How to make an herbal tincture

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Many herbs contain active ingredients which are not easily extracted by water, or are destroyed by heat, and a tincture solves these problems.

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Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

a large jar
alcohol (see tips)
water
cheesecloth
bowl
dark bottle for storing the tincture
herbs

Step1

Put the herbs into a large jar and pour in a mixture of 25% alcohol and 75% water.

Step2

Seal the jar and store it in a cool place for two weeks. Shake the jar occasionally during this period.

Step3

Place a piece of cheesecloth over a bowl, jar, or jug. Pour the herbal mixture through the cloth into the bowl. When your finished pouring the mixture out of the jar, wrap the herbs in the cheesecloth and give them a few last squeezes to get all the liquid out.

Step4

Pour the strained liquid into your tincture bottle and store it in a cool dry place.

Tips & Warnings

The alcohol used commercially is ethyl alcohol, but a spirit such as brandy or vodka can be used for home tinctures.
Do not use industrial alcohol, isopropyl, or methylated spirits, as they are all poisonous.
Because a tincture is a concentrated extract, only use them as recommended and only for short periods of time.
Do not give tinctures to children unless advised by a professional.

Comments

zentek said

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on 11/23/2007 To be really helpful, this article should mention the proportion of herb to be used in making the tincture, or offer suggestions on how to determine that proportion. Though the information presented here is accurate, one is unable to make a successful tincture based on these instructions.

kohuether said

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on 5/29/2007 As an extra step I poke the mixture with a chopstick to release the air bubbles before sealing it. This will prevent it from spoiling. Great instructions, though - they are easy to follow and to the point.

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