How to Make an Herbal Glycerite Boil

Fresh herbs are commonly used in alternative medicine.

Herbal glycerite boils use hot liquid to extract essential oils from herbs. Unlike solvent extractions, which use high-proof ethyl alcohol to separate herbal constituents from an herbal base, boiled extractions rely on the heat of the steeping liquid to mobilize an herb's essential oils and displace them. Herbal glycerite boils are often used in homeopathic applications to make them palatable. Adding a few drops of an essential oil, such as lemon or orange oil, contributes aromatic elements and background flavors to the glycerite boil, and its use is a matter of personal taste. Citrus oils, however, complement a wide array of herbs.

Things You'll Need

• 1 cup water
• 1/4 cup of fresh herbs, bruised and blemished leaves removed
• Pint-sized canning jar
• Conical sieve or mesh strainer
• Cheesecloth
• Glass or plastic food-storage container
• 1-1/2 cups glycerin
• Saucepan
• 5 or 6 drops of essential oil, such as lemon or orange oil
• Rubber spatula

Instructions

1. Bring 1 cup of water to a boil. Place 1/4 cup of fresh herbs in a pint-sized canning jar and pour the boiling water over them.

2. Cover the jar and steep the herbs for one hour. Line a conical sieve or mesh strainer with two layers of cheesecloth and place it over a glass or plastic food-storage container.

3. Pour 1 1/2 cups of glycerin in a saucepan and set the heat to low. Add 1/2 cup of the steeping liquid and five to six drops of complementary essential herb oil to the saucepan and stir with a rubber spatula to incorporate.

4. Reduce the glycerite boil until it has the consistency of clover honey and pour it into a food-storage container. Mark the contents and store in the refrigerator up to one year.

References

• The Practical Herbalist: Making an Herbal Glycerite: A General Procedure; Candace Hunter and Sue Sierralupe