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While most people may know how to make an herbal tea and can easily tell you how to make an herbal infusion, not many may know of another way to preserve the natural goodness and healing powers of herbs. Tinctures are an alcohol based extraction of herbs and spices. Preserving herbs in alcohol may sound bizarre but it is an ancient practice which often makes some beneficial yet distasteful herbs more palatable but there were other uses. Cleopatra used tinctures as perfume. Who needs Channel #5 when you could dab a little alcohol infused with sweet smelling herbs? Certainly Cleo didn’t. She preferred rose petal tinctures. No, she didn’t drink it but she could have and it may have tasted quite nice. She also liked Lavender, Cinnamon, Vanilla and other herbs and spices. All these were used to keep her smelling wonderful. It’s easy to assume that was how she got the men crawling on their knees to get to her. We would have to ask Julius Caesar or Marc Antony to know for certain.
But how can something which is not regarded as being strictly medicinal like alcohol be used in conjunction with healing herbs? It does sound a bit like a contradiction but back in the day it was one of the only ways to preserve herbs and make them easily stored and portable for travel generally for Armies on the march but especially for the Pharaohs of Egypt. They needed everything in their tombs to be able to last eternity along with them in the after life, you see. Tinctures were a great way of doing this. The practice has continued ever since.
But surely we have better way now, don’t we? Perhaps, but the practice still remains. Ever notice how many over-the-counter medications like cough syrup and Nyquil have alcohol as an ingredient? Well, they just so happen to be the modern version of tinctures. Yes, they have far more in them than just alcohol and many of them never use herbs but that is exactly why you should want to make your own concoctions using your own fresh herbs.
So, how is a tincture made? They were made traditionally by using any alcohol on hand. They weren’t choosey back in the day but now with commercial herb marketers, they usually use 198 proof pure grain alcohol. For the average person intent on making their very own tinctures with their very own homegrown herbs they can use 100 proof vodka or brandy. A typical recipe for tinctures is 5 ounces of alcohol to 1 ounce of dried and crushed herbs. This is placed in a jar to steep for six weeks. For those who simply don’t want to use alcohol or cannot consume any, warm apple cider or red wine vinegar can be used instead.
What herbs can be used for tinctures? Just about anything you like. It all depends what you want preserved and for what purpose. A tincture made with Eucalyptus, Anise, Peppermint or Rosemary, for instance, would be good to relieve chest congestion. A tincture made with Allspice, Lemon Balm, Chamomile, Comfrey or Coriander would aid in digestion. For an antiviral tincture use Echinacea, Ginger, Ginseng or St John’s Wort. It all depends on what ails you and what you have growing in your yard.
No matter what herbs you use there are some tips you should keep in mind when making your own homemade tinctures.
* Using dark colored glass is recommended as they should be kept cool and out of direct sunlight to minimize damage.
* Labeling tinctures with the herb used and the date is important. This way you will know when the six weeks is up and it is also so easy to mix up jars as all dried and crushed herbs look so similar.
* Shaking the jar every few days enables the alcohol to take in more of the herbs medicinal qualities.
* Do not be alarmed if the tincture changes color. This is quite normal.
* Containers should be sealed tightly but they may ooze despite this. Therefore, they should not be placed where they may damage furniture or other valuables.
* Once the six weeks is up you may prefer to strain out the herbal material within the tincture before using it but this is not necessary.
* The level within the tincture container may shrink during the six weeks curing time. You may top it off with a bit of alcohol if you like.
* Tinctures are extremely strong and highly concentrated. They should be used sparingly, 1-2 teaspoons at most 2 or 3 times per day.
*Like all medication, tinctures should be placed where children can not get to them.
With all this in mind you can see it isn’t very difficult to make a tincture for anything which might ail you or your family members. You will certainly want to try to make your own tinctures with things you already have growing in your garden. You may even want to make your herbal garden twice as big so you can make more of these wonderful concoctions. For those who like a little nip of brandy taking tinctures will be a pleasure, for medicinal purposes, of course.
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Author Bio Box: Glory Lennon
 For more fascinating garden facts, cute short stories and entertaining novel excerpts visit http://www.helium.com/user/32782
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