Tinctures and Extracts

[blissfulheart]

The last few day's I've had the chance to play with some lovely combination of herbs to make my own tinctures and extracts. It's something I've wanted to do for awhile that finally manifested. Most of the herbs I cheated and bought bulk but I must admit I harvested the blackberry root and leaves myself. *note to self processing blackberry root...or any root takes someone that has time and really enjoys this type of thing...I broke a knife and a cutting board in the process...lol. I figured I'd share some of the combination of herbs I used in case anyone else wanted to use them and others can share some of their combination's as well.


A simple tincture you take 1 oz of herb combination to 5 oz of 100% proof alcohol. Mix together shake twice a day for 2-3 weeks. For an extract which is merely stronger you use 3oz of herbs to the same amount of alcohol.


Mouth Rinse *This strengthens the teeth and gums which blackberry root is excellent for.

Blackberry Root
Blackberry leaves
Peppermint
Jasmine
Sarsaparilla
Spearmint
Elder Flower


Sinus Tincture

Blackberry Root
Blackberry Leaves
Yarrow
Peppermint
Nettle
Mullein
Lavender
Sarsaparilla
Spearmint
Burdock Root
Pau D'Arco
Elder Flower


Diarrhea Tincture

White Willow
Blackberry Root
Lavender
Peppermint

Headache Relief

White Willow
Lavender
Valerian Root
Sarsaparilla

Liver Cleanse

Dandelion Root
Sarsaparilla
Burdock Root
Milk Thistle


Digestion Tincture

Dimeina
Lavender
Calendula
Peppermint


Anxiety Tincture

Sarsaparilla
Chamomile
Mullein
Damiena
Lavender
Valerian Root



*There's a great herbal smoke blend we've been sharing here...not as strong as tobacco and tastes much much better...your choice if you add ganja or not.

Damiena
Mullein
Lavender
Chamomile
Peppermint
Spearmint
Wormwood

[rabana]

i've always specialized in making tinctures. i have dozens on hand.

[evergreen]

Interesting stuff, thanks.

[blissfulheart]

They are fun to make...I also harvested some lemon balm, rose hips and lavender today. Right now I am working on making a connection w/ someone local that can take me on a nature walk and show me all the local herbs in the area. I've noticed that every eco-system has it's own specific herbs that can be used for that location. It's a beautiful thing to learn and utilize local plants...something that feels right for me to do currently.

[rabana]

ta-da! an herbalist is born! congratulations

i used to lead herb walks. have done a lot of them.

[blissfulheart]

Yeah I had been wanting to find where I thrive...plants seem to like me. I planted a bunch of seeds since the last time I planted here not all the seeds took root. So I decided to plant quite a bit...we now have 89 Bok Choi sprouts that are thriving and healthy...I separated them all out last night sat in the green house w/ some music and really enjoyed myself. We're setting up some things and there's talk about a hothouse where we can grow citrus fruit, avocados and possibly cacao....who knows what shall manifest but I know I would love to have a decent sized herb garden. Right now there are two large fields...an unused animal pasture and another spot that could grow large amounts of food. I can see the possibilities especially once we get off the current grid. Once Bag one gets situated here which will be at the beginning of Nov our dreams shall manifest. I guess I am overjoyed to be able to be a part of all of this. I mean sure it's "small" scale but it's a step in the right direction. Just as finding peace is always what's within the person...you do the inner work and the outer manifests. Start small but dream big. Imagine.

[rabana]

the art and creativity in working with plants is endless...

[bt1x]

Thanks for that info

[rabana]

there is a bronchitis flu going around here that lasts for days or weeks. i've dispensed 8 bottles of cough remedy which is basically 1/2 tinctures, with water and glycerine. i can see i have to think about making more tinctures.

one man who lives in the mountains had been coughing for a month and hadn't been able to sleep in that time. a friend was hauling her cough remedy around with her in her purse when she visited the man's home. she said he looked awful, swollen around his nose and sinuses and just wrung out. she left him the bottle and he started swigging it every time he coughed. that night he slept for the first time in a month.

i saw him today, 2 days later and he looked fit and well, tho he still has some cold and cough. was able to come into town for the first time in weeks.

i'm giving these people homoeopathic remedies as well.

[rabana]

bump for today. maybe someone new is interested in herbs....


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[Abigail]

\O/ I missed this thread, I have been making herbal oils here and there, but as I just started to grow my own herbs last year it was still kind-of just a bit here and there.

I plan to start making tinctures this year, and planting some herbs that could be useful for herbal remedies.
Definitely planting Echinacea this year, and licorice.
Found out pretty much all herbs I planted last year survived the frost and my rookie gardening skills :P
So I will also be using chamomile, lavender, Jasmin, sage, blackberry, mint and lemon balm.

I am really hoping to get my hands on a hardy eucalyptus too and see if I can fumble around with that.
You can make pretty awesome earth friendly cleaners with eucalyptus oil, next to rubs when you have a cold, and steambaths to clear sinuses.

