Angelica Herbal Candy
Making sweet medicine using with the holy plant of the mountains.
I’m always looking for ways to fold herbs into our daily meals in a delicious way. I get an easy “YES!” from my kids when I offer them these herbal candies. These herbs are excellent support in the fall, when the season is changing the there tends to be a dip in our immune system and digestion.
The aromatic flavor and medicinal benefits of angelica have been appreciated since the early viking era. The vikings used the herb to season meats and soups as well as medicine for a fever, cold and sore throat. It became famous and widely cultivated in Europe when it proved to ease the symptoms of a plaque in the 17th century,
Angelica is packed with essential vitamins and minerals such as potassium, zinc, iron, vitamin C and B12. The body uses potassium to keep the heart functioning and for muscle contraction. Zinc is needed to keep the immune system working effectively and to reduce stress levels. Vitamin C is important for your immune system and for helping your body to absorb iron, while B12 is important for nerve health and for the health of blood cells.
Angelica is renown in herbal medicine to treat digestive issues like nausea and acid reflux. It is often used in pre-dinner liquors, such as aperitifs, to aide in digestion.
Angelica is a tonic for the female reproductive system. It works as a feminine libido enhancer, hormone balancer and relieves PMS symptoms.
Angelica is an anticoagulant, which means that it can improve the flow of blood to the extremities improving circulation and helping to relieve fevers.
Angelica + Citrus Herbal Candy Recipe
This recipes uses the stocks of this lovely, aromatic herb harvested in the fall. Angelica has a few poisonous look-a-likes so be sure to reference a wildcrafting guide to be absolutely certain you know you are harvesting angelica.
I combine angelica and citrus in this recipe for added flavor and medicinal benefit. We rarely eat citrus peels, which have tons of beneficial nutrients. They boost the lymphatic system, which supports immunity and they aide in digestion. I used whole lemons but oranges, limes or grapefruits work as well.
Ingredients
1 c. fresh angelica stocks
1 whole lemon
1 c. water
1 c. sugar
Instructions
Preheat oven to 250 degrees.
Wash and slice angelica stocks into 1/4 inch pieces,
Thinly slice one lemon about 1/4 inch thick.
Make a simple syrup combining 1 c. water and 1 c. sugar in a small sauce pan and cook on low heat until the sugar dissolves.
Add the angelica root and citrus to the pot and simmer on low for 25 mins. Keep stirring to keep all the ingredients coated with the syrup.
Spread the ingredients onto baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake at 250 degrees for 2 hours or until the stocks are crunchy and the peels are deliciously chewy.
