Making Herbal Tinctures

Assemble the Tools and Ingredients

• Fresh herbs: Growing your own herbs from seed or
  plants is easy. Read the article on seed germination to
  grow your own herbs.


• Vodka or other grain alcohol: 80 to 100 proof
  works best. The alcohol works as a preservative. When
  making herbal tinctures, it’s important to use only
  grain alcohol such as vodka.


• Glass jar with tight fitting lid: An old jelly
  jar, baby food jars, or spaghetti sauce jars work fine.
  Make sure that the jar is sparkling clean. Use only glass
  jars. Metal or plastic may interfere with the properties
  of the herbs or leach chemicals
  into the tincture, creating a foul or ‘off’
  taste.


• Kitchen strainer, cheese cloth, or baking parchment
  paper to strain the tincture.


• Bottle with dropper tip: While a bottle with an
  eyedropper-type tip is optional, most herbal tinctures
  are taken as drops added to water. Storing the tincture
  in a bottle with dropper makes it much easier to measure
  the dosage precisely. You can use any clean bottle with a
  tight-fitting cap or lid if you don’t want to
  purchase special bottles to store the tincture.


• Stickers and a pen to label your jars.

Create the Tincture

Making herbal tinctures requires only about an hour of
preparation, but approximately three to six weeks for the herbs
to infuse into the alcohol base.

Wash all kitchen equipment, utensils, glass jars, cutting
boards and tools in hot, soapy water. Always wash your hands
thoroughly before and after working with herbs to ensure that no
bacteria from your hands contaminate the final tincture. While
the alcohol will most likely kill the bacteria, why take chances?
Prevention is the key to making long-lasting, pure tinctures.

Step by Step Guide to Making Herbal Tinctures

• Step One: Organize Your Tools
  
  
  • Clean and dry the equipment.
  
  
  • Lay out your tools (strainer, jars, markers,
    etc.) in the kitchen.
  
  
  
  


• Step Two: Prepare the Herbs
  
  
  • Clean fresh herbs
    thoroughly.
  
  
  • Discard bruised, stained, or discolored leaves
    and stems.
  
  
  • Use only the freshest herbs for the best results.
    
  
  
  • Cut or chop the herbs in a food processor,
    blender, or with a sharp knife.
  
  
  
  


• Step Three: Make the Tincture
  
  
  • Place the chopped herbs into your glass jar.
  
  
  • Use only one type of herb in each jar.
  
  
  • Cover the chopped herbs with the alcohol. Be sure
    to cover the herbs COMPLETELY with the alcohol.
    Any herbs exposed to air and not covered with
    alcohol can become moldy or rot, making the
    tincture unusable.
  
  
  • Label the jar with the name of the herb and the
    date prepared
  
  
  
  


• Step Four: Age the Tincture
  
  
  • Place the jars in a cool, dark area to age.
  
  
  • Wait three to six weeks.
  
  
  
  


• Step 5: Decant the Tincture
  
  
  • Strain the tincture through the kitchen strainer,
    cheesecloth or parchment.
  
  
  • Discard the leaves and stems.
  
  
  • Pour liquid into bottles.
  
  
  • Label and date the bottles.
  
  
  • Enjoy your tincture!