Making an herbal tincture at home is easier than you may think and is one of the very best ways to extract medicinal constituents from herbs and other plants! It has a longer shelf life than many other herbal preparations and is simple and convenient to use. In this post I’ll show you a few different ways to make a tincture and the supplies you will need to get started.
But first!
Table of Contents
What is a Tincture?
A tincture is an extract made by steeping a plant in a solvent (or menstruum as herbalists call it) for six to eight weeks to draw out its medicinal qualities. The most common solvents used for tincture making are:
- Glycerin
- Vinegar
- Ethanol (alcohol)
I mostly use ethanol for my tinctures but if you are wanting an alcohol free tincture or a tincture that kids will want to take, vinegar and glycerin are great options! Each solvent is better at extracting different constituents (medicinal properties) in plants.
Glycerin extracts sugar, glucosides, enzymes, bitters, tannins and saponins. It is sweet and does not contain alcohol making it a great medicine for kids!
Vinegar extracts minerals, tannins, vitamins and glycosides. It is non-alcoholic and can be very tasty depending on how its prepared!
Ethanol extracts the widest array of constituents such as resins, essential oils, alkaloids, glycosides, acids, chlorophyll, bitters, and water soluble components. It also has the longest shelf life, lasting decades, sometimes centuries!
** See bottom of page for a guide to pairing herbs with their ideal mentruums
Today we will be making a tincture with all three menstuums but first let’s talk about the different methods for tincture making.
Tincture Methods
There are two main tincture making methods: the Folkloric Method and the Weight-to-Volume Method. The Folkloric method is the easiest way to make a tincture as it requires less equipment and NO math (thank God)! This method, however, can produce varying results in potency because no measurement is used. The Weight-to-Volume method is much more precise and allows you to perfectly replicate your medicines. This is very important if you are working with herbs that require specific dosages or if you are wanting to sell your creations. The Weight-to-Volume method is what I like to use but don’t worry, the math isn’t too hard and if I can do it, anyone can!
Now to the good stuff!
Where to Get What You Need
There are lots of great places online or in person where you can source your herbs and supplies! Exploring a mom and pop herb shop can be so fun and you have the amazing benefit of being able to ask the owner all of your herbal inquiries! Herb shops can be hard to find however and usually are on the pricier side. I predominantly buy my herbs and tools online.
Herbs
I have purchased herbs from tons of different sites but my favorite place is actually on amazon! Its a store called Frontier Co-Op and they sell high quality, organic dried herbs for the best price I have been able to find. I had previously bought a pound of elderberries from Mountain Rose Herbs for $23 and about $5 shipping, they took a little over a week to get to me but were excellent quality. Then I found these elderberries for $20.84 a pound with prime shipping and when I received them they were the same quality as the more expensive ones! The store has tons of different herbs so check them out here!
Tools
You can get by with very few tools and supplies but there are a few items that are really nice to have and will make the medicine making process a lot easier.
If you are wanting to make exact and consistent tinctures, you will need a good food scale and a measuring glass. I use this scale and this measuring glass.
Vodka- any ol store 🙂
How to Make Weight-to-Volume Tinctures
Ethanol Tincture
Materials Needed for a Weight-to-Volume Ethanol Tincture:
- Plant material you wish to extract, dried or fresh
- A glass jar for steeping the herbs
- A fresh canning lid with absolutely no rust (it will leach into your medicine!)
- Ethanol (40% to 60%)
- Kitchen scale to weigh your plant material
- Measuring cup for your alcohol
- Bowl or pitcher to strain the tincture into
- Cheese cloth or muslin for straining the plants
- Strainer to catch anything that escapes your cheese cloth
- Funnel for pouring into bottles
- Amber bottle for storing your finished product
Instructions:
Sterilize your glass jar by submerging it in boiling water for five minutes and letting it air dry completely.
To every ounce of dried plant material by weight, you will add four ounces of menstruum by volume (measuring cup). For example, I will weigh out four ounces of herb and measure sixteen fluid ounces of alcohol.
If you wanted to use fresh plants, to every ounce of fresh plant material by weight, you will add two fluid ounces of alcohol. For example, I will weigh out eight ounces of fresh herbs and sixteen ounces of alcohol. We do this because the water content in fresh plants will dilute the ethanol, making the tincture much less potent and shelf stable.
Pour ethanol and herbs into the jar.
