Slippery elm bark first slipped into my herbal medicine chest when I was trying to remedy Scott’s heartburn. Since then, I’ve fallen in love with this powder. Today I tried out a new recipe: slippery elm lozenges.
Norah has a cough. An awful middle-of-the-night cough that has gone on. and on. and on. No other symptoms. Just the cough. Aside from hanging out in a steamy bathroom at 3am, nothing has helped. Not the homeopathic cough syrup, not the herbal cough syrup, not honey sticks, and not the over-the-counter foul tasting medicines we tried. And I don’t think she would take a spoon of rock and rye.
Abby reminded me of Aviva Jill Romm’s recipe from Naturally Healthy Babies and Children (thanks for my birthday present Mom!).
Mix slippery elm bark powder with enough honey to make a dough. Remember not to give babies under a year old honey. Add lemon juice or peppermint oil to taste. I used peppermint. Roll into a snake. Slice into pea-size segments. Spread on a cookie sheet and bake at 250 for an hour.
Norah–who is now skeptical of all things medicinal–has been begging for these treats. Personally, I think they are disgusting. The flavor is fine but the texture is very bouillon cube. Doesn’t matter what I think. Norah loves them.
If you don’t have time for lozenge-making, you can add slippery elm bark to oatmeal without much notice. Norah is refusing oatmeal lately. It is difficult to hide in juice or tea since only 10 grains of powder will turn an ounce of liquid into a thick jelly.
Inexplicable Ways 
that sounds… chalky. *shiver* did it work for the cough? the heartburn? i am not a convert to the slippery elm, but i have never worked with the straight powder. isn’t making your own always so much more fun and seemingly effective? 😉
No, it did not help with Scott’s heartburn. It does seem to help some with the cough. Not anything magic–cough still happens–but it seems to relieve it some.
My biggest problem right now is keeping Norah out of the bottle. She loves it. I know slippery elm is a safe herb but there are still dosages for children. Need to re-check them and figure out how much I can give her.
I’m using slippery elm powder for Crohn’s disease right now and I’m thinking/hoping it will work. I simply mix it in with my oatmeal, with cinnamon and a packet of stevia…it’s unnoticeable except it’s a little more mushy/jelly. I add 1-2 tablespoons…not bad at all! Also, I’ve been adding it to my cereal, and that’s fine as well. TRY IT!