Learning how to make a tincture with dried herbs is a great way to access the huge amount of medicinal properties that herbs, flowers, and other plants can provide to our bodies. Tinctures are simple to make and only use a few tools and ingredients.
To me, herbal tinctures are like little bottles of pure magic. It’s amazing to me that so many health benefits exist in the plants around us and that there’s such a simple way to extract, preserve, and consume them. I’m in awe!
Most tinctures require the same few tools and supplies. And once you’ve made a few, you’ll be confident to test out making your own herbal tinctures. I hope this guide will give you a good overview of the process. If you’re looking for particular recipes, check out this page of my blog.
What are herbal tinctures?
Tinctures are potent liquid extracts created by soaking herbs, flowers, mushrooms, and other medicinal herbs in alcohol. While there are alternatives, alcohol is generally used to make tinctures because it more effectively extracts and preserves the active compounds and beneficial properties of the herbal material (as compared to vinegar or water).
Once the plant material is covered with alcohol, it is left to steep in the alcohol for about 6-8 weeks. Then it’s strained off and the tincture can be consumed in small doses.
Tincture blends can be customised to support various needs, like boosting the immune system during cold and flu season, reducing inflammation, helping to reduce symptoms of stress and anxiety, and more. Tinctures are also highly shelf-stable and can last for years without spoiling, unlike dried or fresh herbs.
Making a tincture
Step 1: Choose your solvent
To make tinctures, you will need some sort of solvent to extract the medicinal properties from the plants you are tincturing. Most tincture recipes use strong alcohol but you can also use vinegar or glycerin to make an herbal extract.
Alcohol
Pros
- Alcohol is very effective at extracting and preserving the active compounds and beneficial properties of plant material. Tinctures made with alcohol have a long shelf life and can last for several years.
- Alcohol-based tinctures are also more quickly absorbed by the body which means they kick in faster.
- Tip: You can use any type of alcohol you have on hand but you want to use alcohol that is at least 80-proof vodka (or 40% alcohol). If you’re using fresh plant material that you foraged, it’s best to use high-proof alcohol (over 40% alcohol) to help offset the water content in fresh plants.
Cons
- The taste of alcohol-based tinctures can be strong and unpleasant for some people. And not everyone can consume alcohol and you may want to completely avoid it.
Vinegar
Pros
- Storebought apple cider vinegar is a non-alcoholic alternative that can extract some beneficial compounds from plant material.
- It has a milder taste compared to alcohol and works for those who avoid alcohol.
- Vinegar (make sure to use storebought apple cider vinegar) is also readily available and inexpensive.
Cons
- Using vinegar results in less potent herbal extracts rather than tinctures (but it still works). Vinegar is not as effective as alcohol at extracting and preserving all the beneficial compounds in plant material.
- Vinegar-based tinctures have a shorter shelf life, typically lasting only 6-12 months. They also might require refrigeration to maintain potency.
Food-grade glycerin
Pros
- Glycerin is another non-alcoholic option that is sweet-tasting, making it more palatable, especially for children. It also works for people avoiding alcohol and can be used to extract and preserve certain plant compounds.
- Glycerin-based tinctures can last up to 1-2 years.
Cons
- Glycerin is less effective than alcohol at extracting the full range of active compounds in plant material. The shelf life, while better than vinegar, is still shorter than that of alcohol-based tinctures.
- It is also thicker and can be more challenging to work with when making tinctures.
Step 2: Choose your herbs
The next step is to choose what you want to tincture!
Fresh or dried herbs
For most tinctures, you can use either dry or fresh herbs.
If you are harvesting fresh herbs, make sure to do so in the morning, before direct sunlight reaches the plant. When plant leaves become hot or get direct sunlight, the plant’s essential oils become less condensed. Try to harvest the the herbs in the morning, before midday to make sure that the tincture has a more potent concentration of the plant’s oils and medicinal benefits.
Here are some of my favourites herbs to tincture:
- For anxiety, you can tincture: lemon balm, stinging nettle, and lots more dried herbs.
- For increased energy, you can try: lion’s mane tincture or sage tincture (and here are more ideas)
- To reduce inflammation you can try: turmeric, black peppercorn tincture, or cayenne tincture (and more).
- For immune support tinctures, you can try: rosehip tincture, hawthorn berry tincture, mullein tincture, or elderberry tincture.
- Some tinctures that reduce pain are: wild lettuce and clove.
- To help improve sleep quality you can try tincturing: St. John’s Wort, chamomile, and lemon balm.
Step 3: Measure your plant material
I use the folk method to make my tinctures. This is a really common method and means I don’t weigh my plant material. I simply eyeball the amount of herbs or flowers I add to a glass jar. The folk method of tincture making doesn’t involve measuring the plant material, whereas weighing your plant material would allow for more precise consistency and potency.
Here’s what I tend to do:
- Fresh plant material: Fill the jar about ¾ full
- Dried plant material: Fill the jar about ⅓ full
- Powders (like mushrooms): Fill the jar about ⅓ full
Step 4: Get your tools
Most tinctures use the same things:
- An airtight container with a plastic lid – I use a glass mason jar with parchment paper between the metal lid and tincture or extraction to prevent the alcohol from corroding the metal.
- Small dark glass bottles with droppers – I use these
- Cheesecloth, fine mesh strainer, or coffee filter
- A small funnel
- A knife, mortar and pestle, or food processor – for chopping up the plant material
- 80-proof vodka (or 40% alcohol) (or stronger)
- The plant material you want to tincture
Step 5: Make the tincture
The first step is to grind or chop up your plant material before we add it to the glass jar. This is to maximise the surface area of the herb or flower that is exposed to the alcohol. Depending on what you’re tincturing, you can use a knife, food processor, or mortar and pestle.
Then add the plant material to a clean glass jar. Use the guide above or in the notes below to know how much to add to the jar.
Cover the plant material with alcohol completely. The amount of alcohol you use will depend on the size of your jar and how full your jar is with plant material. Add a tight lid and shake the jar to make sure everything is completely covered.
Date and label the jar. Set it in a cool, dark place away from direct sunlight for a couple of weeks (I prefer to leave mine for 6-8 weeks). You can leave them for less time, but the medicinal benefits will not be as strong.
After 6-8 weeks, use a fine mesh strainer, cheesecloth, or a coffee filter to strain off the plant material from the liquid. I tend to strain tinctures off twice – once with a fine mesh strainer, and then with a coffee filter to make sure everything is removed from the liquid. It’s worth spending time straining off your tinctures to make sure all of the plant material has been removed because the tincture will have a much longer shelf life.
Use a funnel to bottle the liquid. Date and label it, and store the finished tincture in a cool (room temperature is fine), dry place away from sunlight. It’s ready to use!
How long do homemade tinctures last?
Alcohol tinctures have a long shelf life if stored away from direct sunlight and the plant material is removed from the final tincture. I like to use my tincture within 1-2 years.
I hope you feel ready to make your own tinctures and excited to build your herbal medicine cabinet!
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What to read next
How To Use A Tincture (Simple Guide For How To Consume Them)
How To Take An Herbal Tincture (Beginner’s Guide)
Here’s How To Remove Alcohol From Herbal Tinctures (Three Methods)
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