How to Make a Tincture (+Alcohol-Free Option!)

Wondering how to make a tincture? Tinctures are a simple way to enjoy the power of herbal medicine. They’re easy to make, powerful, and convenient.

As a homesteading, work-from-home, do all-the-things mama, I need this kind of remedy!

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Through my homesteading journey, I’ve fallen in love with herbal tinctures.

They’ve helped me and my family rely less on conventional medicine and more on homemade, natural remedies (like homemade elderberry syrup)—which is one of the main reasons I began homesteading.

What is a Tincture?

Simply put—a tincture is an herbal extract. Tinctures preserve a plant’s medicinal properties in a liquid form that you can then take by mouth or use topically on the skin.

They are made by placing fresh or dried flowers, leaves, roots, bark, or berries in a solvent for several weeks.

The solvent draws out the plant’s compounds – leaving you with a convenient way to take and store your herbal remedies.

Why Make a Tincture?

Tinctures aren’t meant to replace herbal tea infusions. There is a time and a place for both.

Teas are milder and can be enjoyed daily. Herbal teas can help during illness but aren’t very potent.

Tinctures are more potent and are best for supporting the body during illness or minor injury. I reach for tinctures when I feel a cold coming on or when one of my children has a scrape that needs help healing.

Benefits of Herbal Tinctures

• Tinctures can be potent. According to herbalist Laurel Vukovic, taking 30 drops of a tincture would be similar in therapeutic value to drinking one cup of tea. This is because alcohol (which is used as the solvent) draws out more of the medicinal properties than water.
• Tinctures are convenient. Tinctures allow you to benefit from medicinal herbs without having to drink a cup of tea every hour—which is often the suggestion when using tea to fend off a cold. Also, taking a tincture allows you to reap the benefits of those herbs that don’t taste the best in tea.
• Tinctures are easy to make at home. Making your own tinctures is a great way to increase your self-sufficiency while saving money.
• Tinctures have a long shelf-life. You can make and keep a variety of tinctures in your natural medicine cabinet to cover a wide range of conditions for several years.

Tinctures vs. Glycerites: What’s the Difference?

These are very similar in many ways but different in a few key areas.

Alcohol Based Tinctures

Traditionally, tinctures were made with an alcohol base. Most often, herbalists will suggest using vodka because it is colorless, flavorless, odorless and inexpensive.

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An alcohol base makes a good preservative and extracts most of the plant’s medicinal benefits—making a strong home remedy.

But, using alcohol does have its downfalls. Alcohol does not draw out mucilage-the soothing, gel-like substance that comes from plants like mullein or marshmallow. And, it doesn’t contain any nutritional value that benefits the body.

Additionally, some people are sensitive to alcohol, making tinctures not as helpful as they could be.

Glycerin Based Tinctures

Another option is glycerin. Herbal extracts using glycerin are called glycerites.

Alcohol (even in small amounts) is not the best choice for some people. Over the years, herbalists have found glycerin—the byproduct of breaking down fats and oils—to be a good substitute for making tinctures.

Glycerin is a sweet, clear liquid that extracts and preserves herbal properties. Children (and many adults) often enjoy the sweet flavor of herbal home remedies made with glycerin.

Unlike alcohol, glycerin is heat-stable and may have an anti-oxidizing effect on the body.

However, glycerin is generally thought to be weaker as a solvent and has a shorter shelf life than alcohol lasting only 2-3 years.

How to Prepare a Tincture

There are many methods for making tinctures. Like many herbal practices, it is often considered an art passed down from generation to generation.

Alcohol Based Herbal Tincture Recipe

The basic recipe I’m sharing with you today is one I learned in my friend Heidi’s Confident Herbalist Course. She uses the folk method which is the easiest method (in my opinion) and is best for home herbalists.

What You Will Need

• Herbs of your choice
• 80-100 proof vodka

(Proof is the alcohol content in a bottle of alcohol. Half of the proof is the percentage of alcohol. So, an 80-proof spirit contains 40% alcohol.)

