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What are your thoughts on herbal teas?
I like them okay. And if I’m in just the right mood, they can be a soothing and wonderful way to reap the benefits of herbal remedies. More often than not, though, I am not in just the right mood. Or I simply don’t want to take the time to brew and sip a cup.
Enter tinctures.
Tinctures are so easy to make and take that I kind of take for granted that not everyone is familiar with them. Tincture is a weird sounding word, isn’t it? Usually, when I talk about them with people I simply call them ‘herbal medicine’.
What is a Tincture?
All a tincture is is a concentrated extraction of herbs. Most have a base of alcohol (vodka in most cases) or glycerin. I’ll be focusing on the alcohol based tinctures today, since that’s primarily what I make and use.
Have you seen all the posts on making your own vanilla extract? For awhile they were all over Pinterest and everywhere else. I read lots of stories of conservative, Christian women venturing into liquor stores apprehensively to purchase vats of vodka for their project. Cracked me up. (The only uncomfortable experience I’ve had in a liquor store was when I walked out with my brown bag to see one of my 2nd grade students waving at me from the front seat of his mom’s car.) 🙂
Well if you’ve read those, this is kind of like that. Just like the vodka pulls and concentrates all of that yummy vanilla from the vanilla beans, we’re doing the same thing with medicinal herbs here.
And because it’s so concentrated, instead of drinking a cup of tea you can simply swallow a teaspoon or so of the tincture. Quick, easy, and effective.
And nasty tasting. I always always mix mine in a swallow of juice and then follow with a plain juice chaser.
How to Make Tinctures
Making tinctures is as easy as dumping some herbs into a jar and filling the jar with vodka.
Seal it and let it sit for a few months, shaking it when you think of it. I virtually always have a jar of my raspberry leaf blend brewing. I kind of can’t function without it.
Click here to read about why I love this raspberry leaf blend so much!
After it soaks for a few months you just strain it and store in a clean jar.
I have a squeeze bottle that I keep mine in. So I just eyeball about a teaspoon when I squeeze some into my glass.
Because they’re not things that most of us grew up with, many herbal remedies can feel strange or intimidating (giving them weird names doesn’t help). But I have to tell you, this is not intimidating stuff, friends.
Have you tried making tinctures yet? What’s your favorite herb to use?
You can order my special blend of herbs in This Tea is for Ladies here.
Made with a hand blended mix of organic raspberry and peppermint leaves (and no, it doesn’t taste like rasperries). Brew it into tea or try making your first tincture!
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