How to Make a Tincture
Tinctures are potent herbal extracts made with alcohol, which can be taken straight or diluted in water. Just a dropperful can provide the same benefits as several cups of tea and in less time.
Yield: 8 ounces
Cost: $15
Equipment
- Pint size glass jar with lid
- Glass dropper bottle
- Parchment paper or plastic wrap
Materials
- Vodka, grain alcohol, or rum 80-proof or higher
- Herbs of choice
Instructions
- Finely chop or grind your herbs with a mortar and pestle, and place them in your jar. (Sometimes I’m lazy and don’t do this, but I definitely notice a difference in the strength of my extract when I do.)
- Once you have filled your jar with the right ratio of herbs, you’ll want to fill it the rest of the way with alcohol so that it completely covers the plants. To keep your herbs from molding, you need to make sure there’s about an inch of space above your herbs (that’s filled with alcohol) and that your herbs stay submerged.
- Screw on the lid. If using a jar with a metal lid, you’ll need to keep it from rusting by placing a piece of parchment or plastic wrap over the mouth of the jar, prior to screwing on the lid. Place your jar in a cool, dry, dark cabinet.
- Let the mixture steep for 8 weeks, shaking every other day. If the herbs are no longer totally submerged, top it off with additional alcohol.
- At the end of 8 weeks, strain out the herbs and pour the tincture into a dropper bottle. To extract more of the tincture, wrap the herbs in cheesecloth and squeeze the remaining liquid from the herbs.
Video
Notes
Label each bottle and store in a cabinet until ready to use.
To take, either place a few drops directly under your tongue or squeeze a dropperful into a glass of water up to 3 times a day. The actual amount you want to take will depend on the strength of your tincture, the herbs used, and your body chemistry. I usually start with half a dropperful.
Cleansing Tincture
- 2 parts nettle leaf
- 1 part dandelion leaf
- 1 part lemon balm leaf
PMS Tincture
- 3 parts raspberry leaf
- 1 part nettle leaf
- 2 parts peppermint leaf
- 1 part ginger root
Sleep Tincture
- 1 part chamomile flowers
- 1 part lavender flowers
Stress Tincture
- 2 parts dandelion root
- 2 parts ginseng
- 1 part astragalus root
- ½ part cardamom seeds
Mood Boost Tincture
- 2 parts lemon balm leaf
- 1 part passionflower
- 1 part ginger root
Breathe Well Tincture
- 1 part ginger root
- 1 part marshmallow root
- 1 part licorice root