Best Way to Prepare Herbal Tinctures

Tinctures are solutions of herbal components in alcohol and can be made from tough or tender herbs, they are handy because they are concentrated, so only small amounts are needed. The alcohol readily dissolves the volatile oils from the herb, and since no heat is used to make the extract, less of the volatile components are lost. Tinctures are also useful if you want to store quantities of a herb for some time: the alcohol is a preservative, so once made tinctures can be kept in a dark sealed bottle for up to two years. Another advantage is that tinctures provide an easy method of carrying and preparing herbs when you travel. They can be used as alternatives to infusions when making washes and compresses. You should be aware that commercial tinctures are usually stronger than homemade tinctures, because manufacturers can press out the plant juices more efficiently. The doses suggested here arc for homemade tinctures; if you purchase commercially made tinctures, be sure to follow the doses that are recommended on the product label.

Tinctures are simply made by letting the herb soak in alcohol for a period of time to extract the active ingredient. To make a standard tincture, cover 280 g (10 ounces) of fresh herbs or 140 g (5 ounces) of dried herbs with 1 litre of 35-40 per cent alcohol (70-80 proof). Vodka is ideal because of all the spirits it has the least flavour; however, if you want to mask the taste of bitter herbs, use rum or brandy. Store the mixture in a sealed container for two weeks, then strain through a muslin bag and squeeze out the liquid. Discard the herb and pour the tincture into a sterilized dark glass bottle for storage in a cool dark place. The tincture will keep for up to two years, dosage Take 1 teaspoon two to three times a day, preferably diluted in a glass of water or fruit juice. Tinctures contain only a relatively small amount of alcohol, but if you prefer not to ingest even that, most of the alcohol can be evaporated: Simply add 50 ml (10 teaspoons) of water just off the boil to a 5 ml (1 teaspoon) dose of tincture and allow the liquid to cool before drinking it.