Seal the jar and shake it well.
Let it brew for four to six weeks in a cool, dark place and shake it up every few days.
When your tincture is finished brewing, place your strainer over a bowl and line the strainer with your cheesecloth or muslin.
Pour your jar’s contents into the lined strainer. (Make sure you get all of your soaked herbs into the strainer!)
Pick up your cheese cloth and squeeze as much liquid as you can from the herbs. (Make sure you don’t have any debris in your liquid. If you do, strain again.)
Pour your tincture into amber bottles using your funnel.
Label your tincture
Compost the plant material and have a cup of tea to celebrate!
Vinegar Tincture
Materials Needed for a Weight-to-Volume Vinegar Tincture:
- Plant material you wish to extract, dried or fresh
- A glass jar for steeping the herbs
- A fresh canning lid with absolutely no rust (it will leach into your medicine!)
- Vinegar of choice
- Kitchen scale to weigh your plant material
- Measuring cup for your alcohol
- Bowl or pitcher to strain the tincture into
- Cheese cloth or muslin for straining the plants
- Strainer to catch anything that escapes your cheese cloth
- Funnel for pouring into bottles
- Amber bottle for storing your finished product
Instructions:
Sterilize your glass jar by submerging it in boiling water for five minutes and letting it air dry completely.
To every ounce of dried plant material by weight, you will add four ounces of menstruum by volume (measuring cup). For example, I will weigh out four ounces of herb and measure sixteen fluid ounces of vinegar.
If you wanted to use fresh plants, to every ounce of fresh plant material by weight, you will add two fluid ounces of vinegar. For example, I will weigh out eight ounces of fresh herbs and sixteen ounces of vinegar. We do this because the water content in fresh plants will dilute the vinegar, making the tincture much less potent and shelf stable.
Pour vinegar and herbs into the jar.
Seal the jar and shake it well.
Let it brew for four to six weeks in a cool, dark place and shake it up every few days.
When your tincture is finished brewing, place your strainer over a bowl and line the strainer with your cheesecloth or muslin.
Pour your jar’s contents into the lined strainer. (Make sure you get all of your soaked herbs into the strainer!)
Pick up your cheese cloth and squeeze as much liquid as you can from the herbs. (Make sure you don’t have any debris in your liquid. If you do, strain again.)
Pour your tincture into amber bottles using your funnel.
Label your tincture
Compost the plant material
Have a glass of wine to celebrate!
Glycerine Tincture
Materials Needed for a Weight-to-Volume Glycerine Tincture:
- Plant material you wish to extract, dried or fresh
- Two glass jars, one for steeping the herbs and the other for mixing the glycerine solution
- Kitchen scale for weighing herbs
- Measuring cup for measuring menstruum
- A fresh canning lid with absolutely no rust (it will leach into your medicine!)
- Vegetable glycerine
- Bowl or pitcher to strain the tincture into
- Cheese cloth or muslin for straining the plants
- Strainer to catch anything that escapes your cheese cloth
- Funnel for pouring into bottles
- Bottles for storing your finished product
Instructions:
Sterilize your glass jar by submerging it in boiling water for five minutes and letting it air dry completely
Combine 10.7 fluid ounces of vegetable glycerin with 5.3 fluid ounces of distilled water
To every ounce of dried plant material by weight, you will add four ounces of menstruum by volume (measuring cup). I will weigh out four ounces of herb and measure sixteen fluid ounces of glycerine/water mixture.
Pour the mixture and herbs into the jar.
Seal the jar and shake it well.
Let it brew for four to six weeks in a cool, dark place and shake it up every few days.
When your tincture is finished brewing, place your strainer over a bowl and line the strainer with your cheesecloth or muslin.
Pour your jar’s contents into the lined strainer. (Make sure you get all of your soaked herbs into the strainer!)
Pick up your cheese cloth and squeeze as much liquid as you can from the herbs. (Make sure you don’t have any debris in your liquid. If you do, strain again.)
Pour your tincture into bottles using your funnel
Label your tincture
Have a bar of chocolate to celebrate!
A glycerine tincture keeps for up to two years!
How to Make a Tincture with the Folkloric Method
Ethanol Tincture
Materials Needed for a Folkloric Ethanol Tincture:
- Plant material you wish to extract, dried or fresh
- A glass jar for steeping the herbs
- A fresh canning lid with absolutely no rust (it will leach into your medicine!)
