Herbal Tinctures: What Are They and How to Make Them

If you’re not yet familiar with the many ways to use herbs and herbal products, this article is for you. Most people know herbs in the form of tea whether in traditional Chinese medicine or simply in our homes.

I started a small herb company to offer people high-quality, locally sourced dried herbs for delicious and nourishing teas. As my work and creativity expand, I’m now exploring another powerful form of herbal preparation: herbal tinctures.

What Is a Tincture?

When you make an herbal tea, you extract the plant’s properties in water. The water carries the flavors, minerals, and water-soluble phytonutrients from the dried herbs.

A tincture works on the same principle but instead of water, alcohol is used as the solvent. Alcohol extracts a different spectrum of plant compounds. While minerals dissolve best in water, essential oils, resins, and many alkaloids and glycosides are better extracted in alcohol. 

This means that tinctures capture both water-soluble and oil-soluble components of the plant, creating a more complete and potent extract.

Another difference is that tinctures are often made from fresh herbs, allowing you to preserve the “living” vitality of the plant. Because the extract is concentrated, you only need a few drops to a few milliliters rather than several cups of tea per day and tinctures are also easy to carry anywhere.

How to Make a Tincture (Folk Method)

There are various ways to make tinctures from traditional “folk” methods to precise, professional techniques that follow strict ratios and standards. Here, I’ll share the folk method, which is simple and effective for home herbalists.

You’ll need:

• A clean glass jar

• Fresh herbs of your choice

• Alcohol around 40% (vodka or brandy works well)

Instructions:

1. Prepare the herbs.
   Place your fresh herbs in a blender.

2. Add alcohol.
   Pour in enough alcohol to cover the herbs by about 1 cm.

3. Blend.
   Blend the herbs and alcohol together. This step increases the surface area of the plant material, helping the alcohol extract its properties more efficiently.

4. Infuse.
   Pour the blended mixture into a glass jar, seal it tightly, and let it sit in a cool, dark place for 2–3 weeks. Shake it gently every few days.

5. Strain.
   After 2–3 weeks, strain the mixture through a fine cloth or filter. Compost the plant material and keep the liquid which is your tincture.

6. Bottle and label.
   Pour the tincture into a dark glass dropper bottle and label it with the plant name and date.

   Stored at room temperature, a tincture will keep for up to two years.

A Note on Alcohol Strength

When using fresh herbs, remember that they contain water. This can slightly reduce the overall alcohol concentration of your tincture for example, from 40% to around 30–35%. This is still perfectly fine, as tinctures are stable as long as the alcohol remains above 20%.

My Recent Creations

This year, I made small test batches of echinacea, motherwort, and yarrow tinctures. These are available in limited quantities and are now ready to try.