by Daina Scarola
Have you ever browsed through the supplement aisle of your local pharmacy and felt overwhelmed by all the exotic names on little glass bottles- Motherwort, Black Cohosh, Saw Palmetto…? Understanding herbs and their indications can be a little like learning a new language, elusive at first. But it doesn’t have to be. Since the beginning of life on Earth, plants have provided for all living things in great abundance. Our ancestors shared vital knowledge we depend on today to identify and use herbs for health and healing. We will show you how you can apply this knowledge to reap the benefits of the many medicinal herbs growing wild in your own back yard. With a few easy steps, you will learn how to prepare herbal tinctures inexpensively at home, and have fun discovering this new craft!
While many herbs are frowned upon as mere ‘weeds’, it is said that a cure for what ails you is often found growing nearby. Take the common Dandelion, for example. The entire plant is an excellent liver and kidney tonic, while also providing many essential nutrients. Considering the average North American diet, most of us could potentially benefit from this plant! Tinctures can be used topically or administered orally, and some herbs can be applied both ways, such as Echinacea. This plant’s flowers and roots have antibacterial properties. Taken internally, an Echinacea tincture would be beneficial for helping your immune system fight a cold, or it could be applied to a skin wound as a disinfectant to help it heal. Make sure you do your research before harvesting herbs; many have toxic look-alikes. Herb identification books are a great resource, the internet is a library at your fingertips, or you can seek out your local herbalist for advice. With practice identifying wild herbs in their natural environment, you will eventually come to know these lovely plants like old friends.
There are two basic tincturing methods we will discuss; one requires measurements, the other doesn’t. The traditional method, or Folk Method, is the easiest to prepare and is good for general personal use. Equipment is minimal and the resultant potency is variable. The bottles of tinctures you find on your local pharmacy shelves are manufactured using the Weight to Volume Method. This enables the potency to be measured and controlled, and is important when you prepare a tincture that will be used by others.
One manufacturer that began using the Folk Method in its infancy and switched to the Weight to Volume Method for preparing herbal tinctures for market is Naturally Nova Scotia Health Products Ltd. This unique company started out in one entrepreneurial woman’s kitchen and grew into a 400-acre farmstead. It is now a successful leading producer and processor of certified organic nutritional supplements, employing over 40 staff on the scenic eastern shore of Nova Scotia.
The founder and president of Naturally Nova Scotia, Nancy Smithers, began her love affair with herbs in 1993. Nancy began researching local wild plants under the apprenticeship of an herbalist friend. She foraged through the lands of Nova Scotia looking for medicinal herbs in marshes and woods, sometimes wondering if she had lost her mind. While she had deep family roots in nature, Nancy’s main inspiration came from her sister, a physiotherapist interested in natural healing remedies for use in her practice. Considering the centuries of traditional herbal knowledge passed down from early medicine man to modern practitioner, high quality organic remedies were difficult to source.
Nancy started out harvesting fresh herbs and packed them in amber glass bottles using the Folk Method, filling them to the rim with ethyl alcohol. “I had to put a secure lock on my wine cellar at home in order to legally be able to use ethanol. The liquor commission had to come and approve the cellar and the lock!” she laughs. Today the company continues to use ethyl alcohol as the main preservative, or menstruum, for their tinctures, as well as glycerin. However, more readily available alternatives for the home herbalist are vodka, gin, rum, wine, and vinegar. Choose healthy-looking herbs as these make the best quality tinctures. If you are unable to harvest herbs fresh, visit your local health food store. Many will offer the option to purchase small quantities of bulk dried herbs for adventurous medicine-makers like yourself!
Before you begin, collect all your tools and ingredients. You will need a strainer or colander, cheesecloth, and coffee filters. Containers to bottle your tincture should be made of enamel, glass, or clay- not metal. If using glass bottles, make sure they are dark-coloured to protect your tincture from sunlight. Bottles with a wide mouth are good for the tincturing process, while narrow-mouthed bottles are good for final storage and dispensing. Your local packaging supply company should have these in stock. If not, do a search on-line. Bottles and caps or droppers (pipettes) should be sterilized by washing in very hot water or steaming. Utensils should include either a mortar and pestle or a food processor. Nancy tried to chop yellow dock, a large dense tuberous root, with a kitchen knife which kept breaking, and left her hands so sore that she could not move them easily for days. Make sure you have the right tools! And prepare yourself for a bit of a mess. Nancy remembers “The kitchen looked like a disaster area with dirt and herb dropping everywhere.” A machete and a large chopping block outdoors would also work just fine, and is a great way to release stress.
In the following weeks, we will go over recipes for each method. The formula ratio of solid material (weight) to liquid menstruum (volume) can vary depending on which state the herb is in- powdered, whole dried, or fresh. It can also vary if you are using a strong medicinal herb (toxic) or a mild medicinal herb (non-toxic). Whole dried herb should be pulverized with a mortar and pestle to a moderately coarse powder. Fresh herbs are more efficiently extracted when macerated. You can use a mortar and pestle for fine leaves or flowers, a sharp machete for large roots, or a food processor for all. Make sure you work quickly and don’t let the fresh macerated herb sit too long; the medicinal constituents will oxidize quickly, resulting in a lower potency tincture.
