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A close up of dark amber glass dropper bottles with wild lettuce tincture inside. There's dried wild lettuce in front of them.
Nico

How To Make DIY Wild Lettuce Tincture (For Pain and Sleep)

Wild lettuce can help to improve sleep quality and manage pain. This wild lettuce tincture recipe uses only two ingredients and makes a great addition to your herbal medicine cabinet. 
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Additional Time 56 days
Total Time 56 days 5 minutes
Servings: 1 bottle
Course: Tinctures for Sleep
Ingredients Equipment Method Video Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1/2 cups Fresh or dried wild lettuce - here's a dried source
  • 1 cup 80-proof unflavoured alcohol - If you want to avoid alcohol, you can swap out the alcohol for store-bought apple cider vinegar or food-grade glycerin. If you’re using fresh wild lettuce, consider using a high-proof alcohol, which will be more effective at preventing spoilage from the water content in the plant.

Equipment

  • 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. – I use these glass mason jars
  • Small amber glass bottles with dropper tops - here's the ones I use
  • A fine mesh strainer, cheesecloth, or coffee filter - I like this unbleached cheesecloth
  • A small funnel
  • A knife, blender, or mortar and pestle – for chopping up fresh wild lettuce

Method
 

  1. Remove the leaves from the stems of fresh wild lettuce. Wash and dry the leaves.
  2. Use a knife, food processor, or mortor and pestle to break down the leaves into a paste. This is to maximise the surface area of the lettuce exposed to the alcohol and make the beneficial compounds more accessible when steeping.
  3. Add the leaves to a clean glass jar. Fill the jar ⅓ of the way full with the dried wild lettuce leaves. If you’re using fresh wild lettuce, fill the jar about ¾ of the way full. 
  4. Completely cover the plant material with alcohol.
  5. Add the lid and shake the jar to ensure everything is covered in alcohol.
  6. Date and label the jar so you don’t forget what it is. Place it in a cool dark place and leave it sit for 6-8 weeks. Try to remember to shake it a few times a week to keep everything submerged in the alcohol.
  7. After 6-8 weeks, strain it off using cheesecloth, a coffee filter, or a fine mesh strainer. I like to strain it off twice - I use a strainer for the first pass and then cheesecloth to make sure any smaller planet material is removed from the tincture. 
  8. Use a funnel to add the tincture to your dropper bottle. Date and label the bottle so you don’t mix it up with your other tinctures. 
  9. Store it in a cool, dark place away from direct sunlight with your other plant-based medicines. That’s it, enjoy!

Video

Notes

How much wild lettuce tincture to take?

I like to take 1 dropper full per day 2-3 times a day to help with pain like headaches or to help me go back to sleep at night. You can start by making small batches and taking a smaller amount.

How long does wild lettuce tincture last?

Like many homemade alcohol-based herbal tinctures, this tincture has a long shelf life if stored away from direct sunlight and the plant material is well strained off. I like to use the tincture within 1-2 years.

Tried this recipe?

Let us know how it was!