Bitters seem to be all the rage these days—and for good reason! Among their many benefits is their much-touted ability to stimulate digestive function. These dandy-orange bitters are no exception. They make a great all-purpose bitter that’s traditionally been used to support normal digestion and is also quite handy as a bitter for mixed drinks!

This recipe was provided by experienced herbalist and herbal educator, Juliet Blankespoor. I can’t recommend her school and blog highly enough. If you haven’t already, I recommend checking out the Chestnut School of Herbal Medicine. You’re sure to come away herbally inspired!

Dandy Orange Bitters

Makes about 8 to 12 ounces.

Ingredients

• 2 oz. organic dried dandelion root or 10 oz. fresh dandelion root
• 2 Tbsp. organic dried orange peel or the peel from one organic orange
• 10-14 oz. vodka (80 proof) 

Directions

1. If you are using fresh roots, wash and finely chop. Coarsely chop the citrus peel.
2. Place the dandelion root and orange peel in a pint jar and fill remainder of the jar with vodka.
3. Secure the lid on the jar and label. 
4. Infuse for one week, shaking daily.
5. Strain out and discard solids, bottle infused liquid, and label.

Pro Tip: 

• If harvesting your own dandelion root, make sure it has not been sprayed with pesticides! Also, always be sure you have a positive identification for the plant.
• Be sure to properly label your jars throughout the whole process. We've even got a handy downloadable label template to get you started!

Want to learn more about bitters?

Try This Artichoke Leaf Bitters Recipe

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