Making Herbal Tinctures GE2013

Old Ways Herbal: Making Herbal Tinctures, an Introduction !
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Traditional Remedies for Our Communitys Future
Making Herbal Tinctures: an Introduction

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Definitions
Tincture: herbs extracted in alcohol, vinegar, glycerine Marc: solid matter in a preparation; the plants Menstruum: liquid in a preparation; the alcohol etc. Solubility: whether or not something dissolves in a particular liquid Folkloric Tincture: tincture made without measuring ingredients Weight-to-Volume Tincture: tincture made by carefully measuring ingredients
o Grain alcohol (95%, counts as 100% in math) o Vodka (20-40%) o Brandy (20-40%)
Common Menstruums
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Moonshine (unknown) Gin (20-40%) Glycerine Vinegar
Folkloric Tinctures
Easiest way to make tinctures Only appropriate for herbs that are safe regardless of the dose or concentration Never make folkloric tinctures with herbs that are dose-dependent or potentially dangerous! Examples include poke, lobelia, pennyroyal, cayenne, the cohoshes, etc. No way of knowing what the dose or the strength is without trying it
Recipe: 1. Fill a glass jar with finely chopped herbs & cover with the alcohol of your choice 2. Label with plant, date, moon, harvest location, etc. Cover label with packing tape! 3. Let sit for 6 weeks or more in a cool, dark place, shaking regularly 4. Strain plant matter out of tincture and squeeze strained herbs between 2 plates or in a potato ricer to extract the last of the tincture 5. Store in a clearly labeled glass jar or bottle in a cool, dark place
Old Ways Herbal: Making Herbal Tinctures, an Introduction ! o o o o More complicated than folkloric method, but much more exact & replicable Appropriate for all herbs that youd want to tincture Strength & dose are predictable Based on a ratio between herbs, alcohol, and water
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Weight-to-Volume Tinctures
Understanding Tincture Ratios o Tincture ratios take both experience and intuition to understandhave patience! o There are 2 aspects to the ratio: o Balance between the weight of herbs & the volume of menstruum ! 1:2 means 1 oz of herb, by weight, for 2 oz of menstruum, by volume ! Affected by the herbs water content and the part used o Balance between water & alcohol in the menstruum ! 90% means the menstruum is 90% alcohol, 10% water ! Affected by the herbs solubility and water content o Fresh herbs: higher alcohol concentration and a closer ratio, like 1:2 75% o Dry herbs: lower alcohol concentration and a farther ratio, like 1:6 40% o 95% grain alcohol counts as 100% for the math o Never go below 1:6 40%, because mold & weak medicine can result o Tincture ratios are loose, so estimate and adjust as necessary. Choose alcohol concentrations you can figure out in your head. When in doubt, look it up! Recipe: 1. Decide what ratio you will use, between 1:2 and 1:6 2. Decide what concentration of alcohol you will use, between 40% and 95% 3. Finely chop herbs and weigh them on your kitchen scale using the ounce marks This number is the 1st number in the ratio (the 1) 4. Multiply the weight of the herbs by the ratio. This is the total volume of menstruum. Ex: If the ratio is 1:4 and we have 3 oz of herbs, 3 x 4 = 12 oz menstruum 5. Multiply the volume of menstruum by the concentration of alcohol. This number is the volume of alcohol if youre using grain alcohol. If the alcohol is not grain alcohol, you are probably using it at its bottled strength so you dont need to add water. Ex: 12 oz menstruum x 50% = 6 oz alcohol 6. Subtract the volume of alcohol from the total volume of menstruum. This is how much water you need. 12 oz menstruum 6 oz alcohol = 6 oz water 7. Put it all together: 3 oz by weight of herbs, 6 oz grain alcohol and 6 oz water 8. Measure the alcohol and water in a measuring cup, using the ounce marks 9. Combine the ingredients in a glass jar. If the herbs dont fit, mash them down. 10. If they still dont fit, add 1 more dose of menstruum. Our tincture is 1:4, so we can make it 1:5 by adding 1.5 oz alcohol and 1.5 oz water (3 oz herb to 15 oz menstruum) 11. Clearly label and cover label with packing tape 12. Let sit for 6 weeks or more in a cool, dark place, shaking regularly 13. Strain plant matter out and squeeze strained herbs between 2 plates or in a potato ricer to extract the last of the tincture 14. Store in a clearly labeled glass jar or bottle in a cool, dark place

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Old Ways Herbal: Making Herbal Tinctures, an Introduction !

Traditional Remedies for Our Communitys Future

Making Herbal Tinctures: an Introduction

Moonshine (unknown) Gin (20-40%) Glycerine Vinegar

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