Red Hawk Ridge

Tinctures are highly concentrated extracts and are one of, if not the best way to preserve your herbs, in my opinion. They can last for years without diminishing in strength when made in alcohol. There are ways to make tinctures with vegetable glycerin or apple cider vinegar if you are avoiding alcohol or giving to children, but they do not last as long and are not as strong. I will briefly describe that at the end of this post.

Alcohol-based tinctures are one of the strongest herbal remedies you can make and are taken in drops rather than drunk in cups, making them super easy to take. Tinctures can be pretty strong tasting, depending on what herbs and alcohol you use, so you may prefer to dilute some way before taking them. You can add your drops to tea or water and drink that way, or take it straight from the dropper. You will want a bottle with a dropper for your tincture, regardless. It makes life so much easier.

First off, 100 Proof vodka is your best friend. You can also use 80-100 Proof gin, brandy, rum, etc., but Vodka has the lightest flavor, making a more palatable tincture. Many people say to use something like Ever-clear, which is around 200 Proof, but it is unnecessary and doesn’t make the best tinctures.

Why, you ask? Because when you use straight alcohol, you don’t get the water-soluble parts of the plant in your tincture. 100 Proof Vodka gets ALL the good stuff out of your herbs, making the strongest and most beneficial tincture.

200 Proof alcohol is 100% alcohol, while 100 Proof alcohol is 50% alcohol, meaning the latter has water that brings out the water-soluble plant goodness, making it a more potent remedy.

If all you have is 200 Proof alcohol, you can add water to it. Use distilled water, though.

MAKING A TINCTURE:

***You can use dried herbs, but the best for tinctures is full, fresh plants. If all plant parts can be used medicinally, use the entire plant in your tincture.
Some herbalists believe fresh plants have a certain energy and vitality that dried plants do not. That is up to you to decide.
You do not necessarily have to wash your plants, but knock off any dirt and inspect for bugs before making your tincture.

-Chop your herbs. They do not have to be super small or blended. A run-through with a pair of clean scissors is sufficient. Fill a clean glass jar with your herbs, 1/2-3/4 full.
-Fill the jar with vodka or your alcohol of choice. Herbs should be completely covered. Some will tend to float, so check back in a day or two after they have settled to see if you need to add more alcohol.
-Put on your lid. Alcohol evaporates, so you want an actual jar cap or similar, not a rag or other porous material (which is good for making infused oils).
-Place the jar in a warm spot, but not in direct sunlight, and let the herbs soak for 4-8 weeks. Shake daily.
-When ready, strain liquid through cheesecloth or a clean rag. A strainer works well with large plant pieces, but small debris can slip through. Squeeze herbs to get all of your liquid out of the plant material. Compost spent herbs.
-Pour into a clean glass jar with an air-tight lid. Pour a small amount into a bottle with a dropper lid. Label, label, label. ALWAYS LABEL EVERYTHING! I don’t care how. Just do it!
NOTE: Over time, tinctures can evaporate out of the dropper cap, so it is best to store large quantities in a jar with a regular lid and fill up a smaller dropper bottle as needed.
-Store in a cool, dark spot.

Alcohol-based tinctures will keep for many years. Glycerin-based tinctures will only last 2-3 years, and Vinegar based tinctures will last about a year.

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TEASPOON MEASURE	DROPPER MEASURE	Milliliter Measure
1/4 Teaspoon	1 dropperful (35 drops)	1 ml
1/2 Teaspoon	2 1/2 dropperfuls (88 drops)	2.5 ml
1 Teaspoon	5 dropperfuls (175 drops)	5 ml

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Many blessings,
Emma Lee Joy