• A clean, pint-sized mason jar with a lid
• A clean jar or dropper bottles to store your tinctures

Making Your Tincture

1. Chop the herbs into small bits. Fill your mason jar ⅓ – ½ of the way with your finely chopped herbs.
2. Pour the alcohol over the herbs covering them by 2-3 inches. Seal the jar tightly. Should the herbs begin to float to the top of the alcohol, let the jar sit for a day or two before adding any extra alcohol to completely cover them.
3. Place the jar in a warm, sunny spot. Let sit in the sun for 4 to 6 weeks and shake daily. Shaking the tincture allows the solvent to mix properly. If you forget or skip a day here and there, it isn’t a big deal.
4. After 4 to 6 weeks, pour the liquid through a mesh strainer into a clean jar with a tight-fitting lid. Label and date the jar.

Glycerin Based Tincture Recipe (Glycerite)

Follow this glycerin-based tincture recipe to create a strong herbal extract without the alcohol. This recipe is similar to making an alcohol-based tincture with a few added steps.

What You Will Need

• Herbs of your choice
• Food-grade vegetable glycerin

• Boiling Water
• A clean, pint-sized mason jar
• A clean jar or dropper bottles to store your glycerite

Making Your Glycerite

1. Chop the herbs into small bits. Fill the mason jar up to a little under half full of herbs. It’s best not to pack down the herbs. Allow them to sit naturally in the jar.
2. Pour water over herbs just to moisten them.
3. Fill the jar the rest of the way with glycerin.
4. Place the lid on the jar and leave for 3 to 4 weeks in a warm spot. Shake the mixture as often as you remember.
5. After 3 to 4 weeks, pour the glycerite through a strainer and store the liquid in a jar or bottle in a dark, cool place.

How to Use a Tincture or Glycerite

I wasn’t kidding when I said tinctures are simple to make! And since they last so long, you can make it once and have it for years.

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The standard dosage recommendation found in most herb books will tell you 30 drops three times a day. That is what I go by for myself and my husband. For children, I cut the amount to one-third or one-fourth of the adult dose three times a day.

As I mentioned, I use tinctures for ‘acute’ health conditions. A few examples include:

• scrapes or small cuts
• colds
• during flu season to boost the immune system
• help with sleep

Herbalists will suggest dropping the tincture under the tongue and holding it there for half a minute before swallowing. This gets the tincture directly into the bloodstream.

You can also swallow the drops from a spoonful or place them in tea, juice, or a glass of water. It’s up to you to figure out what you like best!

What Herbs Should I Use?

Choosing herbs for your tinctures should address your family’s needs. Determine which herbal tinctures are most beneficial for you and your family by thinking about the ailments that frequently cause problems in your household.

Create a list of health and wellness concerns you have and then do some research to find what herbs help the most with those ailments.

My two favorite tinctures to make so far are chamomile tincture and elderberry tincture.

I recommend these resources for herbal research:

• Rosemary Gladstar’s Medicinal Herbs: A Beginner’s Guide – A great book when you’re just starting out.
• My friend Heidi’s Confident Herbalist course and membership site. I’m loving going through this easy to digest herbal information. Heidi is an amazing teacher and presents content with excitement, but she also keeps it down to earth and easy to understand.

You might also find some inspiration for herbal tinctures in my 12 Best Healing Herbs for the Homestead.

Always Learning for a Happy, Healthy Family

If one of your goals for homesteading is to improve your family’s health with natural, homemade remedies, I highly recommend making and using tinctures. They are so easy to make and helpful to have on hand for a variety of everyday ailments.

You will feel a sense of pride when you reach for that homemade herbal tincture. Not to mention, you’ll likely come across some new plants you’ve never heard of as you discover new recipes to make.

There is always more to learn when it comes to herbs and homesteading. That may be my favorite part of living a homesteading life!

Now it’s Your Turn

What herbal tinctures would benefit you and your family the most?

Source: https://gardencourte.com
Categories: Recipe