(Use the information in this blog post at your own risk. Nothing presented in any form is to be construed as medical, nutritional, legal, or financial advice, or any other form of advice requiring a licensed professional. The opinions expressed here are intended for informational and entertainment purposes only.)
A favorite and highly-effective choice, herbal tinctures seem complicated. But they’re really quite simple, made by soaking herbs in a solvent (e.g., alcohol, glycerin, or vinegar) for several weeks. While the strained liquid is usually called a tincture, a tincture made with vinegar is called an acetum. Here’s how to make herbal tinctures from scratch, in your own kitchen!
How to Make Herbal Tinctures (& Aceta)
While many recipes use precise measurements, Cat Ellis uses the Simpler’s Method for making tinctures, which relies on ratios instead of precise measurements. It’s so easy and stress-free!
- Fill 2/3 of your jar with herbs, then fill remaining space with alcohol (e.g. vodka), glycerin, or vinegar.
- Allow herbs to macerate (i.e. soften/soak) for a minimum of 2 weeks (ideally for 6 weeks) in a cool, dark place
- Strain your tincture by squeezing it through cheesecloth using your hands or a potato ricer
A Note on Alcohol: Use 80 to 100-proof vodka for almost all dried herbs. For resinous herbs, you might want to use grain alcohol (e.g. Everclear) instead.
Photo Credit: Sterling College at Flickr
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Your instincts are right. There ARE more natural ways to handle serious infections, cuts, wounds, animal bites, breaks, sprains, and more!
Want to Learn More from Herbalist Cat Ellis?
Cat presented a training session in our Summit Online Course about how to make your own herbal medicines, including different preparation methods and overviews of her favorite 20 herbs. This course provides 30+ training sessions from experts like Cat Ellis, Wardee Harmon, Rick Austin, Wranglerstar, Sharon Peterson, Noah Sanders, Michael Bunker, Scott Hunt, and many more. It's a 45+ hours of content and includes $130+ in bonuses, too!
Read the Entire Herbal Medicine Chest blog series:
Introduction
Herbal Preparations
Herbs
- Herbs for the Circulatory System
- Herbs for the Respiratory System
- Herbs for Injuries and Pain
- Infection-fighting Herbs