Homemade Herbal Tinctures?

[PepperFritz]

After much research into the (alleged) medicinal properties of some of the plants growing in my garden, and in the "wild" areas near my semi-rural home, I have decided to try my hand at making homemade herbal tinctures. My question is: Has anyone on this forum made their own herbal tinctures? I would be very interested in discussing this subject with others who have experience in this area....

Thanks!

 

[mudrabbit]

Hi PepperFritz,

A good starter book would be Home Herbal by Penelope Ody. (ISBN 1-56458-863-7) It's got some good starter recipes and teaches the basics for making tinctures, infusions, ointments and creams.

Peg

 

[mamadrama]

Hi, PepperFritz.

I've made herbal tinctures and flower essences. What are you interested in making?

Laurel

 

[PepperFritz]

Hi PepperFritz, A good starter book would be Home Herbal by Penelope Ody. (ISBN 1-56458-863-7) It's got some good starter recipes and teaches the basics for making tinctures, infusions, ointments and creams.

Thank you SO MUCH for the referral. I will definitely try to obtain the book. Have you used any of the recipes in the book? If so, how did they turn out?

 

[PepperFritz]

Hi, PepperFritz. I've made herbal tinctures and flower essences. What are you interested in making?

Hi Mamadrama. I'm so glad you replied to my post, as I always prefer to talk directly to someone with actual experience, rather than relying on books and guides alone.

I've been drying and using (in gelatin capsules) the following plants, and have also made tea infusions from them:
Feverfew, Motherwort, Yarrow I also have access to a whole colony of Mullein, which is not yet in flower in my area.

I have read so many different recipes on the internet. Some insist that you MUST use 100-proof grain alcohol, which we do not have access to here in Canada (unless you know a moonshiner!), and I'm hoping that 40-proof vodka will do. What do YOU use?

I've also read conflicting advice about which parts of the above plants (Feverfew, Motherwort, Yarrow, and Mullein) to use in the tincture. Some say to use all of the arial parts (stem, leaves, and flowers); some say leaves and flowers only; and some say flowers only. Have you made tinctures from any of these plants, and if so, what parts do you use? Also, have you obtained good results?

 

[mamadrama]

Well... those are big questions, PepperFritz. First, my two favorite herbal books are probably Rosemary Gladstar's Herbal Healing for Women, which is great for everyone because of all the medicine making information, and David Hoffman's Holistic Herbal. Rosemary was my teacher's teacher, so I resonate with her.
As to the specific questions, percentage of alcohol varies depending on whether the plant is dry or fresh, and then what the plant is (what constituents you are wishing to extract). For example a seed rich in volatile oils like milk thistle will not extract well in vodka or brandy. It needs more like 80-85% alcohol. However you can just eat the seeds. There is almost always a way around the grain alcohol (which is 95%). Are you able to order bulk quantities of organic grain alcohol in Canada?. That would be ideal, and then you just dilute based on who you are making medicine with. The plants you've mentioned here, would probably all fare well in brandy or vodka (which is often 50% I think, around here anyway??) I like Brandy because the taste is less jarring.
As far as plant parts, generally speaking I would say that if you are using the aerial portions, including the stems is totally fine. I would do this personally with the yarrow and the feverfew. In fact the stems of yarrow are quite magical. However Motherwort like most mint family plants is best gathered before the flower comes, and generally with mints, I would prefer a fresh extract if possible. Much more life force in the medicine! And for fresh tincture, grain is best. With Mullein it depends on what you are making. The commonly used ear oil is made from the flowers which are antibiotic and pain relieving. For lung use just the leaf. Careful drying mullein, it is so moist it easily rots.
Best thing to do really, is find a great local herb teacher! Maybe a granny. Are you close to Vermont? That is where Rosemary's current school is and another great teacher who is a friend of my teacher. The main thing is to find someone reputable, with a lineage, who resonates with your heart. Because good herbal medicine is all about the heart!
Laurel

 

[PepperFritz]

...percentage of alcohol varies depending on whether the plant is dry or fresh....

I have read that using fresh is best, so that is what I will be using. Here in Canada any drink that is more than 40% alcohol is illegal, but I've since found out that that translates into 80-proof alcohol, so using vodka should be OK.

