If you’re using fresh echinacea, make sure to fully clean the plant, including the roots. 

Begin your echinacea preparations by using a knife to chop up the entire plant (roots, stem, leaves, and fresh flowers). You could also use a food processor to make this faster. It’s good practice to chop up the plant into small pieces when making a tincture because it maximises how much of the plant is exposed to alcohol.

If you’re using dried herbs, it will likely already be chopped up. 

Add all of the plant parts to a glass jar and fill it ¾ of the way full if you’re using fresh echinacea. If you’re using dried echinacea,
fill the jar up ⅓ of the way full. This is to leave enough space for the dried plant to absorb the alcohol.

Cover the plant completely with alcohol. 

Put a lid on the jar and tighten the lid. Shake the jart to ensure that everything in the jar is completely covered in alcohol.

Set the jar in a cool, dark place away from direct sunlight. Leave it for 4-6 weeks and try to shake it a few times a week. Shaking the jar helps to ensure the plant remains completely covered by the alcohol.

After 4-6 weeks, use a fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth to strain off the plant material from the liquid. The tincture will smell very earthy and will be dark in colour. If you’re using dried echinacea, I’d recommend using cheesecloth, to ensure that you completely remove the plant material from the liquid. Leaving plant material in the final tincture can result in the tincture going bad more quickly.

Use a small funnel to pour the strained liquid into the amber glass dropper bottle. 

It’s a good idea to label and date the bottle so you remember what it is. Store the herbal tincture away from direct sunlight.