There are different ways to make your own tincture. They are very similar and very simple. That’s is why I have been making my own for my whole family’s supplement needs. They only supplement I am purchasing at the moment is our cod liver oil. I wrote a post on how to make elderberry tincture. I use the same procedure for all my tinctures.
These formulas I have adopted from reading about different herbs, from friends and Mountain Rose Herbs. I am not an Herbalist, nor am I promoting my method over others or these formulas.
Multi-Vitamin and Multi-Mineral Tincture
Makes 2 Quarts (This lasted me about 8-9 months for my whole family)
2 Cups Red Raspberry Leaves
1 Cup Rosehips
3/4 Cup Dandelion Leaves
1 Cup Chamomile Flowers
2 Cups Oat Straw
2 Cups nettle
2 Tblspn Burdock Root
1/2 Cup Catnip
1/2 Cup Alfalfa
Note: I mixed all the herbs thoroughly. But I only make half of them into tincture and store the other half to make it later. I might make it all if I had two crock pots, more jars and room to store. I mixed these herbs in February. By May, we were through and I made the rest until end of September.
Calcium Formula
Measure by weight
6 oz horsetail grass
4 oz comfrey root
3 oz oat straw
1 – 1/2 oz Lobelia
Note: This is formula is great for teeth health.
Double Immune Formula
1 cup of each:
Nettle
Peppermint leaf
echinacea root and tops
whole elderberries
ginger root
rosehips
Vitamin Formula
Just another variation in case I am out on the other one or just want to try and taste a different one.
Makes 1 quart
1 T Alfalfa
6 T Dandelion
3 T Catnip
3 T Nettle
1/2 T Spearmint
2 Cups Glycerine
2 Cups Water
Erin from Mountain Rose Herbs did such a wonderful job at explaining other methods of making tinctures and the explanation of it’s uses:
Navigating the world of herbal medicine can inspire a hungry fascination. Finding wellness through herbs often leads to an experience that’s transformative and empowering. This experience can also bewilder our curious minds! We are lucky to have an incredible wealth of information about plant medicine at our fingertips today, but the beautiful complexity that comes with herbal healing makes learning the nuances a lifelong task.
A sip of herbal tea or a dropperful of tincture can easily unlock the door to herbalism. Most of us begin our studies making these simple and effective preparations. However, basic concepts sometimes become muddied when juggling Latin binomial nomenclature, formulation considerations, physiological effects, historical research, and other pursuits within the art. The most common mix-ups arise from misused terminology. One term that tends to be applied to a variety of preparations is tincture. What is a tincture and is there any difference between a tincture and an extract?
Tinctures are concentrated herbal extracts that have alcohol as the solvent. If you are using water, vinegar, glycerin, or any menstruum (solvent) other than alcohol, your preparation is an extract – not a tincture. Although, there are exceptions to every rule and sometimes an acetum is defined as “a vinegar tincture” in the tomes.
I learned to make tinctures deep in the coniferous woods along green river banks that glitter throughout the Oregon Cascades. Unless you have some sort of handy-dandy collapsible scale contraption that fits in your processing kit, using the folk method is the way to go when making medicine in the forest! Simple, practical, and efficient, this method allows you to estimate your herb measurements by eye. Here are a few important tincturing tips I learned during those years, while apprenticing with the Columbines School of Botanical Studies…
Fresh Herb
• Finely chop or grind clean herb to release juice and expose surface area.
• Fill jar 2/3 to 3/4 with herb. ~ OR ~ Fill jar 1/4 to ½ with roots.
• Pour alcohol over the herbs. Cover completely!
• Jar should appear full of herb, but herb should move freely when shaken.
Dried Herb
• Use finely cut herbal material.
• Fill jar 1/2 to 3/4 with herb ~ OR ~ Fill jar 1/4 to 1/3 with roots.
• Pour alcohol over the herbs. Cover completely!
• Roots will expand by ½ their size when reconstituted!
40% – 50% (80-90 proof vodka)
• “Standard” percentage range for tinctures.
• Good for most dried herbs and fresh herbs that are not juicy.
• Good for extraction of water soluble properties.
67.5% - 70% (½ 80 proof vodka + ½ 190 proof grain alcohol)
• Extracts most volatile aromatic properties.
• Good for fresh high-moisture herbs like lemon balm, berries, and aromatic roots.
• The higher alcohol percentage will draw out more of the plant juices.
85% – 95% (190 proof grain alcohol)
• Good for gums and resins.
• Extracts aromatics and essential oils that are bound in the plant and do not dissipate easily.
• The alcohol strength can produce a tincture that is not quite pleasant to take.
• Often used for drop dosage medicines.
• Will totally dehydrate herbs.
Store jar in a cool, dry, dark cabinet. Shake several times a week and check your alcohol levels. If the alcohol has evaporated a bit and the herb is not totally submerged, be sure to top off the jar with more alcohol. Herbs exposed to air can introduce mold and bacteria into your tincture. Allow the mixture to extract for 6-8 weeks.
Now it’s time to squeeze. Drape a damp cheesecloth over a funnel. Pour contents of tincture into an amber glass bottle. Allow to drip, then squeeze and twist until you can twist no more! Optional: Blend herbs into a mush and strain remaining liquid.
The last step is perhaps the most important of all! Once you’ve strained and bottled your tincture, be sure to label each bottle with as much detail as possible. You will be so happy to have this information to play with next time you tincture the same herb. Don’t plan to lean on your sense of taste or smell alone – regardless of how well honed your organpleptic skills may be. Skipping this step will surely lead to a dusty collection of unused mystery extracts.
That’s it!
Keep in a cool, dark place and your extracts will last for many years. Making your own tinctures is simple and rewarding. The process allows you to form an intimate relationship with both the herbs you study and the medicines they offer.
If you are interested in learning more, here are a few great books to have in your herbal library:
The Herbal Medicine-Maker’s Handbook by James Green
Herbal Medicine from the Heart of the Earth by Sharol Tilgner ND
Making Plant Medicine by Richo Cech
- See more at: http://mountainroseblog.com/guide-tinctures-extracts/#sthash.zXsVJW1M.dpuf