Had heaps of calendula last year, I did make a calendula oil, with a bit of olive oil and coconut oil,
bf has heaps of rashes, and used a variety of chemicals for it,
now if rash pops up again he just yells 'can I have some of that stuff you brewed' lol
Saved a lot of seed so definitely growing calendula again, just going to try and make tinctures this year.

[rabana]

sounds great abigail.

echinacea won't grow here but there is a desert tree called torote, copal or elephant tree that helps the immune system, also good on the respiratory system. i've used up all my tincture in the cough remedy but look forward to cutting more and making tincture. what i have of twigs and leaves i brew into my tea these days.

[Magnus]

I used to spend more time doing this and it is so relaxing and therapeutic. You must feel great! I miss that. Lately I've been using lemongrass essential oils around the house.

Thanks for the inspiration~

[Abigail]

sounds great abigail.

echinacea won't grow here but there is a desert tree called torote, copal or elephant tree that helps the immune system, also good on the respiratory system. i've used up all my tincture in the cough remedy but look forward to cutting more and making tincture. what i have of twigs and leaves i brew into my tea these days.

Yea I am still pretty much fumbling my way to grow certain things, and getting to know plants,
I am not even near close enough to find a substitute if a plant wont grow here lol. But one step at a time

Copal, isn't resin from that used as incense as well? I think I have some in my drawer full of smelly stuff.

It is awesome you make all those remedies, one day, I hope to get there lol.
Especially if you can use it to help others in need.

I will be having problems storing it though, I revamped an old cupboard to use as storage for oils, crystals and incense,
as well as the herbs I have laying around and pretty much anything witchy ,spiritual or 'odd'
After storing my tarot decks, incenses, and all the books I have gathered on herbs and properties,
it is packed! lol
I dont even have my collection of crystals in there yet, and there will be no room for vials with tinctures now.
Guess I already need an expansion, LOL

Anyhow, about tinctures, I thought most needed 50/50 water/alcohol?
I seem to remember one of my books says to weight fresh herb and then dry it and weigh again to see how much% is water,
and then do the math to make it 50/50.

[blissfulheart]

The one thing I had found...whereas tinctures are awesome...I had much better luck using them as teas and skipping mixing them with alcohol, that way just the properties of the herbs are mixed with water and drank. Maybe it say's something about the purity of the vibrations and what we put into our bodies.....who knows.

[rabana]

Yea I am still pretty much fumbling my way to grow certain things, and getting to know plants,
I am not even near close enough to find a substitute if a plant wont grow here lol. But one step at a time

Copal, isn't resin from that used as incense as well? I think I have some in my drawer full of smelly stuff.

It is awesome you make all those remedies, one day, I hope to get there lol.
Especially if you can use it to help others in need.

I will be having problems storing it though, I revamped an old cupboard to use as storage for oils, crystals and incense,
as well as the herbs I have laying around and pretty much anything witchy ,spiritual or 'odd'
After storing my tarot decks, incenses, and all the books I have gathered on herbs and properties,
it is packed! lol
I dont even have my collection of crystals in there yet, and there will be no room for vials with tinctures now.
Guess I already need an expansion, LOL

Anyhow, about tinctures, I thought most needed 50/50 water/alcohol?
I seem to remember one of my books says to weight fresh herb and then dry it and weigh again to see how much% is water,
and then do the math to make it 50/50.

indeed this is the tree whose resin is called copal incense. the whole tree, the tee and the tincture are wonderfully aromatic. i like to make chai-type teas (cinnamon, ginger, etc.) and the chopped copal twigs go nicely with that.

(sigh) storage and organization is tough for me, even after all these years. well at best i'm just not all that tidy and organized about anything. i have hundreds of bottles-- the herbs, the tinctures, homeopathy, empties clean and empties in need of cleaning. usually i know where things are tho and they are always scrupulously clean inside, even if they need a bit of dusting (its way dusty here in this part of the world).

i cover the herbs+1/4" in alcohol. around here i use 35% sugar cane alc., colorless and odorless like vodka. it works. they always work.

oh-- if you are wondering about the water in the cough remedy-- i combined different tinctures and then watered it down to dilute the 70 proof alcohol for people, added vegetable glycerine as a preservative (tastes good too).

The one thing I had found...whereas tinctures are awesome...I had much better luck using them as teas and skipping mixing them with alcohol, that way just the properties of the herbs are mixed with water and drank. Maybe it say's something about the purity of the vibrations and what we put into our bodies.....who knows.

in the beginning, i learned herbs by simpling, one herb at a time as tea.

if people don't have time or situation to make tea, if the herbs aren't available in the area, or not in season, etc., tinctures are useful. they are far more convenient to be used over the long term. also tinctures have a shelf life much longer than dried herbs. and alcohol will extract a different combination of elements than water will.

brewing herbs into wine, vinegar, etc. is an ancient practice. these are 2 different things and both are valid areas of herbalism.

