How to Make Tinctures
How
to make tinctures
 It
is
relatively easy to make your herbal tinctures from herbs such as
echinacea.
We will give you the step-by-step method of making an
echinacea tincture to treat the common
cold and the flu.
What is a
tincture?
A tincture is
a
solution made of alcohol and water that contains herbal
extracts of one or more plant parts such as the roots, stem, leaves or
flower. It is more potent than using the herb itself.
What supplies
do you need?
-
500 mL (1 pint) of vodka, gin, brandy or rum.
-
120 g (4 oz) of powdered or fresh and finely
cut dried herbs.
-
Distilled
water (reverse-osmosis processed water is an excellent choice as well)
to make a 1:1 ratio of water to alcohol mixture.
-
Wide mouth air-tight container that holds
about 500 mL. (The wide mouth allows you to easily put in the dried
plant.)
-
Glass container that holds 500 mL (1
pint) for the final filtered tincture for storage.
-
Cheesecloth (for filtering) and a funnel to
help with transferring the tincture to the final glass storage bottle.
- Optional digital scale for measuring the herb
accurately and graduated containers for accurately measuring liquids.
The steps on
how to make tinctures
- Prepare 500 mL of the alcohol solution. The
ratio of water to alcohol should be around 1:1 (50% alcohol and 50%
water).
For
example, if you are using 50% vodka (50% alcohol and 50% water),
you do not need to add any water. Use the vodka as is.
If
you are using a 95% rum (95% alcohol and 5% water), then use 250 mL of
rum and 250 mL of purified water. This will give you 50% alcohol
solution for making a 1:1 tincture..
-
Place the 120 g of the echinacea powder in 500
mL
of the alcohol solution, making sure the cut herbs (if that's what is
used) is fully covered by the alcohol solution.
-
Store the sealed container in a dark place.
Shake the container several times a day for 2
weeks.
-
Strain
the final solution (now called a tincture) using the cheesecloth and
transfer the filtered solution into an air-tight dark glass bottle.
What is the
dose?
 Typically
the
dose used is 4 or 5 mL (1 teaspoon) three times daily.
How long can
it be kept?
When
a tincture is properly prepared and stored air-tight in a dark place,
it is stable and can keep its potency for over 2 years.
Can I put in
more than one herb?
Yes indeed.
You can combine and experiment with multiple herbs to make a customized
tincture.
Related
topics that may be of
interest to you
Echinacea to treat the
common cold, flu and yeast infections.
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How to Make Tinctures
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