In our next post, we will share with you the first method in our short series- tincturing using the Folk Method.
While many herbs are frowned upon as mere ‘weeds’, it is said that a cure for what ails you is often found growing nearby. Take the common Dandelion, for example. The entire plant is an excellent liver and kidney tonic, while also providing many essential nutrients. Considering the average North American diet, most of us could potentially benefit from this plant! Tinctures can be used topically or administered orally, and some herbs can be applied both ways, such as Echinacea. This plant’s flowers and roots have antibacterial properties. Taken internally, an Echinacea tincture would be beneficial for helping your immune system fight a cold, or it could be applied to a skin wound as a disinfectant to help it heal. Make sure you do your research before harvesting herbs; many have toxic look-alikes. Herb identification books are a great resource, the internet is a library at your fingertips, or you can seek out your local herbalist for advice. With practice identifying wild herbs in their natural environment, you will eventually come to know these lovely plants like old friends.
There are two basic tincturing methods we will discuss; one requires measurements, the other doesn’t. The traditional method, or Folk Method, is the easiest to prepare and is good for general personal use. Equipment is minimal and the resultant potency is variable. The bottles of tinctures you find on your local pharmacy shelves are manufactured using the Weight to Volume Method. This enables the potency to be measured and controlled, and is important when you prepare a tincture that will be used by others.
One manufacturer that began using the Folk Method in its infancy and switched to the Weight to Volume Method for preparing herbal tinctures for market is Naturally Nova Scotia Health Products Ltd. This unique company started out in one entrepreneurial woman’s kitchen and grew into a 400-acre farmstead. It is now a successful leading producer and processor of certified organic nutritional supplements, employing over 40 staff on the scenic eastern shore of Nova Scotia.
The founder and president of Naturally Nova Scotia, Nancy Smithers, began her love affair with herbs in 1993. Nancy began researching local wild plants under the apprenticeship of an herbalist friend. She foraged through the lands of Nova Scotia looking for medicinal herbs in marshes and woods, sometimes wondering if she had lost her mind. While she had deep family roots in nature, Nancy’s main inspiration came from her sister, a physiotherapist interested in natural healing remedies for use in her practice. Considering the centuries of traditional herbal knowledge passed down from early medicine man to modern practitioner, high quality organic remedies were difficult to source.
Nancy started out harvesting fresh herbs and packed them in amber glass bottles using the Folk Method, filling them to the rim with ethyl alcohol. “I had to put a secure lock on my wine cellar at home in order to legally be able to use ethanol. The liquor commission had to come and approve the cellar and the lock!” she laughs. Today the company continues to use ethyl alcohol as the main preservative, or menstruum, for their tinctures, as well as glycerin. However, more readily available alternatives for the home herbalist are vodka, gin, rum, wine, and vinegar. Choose healthy-looking herbs as these make the best quality tinctures. If you are unable to harvest herbs fresh, visit your local health food store. Many will offer the option to purchase small quantities of bulk dried herbs for adventurous medicine-makers like yourself!
Before you begin, collect all your tools and ingredients. You will need a strainer or colander, cheesecloth, and coffee filters. Containers to bottle your tincture should be made of enamel, glass, or clay- not metal. If using glass bottles, make sure they are dark-coloured to protect your tincture from sunlight. Bottles with a wide mouth are good for the tincturing process, while narrow-mouthed bottles are good for final storage and dispensing. Your local packaging supply company should have these in stock. If not, do a search on-line. Bottles and caps or droppers (pipettes) should be sterilized by washing in very hot water or steaming. Utensils should include either a mortar and pestle or a food processor. Nancy tried to chop yellow dock, a large dense tuberous root, with a kitchen knife which kept breaking, and left her hands so sore that she could not move them easily for days. Make sure you have the right tools! And prepare yourself for a bit of a mess. Nancy remembers “The kitchen looked like a disaster area with dirt and herb dropping everywhere.” A machete and a large chopping block outdoors would also work just fine, and is a great way to release stress.
In the following weeks, we will go over recipes for each method. The formula ratio of solid material (weight) to liquid menstruum (volume) can vary depending on which state the herb is in- powdered, whole dried, or fresh. It can also vary if you are using a strong medicinal herb (toxic) or a mild medicinal herb (non-toxic). Whole dried herb should be pulverized with a mortar and pestle to a moderately coarse powder. Fresh herbs are more efficiently extracted when macerated. You can use a mortar and pestle for fine leaves or flowers, a sharp machete for large roots, or a food processor for all. Make sure you work quickly and don’t let the fresh macerated herb sit too long; the medicinal constituents will oxidize quickly, resulting in a lower potency tincture.
In our next post, we will share with you the first method in our short series- tincturing using the Folk Method.
Cautionary note:
The information offered in this article is not intended as a substitute for medical advice. Please do not attempt self-medication without consulting your naturopath or medical doctor. Be cautious; homemade tinctures can vary in strength.
About the author:
Daina is the Product Manager for Naturally Nova Scotia. She joined the ‘family’ in 1998 with a background in horticulture and strong interest in traditional herbal medicine. Throughout the years she has worked the fields- planting and harvesting, production, research and development, and now enjoys directing packaging design, writing and editing, and contributing to various media resources.
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