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making tinctures | (Read 306 times) |
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rachael hamblin
Posts: 129
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April 25, 2008, 11:33:14 PM |
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I'm curious what types of alcohol folks use for what herbs to make tinctures. I've heard several different opinions on this--some say everclear, some say vodka or rum, some say vodka for all herbs except leaves for which you'd use brandy. What do you prefer and why?
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Jeff Anderson
Posts: 7
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June 27, 2008, 02:36:08 PM |
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There is a whole world of information to talk about here! To begin, another thing you can use to make tinctures is food grade glycerin. It's sweet, so great for the kids!
http://www.wildroots.com/herbal.htm
Most alkoloids and chemicals can be activated in water. Others, like tetrahydracanibol, require alcohol or oil. A good google search will turn up the neccasary info. heres a good place to start....
http://medherb.com/
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Susan Hoke
Posts: 36
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June 29, 2008, 08:52:52 AM |
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Hi globewoman - "I'm curious"  about the plaintan. I have a bunch of that in my yard and other than knowing its something you can slap on a wound to stop the bleeding, I would be interested to know what a tincture would do? Do you have a recipe you could post? And how long would it keep in the cupboard? Many thanks! Monica
Hi Monica,
I've not made it yet, but I found a recipe a while back. I thought I saved it but I can't find it now. This is what I remember.
You stuff a jar full of plantain & cover it with olive oil. Leave it in a cool dry place for 3 weeks then remove the plantain. I guess you could also use alcohol or vinegar instead of oil. You can use it for first aid through the winter. A small jar would probably be enough to last a good while. But I guess that depends how accident prone you are. I'm not really sure what the shelf like would be.
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"Weeds are flowers too, once you get to know them."
— Eeyore, from A. A. Milne's Winnie the Pooh
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crows daughter
Posts: 13
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July 21, 2008, 08:51:45 AM |
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I purchase organic alcohol from Alchemical Solutions in Oregon.
In Wash State you need a permit for this, but it is just $5.
I have been crafting herbal preparations for about 13 years now.
It is a very joyous thing to do.
With tincture, fresh plants, chop them up well, put them in a jar about 2/3 full packed lightly and pour alcohol over them. (65% alcohol) I let them sit at least six weeks.
If you don't want to purchase the grain alcohol I would suggest using 100 proof vodka.
This works pretty well. I don't use glycerin, I have heard that the medicinal components are not released very effectively in it.
Someone mentioned water infusion.
In order to extract the medicinal properties from herb in water, the herbs must be dry.
(There are very few exceptions to this) Then once you have dried the herbs put one ounce of dry herb in a quart jar, then fill with boiling water and let this sit over night. Strain and drink.....this is herbal infusion. I drink stinging nettle and oatstraw quite a bit as they are nourishing herbs.
So much to share here.
Green Blessings,
Julie
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« Last Edit: July 21, 2008, 08:54:22 AM by crows daughter »
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