524553/
  • anthrax
  • diphtheria
  • enterococcal infections
  • erysipelothricosis
  • listeriosis (food poisoning)^[9]https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4418059/
• Antifungal^[10]https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5524553/#B12
• Anti-inflammatory
• Antioxidant
• Anti-cancer
• Anti-ulcerogenic /stomach ulcers^[11]https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22221093
• Insect bites
• Soothing to irritated and inflamed mucous membranes 

Wonders From Nature

As you can see there are many potential benefits to the marsh mallow plant, Althea officinalis. The marsh mallow plant is a plant to get to know and use!

So, enjoy some marshmallow tea from roots, leaves and flowers of mallow plants and include them in your raw and cooked foods on a regular basis for a steady dose of prevention.

Common Forms for Marshmallow Plant Uses

• Capsules, roots
• Dried:
  • flowers
  • leaves 
  • roots
• Powder, root
• Tea:
  • flowers
  • leaves
  • roots
• Tinctures / liquid marshmallow extract:
  • flowers
  • leaves
  • roots

Sore Throats – Better in 10 Minutes

99.8% of participants with sore throats from dry cough showed positive improvements from marsh mallow (Althea officinalis) lozenges or syrup within just 10 minutes of use.
~2018 study Fink, Schmidt, Kraft

SOURCE: 2018 study by Fink C, Schmidt M, Kraft K.

Disclaimer: We do deep research in order to share as much science-backed information as possible. However, this cannot be construed as medical advice and you should always use your own discernment and the advice of your qualified medical advisors in any ailment or treatment.

Survival Foods – Mallows and More

Similar to dandelions and plantain, mallows are known to be one of the weeds brought to the Americas and much of the world by early European settlers.  A prolific grower, even in poor unattended soils, malvas were historically used as a survival food in times of famine.

Though mallows grow best in marshy areas of moist soil, they can survive even in poor unattended soils. 

If you were heading out to conquer a new land (or a new homestead!), it makes sense to bring an ample supply of hardy plants. 

Many of today’s weeds are nutritious and medicinal with a deep taproot perfectly suited to survive drought conditions. Our ancestors used these hardy nutrient dense survival plants such as dandelions, plantains and mallows as staple foods.

Dandelions, plantains and mallows are edible, medicinal and nutritious survival foods.

Malvaceae plants such as the marshmallow plant, (althea officinalis) are tenacious survivors, historically known as survival foods because they grow prolifically even in poor soils.

Don’t Poison the Food!

It’s astonishing really to consider how far we’ve come from our roots of using these amazing plants as the readily available food and medicine they once were. So it’s gratifying to see them making a comeback.

We wouldn’t dig up or poison spinach or lettuce to get rid of it. Yet today, these traditionally staple food sources are treated as menaces to kill rather than plants to eat. To view these plants as weeds instead of food is just a lack of familiarity and education. 

How did it come about that we dispose of so many nutritionally and medicinally valuable foods? Might that be part of the puzzle of our national health crisis? Perhaps it began with lawns.

Now sure… lawns look lovely and nothing feels as wonderful as fresh grass under bare feet in summer. But… to kill weeds with vital nutrients seems like such a waste. If more people knew the health and food benefit, perhaps they would choose food over fashion.

More weeds you can eat!

Weeds with Benefits

Let’s not toss out the greens in order to have the grass. Instead toss the greens into the salad, sautees or soups! Edible weeds are numerous and everywhere and can be incredible allies in our health and wellness.

• Dandelion
• Marshmallow
• Plantain
• Chickweed 
• Henbit 
• Wild Onion

Which Parts of the Mallow Plant are Edible?

From marshmallow leaf to flower, seed to root, all parts of the mallow plant are edible and beneficial.

Mallow Plant Leaves

Mallow leaves have a mild flavor and can be eaten raw, added to a salad, steamed or dried for tea.  When cooked, the leaves create a mucus very similar to okra and can be used as a thickener to soups and stews.

