Making Herbal Tinctures

What Is an Herbal Tincture?

Throughout history, people have used herbs for their medicinal benefits. An herb, by definition, is simply a plant that is known for it's aroma, flavor, or medicinal benefits. Did you know that the active ingredients in many pharmaceutical drugs come from plants?

Herbs can be used for treating various ailments. There are many ways to use herbs, cooking, personal care and cosmetics, teas, infusions and tinctures. Herbal tinctures are the most concentrated plant extracts and are the most like medicine of all the at home herbal preparations. Herbal tincturing is at home medicine making.

How Do You Make an Herbal Tincture?

A brief description of herbal tincture making is to chop the plant material to expose plant to a menstruum. Mentstruum is simply a liquid used to extract the medicinal components of the plant. Cover the plant in the menstruum and allow it to sit for 2 weeks. The mixture should be in glass a glass jar and shaken daily. At the end of 2 weeks the herb is strained from the menstruum and discarded. The menstruum has absorbed the medicinal components of the plant and has become an herbal tincture. Herbal tincture should be stored in dark glass bottles with a dropper.

What is Menstruum?

Menstruum is general vodka, when making a true herbal tincture. Vinegar can be used, it is safer than alcohol, but is less effective at leaching out the medicinal components of the plant. When tincturing dried herbs, water is mixed with the vodka or alcohol. The ratio of vodka or vinegar to water depends on the plant material being used. For that reason, I always recommend consulting a recipe specifically for the herb being tinctured.

General Recipe and Ratios for Making Vodka Herbal Tinctures

General Recipe and Ratios for Making Vinegar Herbal Tinctures