Motherwort like most mint family plants is best gathered before the flower comes, and generally with mints, I would prefer a fresh extract if possible.

I had read the opposite -- that it should be harvested when in flower. What do you mean by "a fresh extract"? Using the fresh herb as opposed to dried? Or that a tea infusion works better than a tincture?

Careful drying mullein, it is so moist it easily rots.

Is it OK to use fresh mullein in a tincture? I understand that the plant has a "mildly narcotic" painkilling property. You're saying that is derived from the flowers only? I'd imagine it would be hard to gather enough of the flowers to use fresh in a tincture, all at once, since only a few "blooms" appear on the stalk at any one time. What about the stem? Of any use?

Best thing to do really, is find a great local herb teacher!

Yes, agreed. I will look into that.

I made my first attempt at a tincture today, perhaps you can tell me if I did anything wrong: I used fresh Feverfew from the garden, chopped the leaves and flowers with scissors, very finely in a glass bowl (so as not to lose any oils); filled a small mason jar 3/4 full; then filled the jar almost full with vodka, leaving enough room for "shaking". I've stored it in a dark, cool cupboard, and understand I should shake it a couple of times a day, but otherwise leave it alone for about 4 weeks. And at the end of 4 weeks, strain through nylon or muslin, and store the liquid in a cool, dark place.

 

[mamadrama]

PepperFritz,
The feverfew tincture sounds good. The thing about using a higher percentage of alcohol with fresh plants is, that there is a significant amount of water in the plant material already. So depending on the plant and what kind of constituents it has (i.e. very water soluble or not very water soluble) you may not extract all that you want with the lower proof alcohol. Still it will probably be a fine medicine. My teacher recommends minute doses and potentized plant medicines anyway, and she has said many times that the reverence you bring to the plant and to the medicine making process affects the outcome as much as anything else. :)

By fresh extract I mean fresh as opposed to dry plant material.

With mullein flowers, you just keep adding more flowers to the jar as they come. Just be careful not to introduce dirt or bacteria since you don't have strong alcohol (if you are making an alcohol extract as opposed to an oil). If you are making an oil add a good bit of vitamin E, and keep a very small air gap if possible. I don't know anything about the stalk. Remember to harvest only in abundance.
Have fun!
Laurel

 

[PepperFritz]

Thank you for all of that additional information, it is VERY appreciated.

I harvested a local patch of flowering Yarrow today, and prepared a tincture in the same manner as the Feverfew. I also discovered a NEW patch of Mullein plants, about 25 of them, all very strong, tall, and healthy looking. Between that and the other patch, I should have no problem collecting enough flowers for tinctures. Can't wait till they start to flower....

 

[PepperFritz]

Just an update on my great herbal tinctures experiment (hehe):

Since I last posted here, I have made successful alcohol-based tinctures with Feverfew, Yarrow, Motherwort, Mullein (flowers only), and St. John's Wort. I have also been using the fresh herbs for daily infusions (tea), and have been collecting and drying my winter supply. I feel SO fortunate to have access to such an abundant FREE supply from all the meadows, forests, trails, etc. nearby. Although I'm relatively new to this, now I can't imagine life without herbs!

The only really labour-intensive part has been collecting all those little Mullein flowers on a daily basis -- then getting those tiny bugs out of them! Finally found a reasonably fast method of expelling them. I leave the container of flowers sitting outside on my picnic table for at least an hour, giving most of the critters the opportunity to just crawl away on their own. Then I dump the flowers into a mesh strainer over the sink and shake them around until I don't see any more bugs falling out. But the Mullein is well worth the work; since drinking a nightly tea made from the tincture, my sleep has dramatically improved.

I'm drying the Mullein leaves separately, so that I have them on hand during cough and sore-throat season. I understand that they most useful for that purpose.

 

[mamadrama]

The only really labour-intensive part has been collecting all those little Mullein flowers on a daily basis -- then getting those tiny bugs out of them! Finally found a reasonably fast method of expelling them. I leave the container of flowers sitting outside on my picnic table for at least an hour, giving most of the critters the opportunity to just crawl away on their own. Then I dump the flowers into a mesh strainer over the sink and shake them around until I don't see any more bugs falling out.

Yep, the bugs love mullien flowers.

