Alcohol & Glycerin Extracts: tinctures

What are tinctures?

Tinctures are liquid extracts made by soaking herbs in alcohol. The alchohol extracts water and alcohol soluble chemicals from plants which make them more concentrated than any other preparations. Because they are concentrated liquids, we only take drops to ml at a time.  Plus, they last a long time and are easy to store.

Use fresh or dried plants and why?

Both fresh and dried plants can be used to make tinctures, but they have different benefits. Fresh plants can sometimes be more potent however, dried plants are easier to store and a longer shelf-live to use year-round.

Which kind of alcohol to use?

The alcohol used for making tinctures needs to be strong enough to extract the medicinal properties from the herbs. Vodka, brandy, are commonly used because they have a high alcohol content (30-50%). They also have a neutral flavor, which won't overpower the taste of the herbs. I also like to add honey when I make ticntures for better flavour.

Making tinctures from dried herbs (1:5 ratio)

The 1:5 ratio refers to the ratio of herb to alcohol used when making a tincture. This means using one part of dried herb (by weight) to five parts of alcohol (by weight).

For example, if you have 100 grams of dried herb, you would use 500g of alcohol to make a tincture following the 1:5 ratio. This ratio ensures that the tincture is potent enough to extract the medicinal properties of the herb while diluting it enough to make it safe for consumption.

In this method, the herbs are blended with alcohol, a step too rarely described in other recipes. Blending drastically increases the extraction of the plant’s active compounds into the alcohol. By breaking down the plant cells and increasing the surface area in contact with the alcohol, the resulting tincture is more potent and effective.

Method

1. Weigh the dried herbs.
2. Calculate five times that weight in alcohol (1:5 ratio).
   
3. Place the herbs in a food processor.
4. Pour the measured alcohol over the herbs and blend.
5. Place the mixture into a glass jar. Make sure the alcohol fully covers all the herbs. If needed, add more alcohol until the liquid level is about 1 cm above the herbs.
6. Close the jar tightly and place it in a cool, dark location.
7. Let steep for 2–4 weeks, shaking the jar occasionally.
8. Strain, bottle, and label the tincture.

Making tinctures from fresh herbs (1:3 ratio)

Here use the same method than for the dried herbs but with a 1:3 ratio. When working with fresh herbs, it is best to use alcohol with at least 30% strength, because fresh herbs contain water, which will be released into the liquid and lower the alcohol percentage. For a long-term, shelf-stable tincture, the final alcohol content should not fall below 20%.

Glycerin Extracts

Glycerine tinctures are a great alcohol-free alternative, though they tend to be less potent. Glycerine is ideal for those who cannot or choose not to consume alcohol, and it is also a good choice for children or the elderly. 

Ingredients

• Dried or fresh herbs
• Vegetable glycerine
• Water

Method

1. Place finely chopped herbs in a clean glass jar.
2. Prepare the liquid: mix glycerine and water in your preferred ratio (commonly 50:50  glycerine to water).
3. Pour the glycerine-water mixture over the herbs, ensuring they are fully covered.
4. Close the jar tightly and place it in a cool, dark location.
5. Let steep for 2–4 weeks, shaking occasionally.
6. Strain, bottle, and label the tincture.