Herbal tinctures last a very long time and are an easy and effective way to incorporate healing herbal compounds into your diet. When looking for herbal tinctures in stores and online you’ll find that a small 1-ounce bottle will cost around $10.00 per bottle. But it isn’t necessary to pay these high prices as they are surprisingly easy to make on your own and only require a few simple ingredients.
What is an Herbal Tincture?
According to Dictionary.com:
“tincture. [tingk-cher]. Noun
verb (used with object), tinc·tured, tinc·tur·ing.
For our purpose here……
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For an alcohol-based tincture you will need:
- Herb of your choice, either the dried leaf, cut stems or bark. Buy quality organic herbs HERE
- Very hot water
- 80 Proof Vodka (the higher the alcohol content the more effective it will be in extracting the plants’ medicinal qualities)
- 16 ounce sterilized mason jar
- Cheesecloth
- Dark Dropper Bottles for storing your tincture
- Labels for your Bottles
Instructions for making your tincture
Add your herbal material to fill your mason jar about half full. Pour very hot water over the herbal material about 1/4 full. Agitate your herbs in hot water to begin releasing the plants’ constituents. Add vodka to completely cover your herbs to about 2 inches from the top of the mason jar. Shake well. Set your jar aside, preferably where you won’t forget about it. Shake jar well daily for 4 to 6 weeks.
Keep your tincture in a cool dark place where you won’t forget about it. If you do miss a day here and there don’t fret, your tincture is still making magic.
After the 4-6 weeks strain your tincture to remove plant material. Use 2 layers of cheesecloth. I’ve also used a nut milk bag to strain my tinctures but cheesecloth works just fine.
Transfer your tincture to your dropper bottles and label them. Don’t forget to label your tinctures. It can be frustrating to not know what is in the bottle. I’ve been guilty of thinking that I would remember what tincture I had made only to hold up the bottle at a later date with complete confusion as to what was in it.
Storing Your Herbal Tinctures
Store your herbal tinctures in a cool, dark place. They will last approximately 1-2 years when stored properly.
Dosage
Adult dosage is approximately 30-60 drops up to 3 times per day.
For those of you who would prefer an alcohol free tincture head over to How to Make a Glycerite – Alcohol Free Herbal Tincture
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.
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