The older leaves are great for adding to green smoothies or soups. The tender young mallow leaves are perfect eaten raw in salads, lightly steamed, or sauteed with butter and garlic or in stir fry. The flowers can also be harvested and consumed in the summer in salads and stir fry.

Common mallow leaves are rich in vitamins A and C as well as calcium, magnesium, potassium, iron and selenium.^[12]https://www.ediblewildfood.com/mallow.aspx

Mallow Plant Seeds

Boiling marsh mallow seeds releases mucilaginous properties needed for making marshmallows and medicines. Mucilaginous foods are needed as thickeners and emulsifiers for soup and gravy.

Mallow Plant Roots

Mallow roots release a thick mucus when boiled in water. The viscous liquid that is created can be beaten to make a meringue-like substitute for egg whites.

The real magic of the mallow plant, however, comes from its beneficial polysaccharide and antioxidant compounds. Marsh mallow contains phenols, flavonoids, carotenoids, tocopherols and ALA fatty acids, all of which are beneficial for gastrointestinal and anti-inflammatory issues.^[13]https://www.superfoods-for-superhealth.com/mallow-plant-nutrition.html

Mallow also contains the naturally occurring non-essential amino acid, asparagine. First discovered in its namesake, asparagus, asparagine helps maintain the balance and function of the central nervous system.

“Non-essential” amino acids are aminos that the human body manufactures on its own. So even if you don’t consume foods with asparagine, your body will create its own.

However, consuming additional amino acids helps fortify and protect the body from stress and disease. So additional supplies of these non-essentials can help with performance and health.

Nutritional Benefits of Marsh Mallow

• Polysaccharides
• Antioxidants –
  • phenols
  • flavonoids
  • carotenoids
  • tocopherols
  • ALA fatty acids
• Non-essential amino acid – asparagine
• Vitamins A & C
• Calcium
• Zinc
• Iron
• Sodium
• Selenium
• Magnesium
• Potassium
• Iodine
• Vitamin B complex
• Pantothenic acid

Vitamin content excerpted from Cambridge Commodities, LTD.^[14]https://www.c-c-l.com/search.htm?product=mallow^[15]https://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Marsh_Mallow.aspx

No Mallow Plant Growing Near You?

You can find liquid marshmallow extract along with dried mallow root and capsules of mallow plant powder on Amazon.

Vegetarian Marshmallow Recipe

Recipe from Food.com

Regular marshmallows contain gelatin, a protein made from boiling the skin, tendons, ligaments, and/or bones of (usually) cows and pigs in water. So this is a vegetarian version.

INGREDIENTS:

* Gum Tragacanth is a natural gum obtained from the dried sap of several species of Middle Eastern legumes.
**Gum Arabic is a natural, plant-based product from the acacia plant.

• 4 tablespoons marshmallow roots
• 1 3/4 cups refined sugar
• 1 1/4 cups gum tragacanth* or gum arabic**
• 2 cups water (or Water of Orange Flowers for aroma; you can use alternate flavors such as vanilla bean)
• 1 -2 egg whites, well beaten

DIRECTIONS:

1. 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.
2. 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, or, add enough Water of Orange to equal 2 cups of liquid after the roots are simmered. Strain out the roots.
3. Heat the gum and marshmallow decoction in a double boiler until it dissolves.
4. Strain the roots with a slotted spoon, applying pressure to the pulp with the back of another spoon. (We like these restaurant grade slotted stainless steel spoons or strainer tongs).
5. 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.
6. Once the batter is thick like dough, lay out on a flat surface. Let cool, and cut into cubes.

SOURCE: Food.com

NOTES:

If you like gadgets, this Danish dough whisk works well and is easier to clean, than the non-stick silicone and stainless steel whisks. For stirring, spreading and scraping,like this silicone spatula and spatula-spoon set.

Don’t worry if yours doesn’t look like the photo below. That’s a stock photo, probably by pro pastry chef using plenty of gelatin, cornstarch and confectioners sugar.

Making Marshmallows from Scratch

Mallow plants such as Marsh Mallow and Common Mallow can be found on most of the North American Continent and beyond. Mallow is a wonderful wild plant with numerous edible and medicinal benefits from the entire plant.

