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How to Make Tinctures From Herbs

The philosophy behind tincture is to captureYou will need 7-10 ounces of chopped fresh
the spiritual and physical essence of theherbs for every quart of vodka, brandy or
plant. This is done by using the power ofrum. I prefer to use fresh herbs when making
ethyl alcohol to dissolve and preserve themy tinctures. When using powdered herbs, I
herb  in  question.use 4 ounces of herbs to one pint of liquid.
If you are making a tincture from bitter
The substance used to extract the herbs isherbs it is best to use rum as it will mask
known as the menstrum. The herbs you arethe taste of the herbs. To make a
tincturing are known as the mark. Tincturingnon-alcoholic tincture use distilled water,
will extract and preserve both theglycerol or vinegar. Keep in mind that if you
water-soluble and alcohol-soluble propertiesuse vinegar the tincture will have to be
of  an  herb.refrigerated.
In the interest of taking a more involvedPut your herbs in the mason jars and then
stance in their health, many people arepour the liquid over them so that it comes up
turning to homemade tinctures made from freshto about an inch above the herbs. Seal
or dried herbs. Tinctures have proven to betightly and label the jars then put them in a
more powerful and longer lasting than driedvery dark, warm area. Keeping them in a
herbs. Dried herbs can get moldy or be eatenpaper bag has worked well for me. You will
by insects, tinctures do not. Tinctureshave to shake the jar everyday, several times
will keep up to two years and keep theira  day  if  you  can  mange  it.
potency if stored properly. Making your own
tinctures will save you quite a bit of money.At first check the solution daily to make
If you purchase tinctures in a retail storesure the vodka, brandy or rum still covers
you will get a few ounces whereas if you makethe herbs. Let the mixture steep for at least
it  yourself  it  will  yield  about a quart.two weeks and up to three months. When you
reach the allotted waiting period, line a
When purchasing herbs, make sure you aresieve with the cheesecloth or muslin and pour
buying from a reputable source. Better yet,the liquid thru the sieve into another
grow your own herbs to be sure of the highestbottle. Gather up the ends of the
possible quality. When growing your own youcheesecloth and squeeze to extract all of the
can make any number of combinations to makeliquid. You can now fill small bottles with
up your tinctures. I have also found thatdroppers with the tincture for ease in use.
when growing my own herbs I get the mostBe sure to label the jar with the name and
enjoyment, knowing not only did I make thethe  date.
tincture but I grew the herbs. I become part
of  the  process  from  beginning  to  end.The dose is one teaspoon tincture in a cup of
tea,  juice or water taken three times daily.
There are several items that you will need to
make your own tinctures. First you needThere are no right formulas for making
either powdered herbs or fresh cut herbs.tinctures. Experiment with different
Vodka, brandy or rum, 80-100 proof to covercombinations. Be sure you write down the
the herbs. Mason jars with lids. Muslin orformula so when you come up with a winning
Cheesecloth that is unbleached. Lastly,combination  you  will  have  it  on  file.
labels  for  the  jars.
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