Homemade Medicines: On Making Tinctures

We head into flu season with a mighty arsenal of natural medicines: elderberry tincture, echinacea tincture, rose hip tincture, and a special honey-based cough syrup. 

Rather than spend big bucks on tiny bottles, we make our own - here is how!

As part of our "real foods" oriented diet, we also consume pastured butter, raw cheeses (when possible), lots of seasonal fresh vegetables and fruits, fermented foods, and fermented cod liver oil.

 - To make tinctures I use: clean pint mason jars with tightly fitting lids, vodka (80 proof ethyl alcohol needed) and clean plant material. IF you do not have access to fresh elderberries, the dried ones work beautifully - I get mine from Mountain Rose Herbs.  

 - 3 fluids (menstruums - ie the solvents) are generally used to make tinctures: 80-100 proof alcohol, vinegar, and glycerin. Each mentruum has its "best used for" purposes - and a good herbal primer will advise what is best for *your* desired plant and purpose. Glycerin comes in really handy for making tinctures or other preparations that will be ingested by children or others who should not have alcohol. I have used Everclear (grain alcohol - 190 proof) but one must add filtered water to have the correct alcohol to water ratio.

 - Fill the jars about 1/4 to 1/3 with your plant material (best to crush or mash the material first), and then add the vodka. Then I cover tightly and shake the living daylights out of it (for real - this is called "maceration" and with fresh material it is crucial to ensure no rotting!)

- Put the jars in a cool, dark place for 2 weeks. Each day, take them out and shake them. After 2 weeks, most preparations are ready. You can strain the tincture into a new container and dispose of the plant material.   

- Many recommend using amber or other dark glass to store tinctures. I always use regular mason jars/jelly jars and have never had a problem. Label your jars, and store in a dark, cool place. I usually store small jars for daily use in the fridge and larger jars in a cupboard.

IMPORTANT: Tinctures are medicines, they are meant to be taken in specific amounts and for specific reasons. DO NOT just drink them as beverages. DO NOT use any tincture without fully understanding its effect and any undesirable side-effects.