I'm drying the Mullein leaves separately, so that I have them on hand during cough and sore-throat season. I understand that they most useful for that purpose.

Have you thought of making a flower essence out of some of your mullein? Flower essences are generally prepared from sun infusion of the flowers in a bowl of water, which is further diluted and potentized, and then preserved with brandy. Flower essences require more careful attention to the purity of the environment and the vibrancy and potency of the blossoms because they are used to address more esoteric issues. If you're interested you can read more about it at _www.flowersociety.org

 

[PepperFritz]

Have you thought of making a flower essence out of some of your mullein? Flower essences are generally prepared from sun infusion of the flowers in a bowl of water, which is further diluted and potentized, and then preserved with brandy. Flower essences require more careful attention to the purity of the environment and the vibrancy and potency of the blossoms because they are used to address more esoteric issues. If you're interested you can read more about it at _www.flowersociety.org

I will look into that, for sure. For this year, however, I'm going to stick to tinctures, and perhaps try a small cold oil-infusion of Mullein flowers (excellent for ear-aches, I understand). There's so much work involved in collecting all those tiny little blossoms, that I'd hate to screw up a larger batch and have them go to waste....

Have you made cold or warm oil-infusions? If so, from which herbs?

 

[mamadrama]

Have you made cold or warm oil-infusions? If so, from which herbs

I have, I used to give some to my kids when they got ear infections. Mullein makes a great remedy for ear infections. It relieves the pain and because of its antiviral and antibiotic properties, it helps eliminate the infection as well. Here's the recipe I used:
1/4 cup of dry (or fresh wilted) mullein flowers
1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil.
The solar method is most often used to make mullein flower oil. Place the flowers in a glass jar and cover with olive oil. Place jar in hot, sunny window or outside in direct sunlight and let sit for at least two weeks or longer - the longer the better. To make it extra potent, do a double or triple preparation; remove the flowers add fresh flowers (dried or wilted), and repeat the process.
You can use on pets as well.

 

[mamadrama]

I looked in my kids' herbal book (it usually has something interesting not found in other sources) for some more fun mullein facts :)
It said:
Use Mullein For:
ear aches and inflammations
coughs, especially dry cough
and whooping cough
colds, flu, mumps
bronchitis, asthma
bleeding
skin problems-eczema
bruises, frostbite
hemmoroids
diarrhea
nerve pain
Energy and Taste: neutral energy; mildly pleasant taste
Make as a: tea, oil, poultice, salve, tincture, gargle, wash, syrup, pill, powder, capsule, fomentation, and/or ear drops.
Mullein leaves and root are excellent for bronchitis, tonsillitis, pneumonia and coughs. For best results, make a decoction tea of 1 teaspoon mullein leaves and root, 1 teaspoon elder, 1 teaspoon wild cherry bark, and 1/2 teaspoon licorice root to 1 1/2 cups of water.
Well, I'd say mullein is an all around good herb to have in your apothecary, wouldn't you say?
It also said that food wrapped in mullein leaves takes longer to spoil. People used to preserve food by wrapping it in mullein leaves. And during the Civil War the Confederates used mullein to treat lung problems when their conventional medical supplies ran out. Hundreds of years ago people would dip dry mullein stalks into fat and then light them as torches...

 

[PepperFritz]

I looked in my kids' herbal book (it usually has something interesting not found in other sources) for some more fun mullein facts :)....

Yes, I found similar information about Mullein. I'm particularly interested in the benefits provided by the leaves for asthma and other lung problems. Several sites recommend "smoking" dried Mullein for that purpose (as per the practice of native indians). As my lungs become extremely irritated by cigarette smoke, I'm currently looking into the possibility of using a "water pipe" (or "hookah") to give it a try, as it "cools" the smoke before inhalation.

My cousin (who I share a house with) works nights, and has trouble going to sleep when she comes home. So about a month ago I started making her drink a stiff infusion of Mullein and St. John's Wort flowers (both are sedating) every morning. Must be doing something for her, because she now asks for her "tea" as soon as I get up, and she doesn't even make it to her bedroom before falling asleep on the couch....

My next "herbal" experiment is to try making "shampoo" out of all of the Soapwort that's blooming everywhere now.