If you don’t have a marsh nearby with mallow plants, you can always get the root from Amazon. We like this organic mallow root.

Homemade Marshmallows Using Mallow Root

We love this video for the simple and clear demonstration beginning with seeing the marshmallow plant root harvested directly from the winter marsh landscape.

These ladies from the Corolla Village Inn in Outer Banks, NC, keep it simple, including not worrying about forming perfectly firm marshmallow “pillows”. A blob of marshmallow in your cocoa actually workout out better, more readily melting into the hot chocolate for a delightful brew.

Their recipe is slightly different and for a smaller quantity than the one above, so check out each one to see which is the best fit for you.

Homemade Marshmallow Recipe

NOTE: This recipe is simple but works best if left to sit overnight, (or throughout the day), so plan accordingly.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/3 cup water
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup corn syrup
• 2 TBSP mallow root
• 1 egg white
• cornstarch (to dust onto parchment paper to prevent sticking)

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Mix mallow root with 1 Tbsp of water and let sit so it becomes a gooey paste.
2. Heat water, pouring corn syrup and sugar to middle of pan.
3. Bring to a boil and up to 240°F, for about 6-8 minutes, swirling in pan instead of stirring.
4. While the sweet water mixture comes to a boil, line a baking pan with foil, parchment or wax paper.
   • Use two sections of foil or paper lain in a ✚ shape, with enough to overlap the sides. This is called a sling, and makes it easy to lift the loaf out of the pan.
   • Spray foil with vegetable spray to prevent sticking.
5. While sweet mixture is heating, whisk egg white until firm peaks form
6. Whisk while adding the sugar syrup to the stiff egg white.
7. Add mallow root paste to egg-sugar mixture.
8. Continue whisking for 10-12 minutes until the bowl feels barely warm. It will have expanded to ~10x the volume
9. At around 10 minutes is a good time to whisk in flavoring if you’re using it, such as vanilla extract, or a dab of strawberry puree for coloring. Or, alternately, you can use natural food coloring.
10. Using an oil sprayed spatula, pour mixture into lined and treated pan, spreading and smoothing. Work quickly, as the batter will firm up quickly and be hard to work with.
11. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside overnight or for several hours.
12. When you’re ready to cut the marshmallow cake, sift a couple tablespoons of a equal parts cornstarch and confectioners sugar blend onto a cutting board, (optionally lined with parchment or wax paper).
13. Turn the marshmallow loaf over onto the cutting board, removing the foil sling and sift another 2 tablespoons of the cornstarch sugar mixture onto the bottom of the marshmallow loaf.
14. Spray a chef’s knife with oil to reduce sticking when cutting. Repeat this during cutting as needed.
15. Cut the marshmallows vertically into 1″ strips, then 1″ strips perpendicular across the first rows.
16. Roll them around in the cornstarch mixture to lightly dust the cut sides, and shaking of excess powder over the sink in a strainer.
17. Store in an airtight container for up to two weeks.

Mouthwatering!

These incredible homemade marshmallows will be the talk of any party or gathering and enhance every cup of cocoa or s’mores. We’re betting a few will end up devoured just by itself for a quick sweet snack.

If yours aren’t well formed enough to make perfect cubes, don’t worry. Even rounded dollops will enrich your cocoa or s’mores with delight and have a floating cloud effect! 😋 Let us know how your homemade marshmallows turn out, and we’d love to see your photos.

ENJOY!!

Simpler Homemade Marshmallow Recipe 

This approach is the shortcut to marshmallow making using regular gelatin. However, you could still use this tutorial and recipe, but substitute mallow root for the gelatin.

From America’s Test Kitchen with Louise Emerick

Please let us know what you think about the marshmallow plant and how you’re using it and whether you’ve made any homemade marshmallows. You can send us an email.

Disclaimer: This content is not medical advice. Always use your own discernment and the advice of your qualified medical advisors and experts in any ailment or treatment.

Let’s keep on growing!