So, what is a tincture?
Tinctures are liquid extracts made from either dried or fresh plant material that are macerated in alcohol, glycerin, wine, and even vinegar (though anything other alcohol is technically considered an extract). They are taken orally by the drop or dropperful depending on the herb used and they can be made using dried or fresh flowers, leaves, roots, barks, resins, and berries.
It is widely believed that alcohol creates a better solvent than water in the extraction process. However, both alcohol and water extract different qualities and constituents from plants, which is why many herbalists will use a high proof vodka for tincturing as it contains both. Official tinctures are made with a minimum of 45% alcohol with an herb ratio of 1:4. Tinctures made usingglycerinas a solvent are called glycerites and are usually milder in potency. They are popular for children’s remedies due to their sweet flavor and gentler properties.
Types of Tincturing
There are two fundamental processes for tincturing herbs: maceration and percolation. Maceration requires no additional fancy equipment or complex procedures, whereas percolation certainly does. Since hardly anyone uses the percolation method for at home tincture making, there will just be focused on the maceration method for this post.
How to Make Herbal Tinctures Using Maceration
There are two ways to make tinctures via maceration; one that requires measurement and one that doesn’t. The latter method is also known as the “folk method” and it’s simple yet very effective.Of course, not measuring ingredients can lead one to wonder about the resulting strength of a homemade tincture via the folk method, which is why professionally made tinctures need to be made via the measurement method, or the “weight to volume” method. For the measurement method, the relationship of plant material liquid (aka the menstruum) is known as the weight (of the herbs) to the volume (the solvent) ratio or strength of the tincture. Professional tincture makers will typically use a strength of 1:5 or 1:10 for dry preparations and 1:2 for fresh plant preparations.
In either case whether you use the folk or measurement method and as long as you use high quality plant material, both will produce high quality results.
How to Make Herbal Tinctures Using The Folk Method
The Folk Method Using Dry Plant Material
Here’s a basic guide on how to make tinctures using dry plant material:
1.Make sure there’s no other unwanted debris in the dried herbs you wish to tincture.
2.Bruise or grind the herbs in a mortar and pestle to help maximize the extraction process.
3.Add the herbs to a jar that has a good seal and be sure to label it with the herb and alcohol used.
4.Next, add the solvent of choice until the herbs are covered with ¼ inch of liquid. If the herbs float, add enough solvent until there is a ¼ inch below the herbs.
5.Wipe the rim of the jar thoroughly and cap the jar tightly closed.
6.Check the herbs 12 hours later. If the herbs have absorbed the solvent or there is less than a ¼ inch above or below them, add more solvent until there is.
7.Place the jar in a place that is out of direct sunlight and give it a good shake once or twice a day for 14 days.
8.You can either decant (pour off) the tincture now or allow it to sit for another 2-4 weeks.
9.To decant, place a strainer of some kind over a large glass bowl and pour the entire contents of the jar into it.
10.Try to extract as much liquid from the herbs as possible.
11.Allow the strained liquid to settle before pouring the tincture into a new jar or intotincture bottles. Feel free to further strain the tincture through a coffee strainer if desired.
12.Be sure to label everything with the name of the plant used, the solvent, the date, and dosage.
There’s one other way to make tinctures with dried herbs which is the way I do it:
1.Fill whatever size jar you want to use ½ – ¾ full of dried leaves or flowers and fill the rest of the jar with your solvent.
2.If you’re using roots or bark then fill the jar 1/3- ½ way full with herbs and then fill the rest of the jar with solvent.
3.Follow the remaining steps above.
Super easy!
The Folk Method Using Fresh Plant Material
Here’s a basic guide for making tinctures using fresh plant material:
1.Begin by making sure your fresh herbs are clean and bug free before using.
2.Next, chop up the herbs into small pieces to maximize extraction and make decanting easier. If you’re using an alcohol that is less than 190-proof, please take a look at step 5 before proceeding.
3.Label a jar with the plant and alcohol to be used and then start stuffing it full of plant material.
4.Stuff as much as you can into the jar.
5.Now fill the jar with 190-proof ethyl alcohol to the top making sure everything is completely covered (you don’t want any mold to grow!). If you’re using alcohol that is less than 190-proof then you need to blend the herbs with the alcohol you plan to use in ahigh-speed blenderfor the best extraction. Try not to use anything less than 30-proof as anything below that will not preserve well. Why do you need a higher proof alcohol for fresh plant material you may ask? It’s because fresh plants contain more water content which will dilute the solvent so you need to balance that out with more alcohol.
6.Wipe the rim as best you can and cap the jar tightly closed.
7.Shake daily to agitate the mixture and top it off with more alcohol if needed to keep everything submerged.
8.Decant the tincture and squeeze out as much liquid as possible from the plant material through a strainer into a large glass bowl.
9.Allow the tincture to settle before bottling to avoid sediment getting into the finished product.
10.Filter more if desired using coffee filters.
11.Make sure everything is labeled with the plant use, the solvent, the date, and dosage.
