If you’re using fresh goldenrod, I recommend using a knife to chop up the fresh plant. You can use the flowers and upper leaves to make the tincture. Then I recommend to leave the fresh plant material sit out in a place with good airflow until the flowers and leaves have dried.

Add your goldenrod into a clean glass pint jar. If you’re using undried plant material, fill the jar ¾ of the way full. If you’re using dried goldenrod, fill the pint jar ⅓ full. 

Cover the plant material with 80-proof alcohol. I prefer to use unflavoured vodka to keep the flavour of the final tincture neutral.

Add a lid to the jar and give it a shake to make sure everything is submerged. 

After shaking it, add a piece of parchment paper between the lid and glass jar if you’re using a metal lid. Date and label the jar and set it in a cool, dark place for at least 4-6 weeks (I tend to recommend letting it sit for 6-8 weeks to allow the full extraction process to take place).

Aim to shake the jar a few times a week to keep everything moving. If you notice that the alcohol levels are low, you can top it up.

After 8 weeks, use a mesh strainer or cheesecloth to strain off the final tincture. You can do multiple strains to fully remove the plant material.

Use a funnel to add the tincture to a storage container and date and label the tincture. I like to use amber glass dropper bottles but you can use what you have. That’s it!