How to Make a Tincture With Powdered Herbs
Herbal tinctures, those powerful concoctions made from healing plants and either alcohol or vinegar, once reigned as the mainstay of the family medicine cabinet. But even in modern times, herbal tinctures can have a place in your first aid kit and your beauty regimen. Depending on the herbs used, tinctures can treat wounds, soothe stomachs, ease coughs and brighten the complexion. Tinctures are quite powerful, and therefore herbalists usually recommend that they be diluted with water before ingesting; dilute at a ratio of 5 to 15 drops per glass of water.
Things You'll Need
- Dried herbs
- 80- to 100-proof vodka or brandy
- Mortar and pestle, coffee bean grinder or heavy can
- Food scale
- 6-ounce glass jar and cap
- Strainer
- Cheesecloth
- Second glass jar or bottle with lid or cork
Instructions
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Dry your own garden herbs by hanging the plants in bunches in a cool, dark place for several weeks.
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Alternatively, purchase dried herbs or organic herbal tea from your grocer, health food store or online.
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Purchase 80- to 100-proof vodka or brandy. Herbalists refer to the liquid used in tincture-making as "menstrum."
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Crush the herbs with a mortar and pestle or the bottom of a heavy can. They also can be ground in a clean coffee bean grinder. The final consistency doesn't have to be a literal fine powder, but the herbs should be crushed or ground fairly substantially.
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Weigh the ground or powdered herbs. You will need 1 ounce for this method.
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Place herbs in a 6-ounce glass jar.
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Cover the dried herbs with 4 ounces of brandy or vodka.
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Cap the jar with a tight-fitting lid and shake vigorously until the herbs become fully blended with the menstrum.
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Make sure the herbs are fully saturated; some high-absorption plants might require additional menstrum.
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Label the jar, noting the date made and the contents.
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Store the jar in a cool, dark place. Make sure, however, that the storage space is accessible for daily checking.
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Shake the jar every day for at least three weeks.
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Place cheesecloth into a fine metal strainer.
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Pour the tincture contents through the strainer into a clean jar.
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Squeeze the cheesecloth to collect as much of the tincture as possible.
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Store in a tightly lidded jar or cap with cork, and take as needed.
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Tips & Warnings
Literally hundreds of herbs, each with its own unique properties, can be made into tinctures. Many are medicinal, but some are used for everything from mouthwash to wart removers. For a comprehensive list, try an online datatbase like A Modern Herbal (see Resources).
For resinous types of herbs, such as myrrh, use 190 proof ethyl alcohol rather than the usual menstrum. For fans of homemade vanilla extract, this tip is an important one to note.
Alcohol will effectively extract the herbs' special properties even if you forget to shake the jar. Just remember that the longer the herbs steep---especially if you can't agitate the contents regularly---the better.
To make a vinegar tincture, substitute the same amount raw apple cider vinegar for alcohol and use for facial astringents, bath splashes, hair rinses and calcium-rich edible drizzles for salads and stir-fries.
Never use rubbing alcohol in place of ethyl alcohol, brandy or vodka.
Folk remedies sometimes call for wine in herbal tinctures, but if you use it, remember that it won't last as long or extract the herbal properties as effectively as brandy or vodka.
When making a vinegar-based tincture, use a jar with a non-metal cap to avoid rust.
