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Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Monday, April 6, 2009
Herbal Tinctures Made Easy: Part 2 of 3
Tincturing using the Folk Method
by Daina Scarola
Folk Method
As mentioned in Herbal Tinctures Made Easy: Part 1, this is the easiest method of tincturing for the novice home herbalist. It is fast, fun, and doesn’t require complicated dilutions and measurements. If you live in Canada, some wild herbs growing in your area might include Red Clover, Dandelion, Horsetail, Nettles, Coltsfoot, and Plantain.
Take time to fully enjoy the process of getting to know the herbs in your area.
Delight your senses! As children we savored the sweet taste of Red Clover, plucking and nibbling each flower petal one at a time. Some plant parts will taste mild and green, while others will taste unpalatably bitter. Licorice root smells pleasantly as it should, while Valerian root thickens the air with a pungent perfume and could make you sleepy if inhaled too deeply.
· Harvest the herb fresh in season;
· wash them thoroughly to remove any lingering critters and debris;
· macerate the herb to break the cells, enabling the constituents to be released;
· stuff a container full of the macerated herb;
· fill the bottle to the rim with vodka (or other undiluted menstruum), covering the herb completely;
· cap the bottle tightly (seal must be air-tight);
· check the bottle after 12 hours and top up if herb has absorbed some of the menstruum;
· shake the tincture daily for 14 days, then allow it to sit one more day;
· strain (with a strainer or colander) the tincture, pouring the liquid off into another bottle;
· press (with a cheesecloth) the liquid out of the remaining pulp into the bottle;
· filter (with a coffee filter) the tincture if any sediment is undesirable;
· cap bottle tightly and label.
In our next post, we will share with you the last method in our short series- tincturing using the Weight to Volume 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.
Echinacea photograph taken by Dr. Charles Hu.
by Daina Scarola
Folk MethodAs mentioned in Herbal Tinctures Made Easy: Part 1, this is the easiest method of tincturing for the novice home herbalist. It is fast, fun, and doesn’t require complicated dilutions and measurements. If you live in Canada, some wild herbs growing in your area might include Red Clover, Dandelion, Horsetail, Nettles, Coltsfoot, and Plantain.
Take time to fully enjoy the process of getting to know the herbs in your area.
Delight your senses! As children we savored the sweet taste of Red Clover, plucking and nibbling each flower petal one at a time. Some plant parts will taste mild and green, while others will taste unpalatably bitter. Licorice root smells pleasantly as it should, while Valerian root thickens the air with a pungent perfume and could make you sleepy if inhaled too deeply.
· Harvest the herb fresh in season;
· wash them thoroughly to remove any lingering critters and debris;
· macerate the herb to break the cells, enabling the constituents to be released;
· stuff a container full of the macerated herb;
· fill the bottle to the rim with vodka (or other undiluted menstruum), covering the herb completely;
· cap the bottle tightly (seal must be air-tight);
· check the bottle after 12 hours and top up if herb has absorbed some of the menstruum;
· shake the tincture daily for 14 days, then allow it to sit one more day;
· strain (with a strainer or colander) the tincture, pouring the liquid off into another bottle;
· press (with a cheesecloth) the liquid out of the remaining pulp into the bottle;
· filter (with a coffee filter) the tincture if any sediment is undesirable;
· cap bottle tightly and label.
In our next post, we will share with you the last method in our short series- tincturing using the Weight to Volume 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.
Echinacea photograph taken by Dr. Charles Hu.
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