- Ethanol (40% to 60%)
- Bowl or pitcher to strain the tincture into
- Cheese cloth or muslin for straining the plants
- Strainer to catch anything that escapes your cheese cloth
- Funnel for pouring into bottles
- Amber bottle for storing your finished product
Instructions:
Sterilize your glass jar by submerging it in boiling water for five minutes and letting it air dry completely
Fill your glass jar half full with your dried herbs.
If you wanted to use fresh plants, you would fill your glass jar up to half an inch below the lid with your fresh herbs and then fill the jar up to the same line with ethanol.
Pour ethanol over your herbs and fill the jar to about half an inch below the lid.
Seal the jar and shake it well.
Let it brew for four to six weeks in a cool, dark place and shake it up every few days.
When your tincture is finished brewing, place your strainer over a bowl and line the strainer with your cheesecloth or muslin.
Pour your jar’s contents into the lined strainer. (Make sure you get all of your soaked herbs into the strainer!)
Pick up your cheese cloth and squeeze as much liquid as you can from the herbs. (Make sure you don’t have any debris in your liquid. If you do, strain again.)
Pour your tincture into amber bottles using your funnel.
Label your tincture
Compost the plant material and have a cup of tea to celebrate!
Vinegar Tincture
Materials Needed for a Folkloric Vinegar Tincture:
- Plant material you wish to extract, dried or fresh
- A glass jar for steeping the herbs
- A fresh canning lid with absolutely no rust (it will leach into your medicine!)
- Vinegar of choice
- Bowl or pitcher to strain the tincture into
- Cheese cloth or muslin for straining the plants
- Strainer to catch anything that escapes your cheese cloth
- Funnel for pouring into bottles
- Bottles for storing your finished product
Instructions:
Sterilize your glass jar by submerging it in boiling water for five minutes and letting it air dry completely
Fill your glass jar half full with your dried herbs.
Pour vinegar over your herbs and fill the jar to about half an inch below the lid.
Seal the jar and shake it well.
Let it brew for four to six weeks in a cool, dark place and shake it up every few days.
When your tincture is finished brewing, place your strainer over a bowl and line the strainer with your cheesecloth or muslin.
Pour your jar’s contents into the lined strainer. (Make sure you get all of your soaked herbs into the strainer!)
Pick up your cheese cloth and squeeze as much liquid as you can from the herbs. (Make sure you don’t have any debris in your liquid. If you do, strain again.)
Pour your tincture into bottles using your funnel
Label your tincture
Compost the plant material
Store in the refrigerator for six months to a year
Glycerine Tincture
Materials Needed for a Folkloric Glycerine Tincture:
- Plant material you wish to extract, dried or fresh
- Two glass jars, one for steeping the herbs and the other for mixing the glycerine solution
- A fresh canning lid with absolutely no rust (it will leach into your medicine!)
- Vegetable glycerine
- Bowl or pitcher to strain the tincture into
- Cheese cloth or muslin for straining the plants
- Strainer to catch anything that escapes your cheese cloth
- Funnel for pouring into bottles
- Bottles for storing your finished product
Instructions:
Sterilize your glass jar by submerging it in boiling water for five minutes and letting it air dry completely
Fill your glass jar 1/2 full with your dried herbs. (2/3 full when using fresh herbs)
In your second jar, combine three parts vegetable glycerine with one part distilled water and shake well.
Pour the mixture over your herbs and fill the jar to about half an inch below the lid.
Seal the jar and shake it well.
Let it brew for four to six weeks in a cool, dark place and shake it up every few days.
When your tincture is finished brewing, place your strainer over a bowl and line the strainer with your cheesecloth or muslin.
Pour your jar’s contents into the lined strainer. (Make sure you get all of your soaked herbs into the strainer!)
Pick up your cheese cloth and squeeze as much liquid as you can from the herbs. (Make sure you don’t have any debris in your liquid. If you do, strain again.)
Pour your tincture into bottles using your funnel
Label your tincture
Now you have all you need to make your very own tincture! Next, you can choose what herb you would like to extract. Below is a list I’ve compiled of herbs and their best menstruums, if there is a specific herb you would like to know about that is not listed below, please leave a comment and I will update the list!
If you would like to learn more about how to benefit from using hers topically, read this post on Herbal Face Masks.
Happy tincturing!
Herb and Menstruum Pairing Guide
