Glycerites are tinctures that are free of alcohol making them a good choice if you are sensitive to alcohol or simply prefer not to have any alcohol in your diet. A traditional glycerite is a fluid extract of herbs or medicinal substances’ where vegetable glycerine is used for the fluid extraction method.
Using and preserving herbs for healing and comfort is a time-honored tradition among herbalists. Harnessing the medicinal healing properties of herbs is very simple. Indeed, making a glycerite extraction requires minimal ingredients and very little time.
We are focusing on herbal extractions using dried plant material for their plant medicine. Therefore these directions are geared toward internal use but your glycerite can certainly be used externally as well. Because of this, you’ll want to use food grade vegetable glycerine for internal use.
Glycerites can be used externally and are naturally softening to your skin. Simply rub it into your skin to get the benefit. Additionally, glycerites can also be added to soaps, salves, balms and homemade soaps to enhance their soothing benefits.
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How to Make a Glycerite
You will need:
- Dried Chopped Plant Material
- Clean glass mason jar
- Food Grade Vegetable Glycerine
- Distilled Water
- Cheesecloth
- Dropper Bottles
- Labels for Your Bottles
Directions
- Fill your clean glass jar half full with clean, chopped dried, chopped plant material. When you’re using dried herbs the herbs will absorb the liquid and expand so make sure you only fill your jar half full.
- Dilute your vegetable glycerine with distilled water in a 3:1 ratio. 3 parts glycerine to 1 part distilled water. Pour the mixture over your herbal material and fill to 1 inch below the top of the jar.
- Use a fork, spoon or knife to push the plant material below the liquid. You want to make sure you release any air bubbles that may be trapped inside the liquid.
- Seal the jar and label it. Shake it well to agitate the herbs to begin the release of the plant constituents. Set your jar in a dark location at room temperature. It’s best to put it where you’ll notice it. Let it sit for 4-6 weeks, shaking the jar daily to agitate the mixture. This is why you want it to be in a noticeable spot. If you miss a day or two here and there don’t fret. There’s still magic happening. If you notice that the plant material is not completely covered with liquid then just top it off with your glycerine mixture as necessary.
- After 4-6 weeks decant the glycerine into another jar by pouring it through a strainer lined with two layers of cheesecloth. You can squeeze the excess glycerite out of the cheesecloth. Just make sure your hands are clean to protect the integrity of your glycerite.
- Label your jar or you can funnel the glycerite into dropper bottles and label them.
Storing Your Glycerite
Store your glycerite in a cool dark place and it will last approximately 1-2 years.
Dosage
Adult dosage is approximately 30-60 drops up to 3 times a day.
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Reference for this tutorial is theherbalacademy.com
If you are interested in learning more about how you can use herbs to support your health in a gentle way you may want to take a peek at The Herbal Academy. They offer Introductory and Advanced studies.
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For educational purposes only. This information has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.