As there have been a few threads here and there asking about making extracts/oils/tinctures of different plants, I feel like I should give my two cents on the matter of one method for creating tinctures. Not every plant will work, some will tincture better than others, and the only way to really find out if it will work is to do the research.
Supplies:
- Dried plant matter of choice, can be anything from cannabis to ginseng to damiana to kava kava to valerian, be sure it's finely chopped/ground for greatest surface area
- mason jar or other glass container
- 80-120 proof spirit, preferably vodka but can be anything of that proof
- strainer
- cheese cloth
- large bowl
- dropper or other means of measuring small amounts of liquid
Step one:
Fill mason jar(s) roughly halfway with dried plant matter, DO NOT fill to the top of the jar, think of it like brewing tea, it needs room to expand as it absorbs liquid.
Step two:
Fill jar(s) to the bottom of the threads with spirit of choice and lid up.
Step three:
LABEL jars with information regarding which plant material you're tincturing, percentage alcohol content, and the date you will be opening the jars. You can allow the jars to steep for 2-3 weeks, and even up to 6-8 weeks (maybe even longer?), depending on how strong you want it, and the type of plant you've chosen.
Step four:
For the first week, shake the jars at least once a day to redistribute the plant material, and once a week after that, you can shake it up more often that that, but this should be a minimum.
Step five:
Upon the day you've chosen to open the jars arrives (that you've hopefully labeled on them), open and dump everything into a cheesecloth lined strainer that's over a large bowl and allow plant matter to drain, squeezing out the remaining liquid using the cheesecloth. Rinse out the jars and return your newly made tincture back into them. Discard used plant matter (compost it!)
Step six (optional):
Fill up dropper bottle with tincture, using the jar as the bulk container. LABEL dropper bottle.
To use:
Fill the dropper (I'd estimate anywhere from .5-2ml of tincture, using 20 drops per ml as a rough estimate) and dilute in a glass of water, or simply administer directly under the tongue. Keep in mind that unless you know how potent your herb of choice was and the weight you used (and volume of spirits), you will be the guinea pig of your own tincture, as you will not know its potency until after you've tried it.
If anyone else has any alternative methods/dosages/administration suggestions feel free to comment, especially if you have advice concerning specific plants.
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