“Bitter” is a much-maligned and under-utilized flavor, especially in the U.S.

Incorporating bitter flavors such as kale, dandelion greens, mustard greens, collard greens, etc. into your diet is a great idea. You can use these greens to make a tasty appetizer salad topped with homemade herbal vinegar and oil dressing.

But you can also have a fun time gathering a few friends and creating your own bitter extract!

Benefits of Bitters

stimulate digestive enzymes and stomach acids
increase peristalsis
encourage salivation
generally prepare your body for eating
grounding, bringing you to the present moment (especially if they are really bitter), snatching your thoughts away from things that could be stressful and therefore helping you get into the relaxed state needed to digest your food well.

Common Bitter Herbs

gentian (strong)
dandelion root
Oregon grape root (strong)
chamomile (mild)
wormwood (strong)
yarrow
elecampane
mugwort
angelica
burdock

This recipe includes both bitters and aromatics.

Benefits of Aromatics

help with taste (but don’t cover the bitter taste completely!)
are stimulating
are warming to increase blood flow
depending on which ones you use, can help with gas, stomach upset, or nausea

Common Aromatic Herbs

orange peel
cinnamon chips
allspice
ginger
star anise
vanilla
peppermint
pepper

Homemade Bitters

Ingredients

Bitter Jar
4 T bitter herbs (list on page 2)
1-1/2 c vodka or other neutral spirits
Aromatic Jar
1/2 pint-sized jar filled with aromatic herbs of any combination (see below)
1-1/2 c vodka or other neutral spirits

Instructions

Place herbs in respective jars and fill each with vodka leaving about 1/2" of space at the top. Allow to sit for 3 weeks out of sunlight, shaking daily.
After steeping both jars for 3 weeks, strain each one into a separate container through muslin, cheese cloth or coffee filter. I use a with a coffee filter in the bottom to allow me to squeeze everything out.
Mix 3-4 parts bitter with 1-2 parts aromatic (depending on your preference and how bitter you want the final product).
At this point, you can add sugar syrup, honey or maple syrup if you'd like. Play around with flavors and combinations. If you're using it as a cocktail mix you may want to mix half and half or a bit more of the aromatics.

Notes

Dosage: 2-3 sprays or 2-3 drops on your tongue before each meal. Allow to sit in your mouth 30-60 seconds before swallowing, or up to 1 ounce may be added to sparkling water or other mixer for use as a cocktail.