[blissfulheart]

Interesting...cause I know when I used the Vodka they tasted so icky....I am wondering how the wine would taste...especially is you used a sweet white or red wine....it's odd since wine, vinegar and vodka are all along the same lines only different points in their process......From what I read tinctures have a life expectancy of a year. I must admit I had so much fun making them. It was odd because I taught my friend Derek with the herbs and now he's going back to school for it. I am so happy for him because it's what he loves to do....as well as incense, lotions and other things as well.

[rabana]

well you don't use tinctures for their taste, tho i've made some really delicious ones. you only use a little at a time. nothing to stop you from sweetening if you must. glycerine is very sweet.

the life expectancy of tinctures is more like 5 years if they are kept dark and cool.

[Colonel Custardo]

Useful stuff

[rabana]

good article from mountain rose herbs newsletter http://mountainroseblog.com/guide-tinctures-extracts/


Guide to Making Tinctures


Navigating the world of herbal medicine can inspire a hungry fascination. Finding wellness through herbs often leads to an experience that’s transformative and empowering. This experience can also bewilder our curious minds! We are lucky to have an incredible wealth of information about plant medicine at our fingertips today, but the beautiful complexity that comes with herbal healing makes learning the nuances a lifelong task.

A sip of herbal tea or a dropperful of tincture can easily unlock the door to herbalism. Most of us begin our studies making these simple and effective preparations. However, basic concepts sometimes become muddied when juggling Latin binomial nomenclature, formulation considerations, physiological effects, historical research, and other pursuits within the art. The most common mix-ups arise from misused terminology. One term that tends to be applied to a variety of preparations is tincture. What is a tincture and is there any difference between a tincture and an extract?

All tinctures are extracts, but not all extracts are tinctures!

Tinctures are concentrated herbal extracts that have alcohol as the solvent. If you are using water, vinegar, glycerin, or any menstruum (solvent) other than alcohol, your preparation is an extract – not a tincture. Although, there are exceptions to every rule and sometimes an acetum is defined as “a vinegar tincture” in the tomes.


The Folk Method

I learned to make tinctures deep in the coniferous woods along green river banks that glitter throughout the Oregon Cascades. Unless you have some sort of handy-dandy collapsible scale contraption that fits in your processing kit, using the folk method is the way to go when making medicine in the forest! Simple, practical, and efficient, this method allows you to estimate your herb measurements by eye. Here are a few important tincturing tips I learned during those years, while apprenticing with the Columbines School of Botanical Studies…

Fresh Herb
• Finely chop or grind clean herb to release juice and expose surface area.
• Fill jar 2/3 to 3/4 with herb. ~ OR ~ Fill jar 1/4 to ½ with roots.
• Pour alcohol over the herbs. Cover completely!
• Jar should appear full of herb, but herb should move freely when shaken.

Dried Herb
• Use finely cut herbal material.
• Fill jar 1/2 to 3/4 with herb ~ OR ~ Fill jar 1/4 to 1/3 with roots.
• Pour alcohol over the herbs. Cover completely!
• Roots will expand by ½ their size when reconstituted!


Alcohol Percentages

40% – 50% (80-90 proof vodka)
• “Standard” percentage range for tinctures.
• Good for most dried herbs and fresh herbs that are not juicy.
• Good for extraction of water soluble properties.

67.5% - 70% (½ 80 proof vodka + ½ 190 proof grain alcohol)
• Extracts most volatile aromatic properties.
• Good for fresh high-moisture herbs like lemon balm, berries, and aromatic roots.
• The higher alcohol percentage will draw out more of the plant juices.

85% – 95% (190 proof grain alcohol)
• Good for gums and resins.
• Extracts aromatics and essential oils that are bound in the plant and do not dissipate easily.
• The alcohol strength can produce a tincture that is not quite pleasant to take.
• Often used for drop dosage medicines.
• Will totally dehydrate herbs.


Extraction Time and Bottling

Store jar in a cool, dry, dark cabinet. Shake several times a week and check your alcohol levels. If the alcohol has evaporated a bit and the herb is not totally submerged, be sure to top off the jar with more alcohol. Herbs exposed to air can introduce mold and bacteria into your tincture. Allow the mixture to extract for 6-8 weeks.

Now it’s time to squeeze. Drape a damp cheesecloth over a funnel. Pour contents of tincture into an amber glass bottle. Allow to drip, then squeeze and twist until you can twist no more! Optional: Blend herbs into a mush and strain remaining liquid.

The last step is perhaps the most important of all! Once you’ve strained and bottled your tincture, be sure to label each bottle with as much detail as possible. You will be so happy to have this information to play with next time you tincture the same herb. Don’t plan to lean on your sense of taste or smell alone – regardless of how well honed your organoleptic skills may be. Skipping this step will surely lead to a dusty collection of unused mystery extracts.


That’s it!

Keep in a cool, dark place and your extracts will last for many years. Making your own tinctures is simple and rewarding. The process allows you to form an intimate relationship with both the herbs you study and the medicines they offer.

If you are interested in learning more, here are a few great books to have in your herbal library:

The Herbal Medicine-Maker’s Handbook by James Green

Herbal Medicine from the Heart of the Earth by Sharol Tilgner ND

Making Plant Medicine by Richo Cech

~ Erin