Mallows, and a recipe for marshmallows.

Date: Sun, 30 Jul 1995 17:09:28 -0100
Sender: HERB.TREARNPC.EGE.EDU.TR
From: Henriette Kress <HeK.HETTA.PP.FI>
Subject: Re: Common mallow

>My query is this: I am growing common mallow (Malva sylvestris), which I plan on using in a cough candy, along with horehound. I was browsing through Thompson & Morgan catalogue the other day, and I saw a note with their mallow plants, that mallow is poisonous!

Now I really do wonder where Thompson & Morgan got that from ! The Mallow family (Malvaceae) is also called the 'harmless' family because there isn't a poisonous thought in any of them.

Just go ahead and eat any Malva or Hibiscus you may find - some of them might not be pleasing to the palate, but they aren't poisonous.

From: Deb Phillips <ARmidwife.AOL.COM>

I have my mom's take marshmallow root to increase milk supply.

From: David Oliver <doliver.MINERVA.POLARISTEL.NET>

To the best of our knowledge all mallows are perfectly harmless and edible.

This is good because we just published an article on them in the Sept/Oct issue of The Business of Herbs (Dr. Peter Gail's Volunteer Vegetable column). We wouldn't want to poison any of our readers; we need their subscription money. ;-)

Someone asked about a recipe for marshmallows (the original, not the corn starch, sugar, guar gum, etc. formula).

Here is Peter's recipe:
Originally marsh mallow roots were boiled to make a "mallow water," which was then made into the candy. Marsh mallows are hard to find, having a limited range, but common mallows are much more readily available. Boil the "cheeses" (the fruits or seedpods of the plant) in enough water to cover for 20 minutes. Strain off the cheeses, which can be eaten as a vegetable. Add sugar to the mallow water. Cook the syrup down until it is very thick, beat it, and drop it in spoonfuls onto waxed paper. When cool, roll the marshmallows in confectioners sugar.

From: Peter Gail <PETERGAIL.AOL.COM>

Just like David and Paula to drag me kicking and screaming out of "lurkerdom." If mallows were poisonous, I would have been dead long time ago. In June we fed a delightful mallow soup to Sierra Clubbers who paid $25 a plate to feast on weeds.