How to Make Herbal Tinctures Using the Folk Method

Aside from formulating homemade fire cider, making herbal tinctures is one of my favorite ways to prepare and use medicinal herbs. It was the first type of preparation I experimented with and I've been drawn to herbs and their healing properties ever since. In the last few years, I've found such deep and nourishing healing using tinctures that I thought it prudent I write a dedicated post on the topic for your use - because hey, herbal remedies can be a bit bewildering but oh so rewarding. It's empowering to know that such a simple remedy can be made at home to help support the health of your family.

Table of Contents

How to Make Herbal Tinctures

One of the best ways to begin studying herbalism is beginning with the seemingly humble tincture. I say humble because it can be hard for some to believe, regardless of the fact that taking a tiny pill is so normal, that taking a dropperful of what looks like tea could actually DO something. Well, I can assure you that tinctures can be VERY potent remedies!

So, what is a tincture?

Tinctures are liquid extracts made from either dried or fresh plant material that are macerated in alcohol, glycerin, wine, and even vinegar (though anything other alcohol is technically considered an extract). They are taken orally by the drop or dropperful depending on the herb used and they can be made using dried or fresh flowers, leaves, roots, barks, resins, and berries.

It is widely believed that alcohol creates a better solvent than water in the extraction process. However, both alcohol and water extract different qualities and constituents from plants, which is why many herbalists will use a high proof vodka for tincturing as it contains both. Official tinctures are made with a minimum of 45% alcohol with an herb ratio of 1:4.

Tinctures made using glycerin as a solvent are called glycerites and are usually milder in potency. They are popular for children's remedies due to their sweet flavor and gentler properties.

Types of Tincturing

There are two fundamental processes for tincturing herbs: maceration (the method I use) and percolation.

Maceration requires no additional fancy equipment or complex procedures, whereas percolation certainly does. Since hardly anyone uses the percolation method for at home tincture making, I will just focus on the maceration method for this post.

How to Make Herbal Tinctures Using Maceration

There are two ways to make tinctures via maceration; one that requires measurement and one that doesn't. The latter method is also known as the "folk method" and it's the one I use as it's simple yet very effective. That is the method I'll be discussing today.

Of course, not measuring ingredients can lead one to wonder about the resulting strength of a homemade tincture via the folk method, which is why professionally made tinctures need to be made via the measurement method, or the "weight to volume" method.

For the measurement method, the relationship of plant material liquid (aka the menstruum) is known as the weight (of the herbs) to the volume (the solvent) ratio or strength of the tincture. Professional tincture makers will typically use a strength of 1:5 or 1:10 for dry preparations and 1:2 for fresh plant preparations.

In either case, whether you use the folk or measurement method and as long as you use high-quality plant material, both will produce high-quality results.

How to Make Herbal Tinctures Using The Folk Method

The Folk Method Using Dry Plant Material

Here's a basic guide on how to make tinctures using dry plant material:

1. Make sure there's no other unwanted debris in the dried herbs you wish to tincture.

2. Bruise or grind the herbs in a mortar and pestle to help maximize the extraction process.

3. Add the herbs to a jar that has a good seal and be sure to label it with the herb and alcohol used.

4. Next, add the solvent of choice until the herbs are covered with a ¼ inch of liquid. If the herbs float, add enough solvent until there is a ¼ inch below the herbs.

5. Wipe the rim of the jar thoroughly and cap the jar tightly closed.

6. Check the herbs 12 hours later. If the herbs have absorbed the solvent or there is less than a ¼ inch above or below them, add more solvent until there is.

7. Place the jar in a place that is out of direct sunlight and give it a good shake once or twice a day for 14 days.

8. You can either decant (pour off) the tincture now or allow it to sit for another 2-4 weeks.

9. To decant, place a strainer of some kind (I use a fine mesh strainer or nut milk bag) over a large glass bowl and pour the entire contents of the jar into it.

10. Try to extract as much liquid from the herbs as possible.

11. Allow the strained liquid to settle before pouring the tincture into a new jar or into tincture bottles. Feel free to further strain the tincture through a coffee strainer if desired.

12. Be sure to label everything with the name of the plant used, the solvent, the date, and dosage.

There's one other way to make tinctures with dried herbs which is the way I do it:

1. Fill whatever size jar you want to use ½ - ¾ full of dried leaves or flowers and fill the rest of the jar with your solvent.

2. If you're using roots or bark then fill the jar ⅓- ½ way full with herbs and then fill the rest of the jar with solvent.

3. Follow the remaining steps above.

Super easy!

The Folk Method Using Fresh Plant Material

Here's a basic guide for making tinctures using fresh plant material:

1. Begin by making sure your fresh herbs are clean and bug-free before using.

2. Next, chop up the herbs into small pieces to maximize extraction and make decanting easier. If you're using alcohol that is less than 190-proof, please take a look at step 5 before proceeding.

3. Label a jar with the plant and alcohol to be used and then start stuffing it full of plant material.

4. Stuff as much as you can into the jar.

5. Now fill the jar with 190-proof ethyl alcohol to the top making sure everything is completely covered (you don't want any mold to grow!). If you're using alcohol that is less than 190-proof then you need to blend the herbs with the alcohol you plan to use in a high-speed blender for the best extraction. Try not to use anything less than 30-proof as anything below that will not preserve well. Why do you need a higher proof alcohol for fresh plant material you may ask? It's because fresh plants contain more water content which will dilute the solvent so you need to balance that out with more alcohol.

6. Wipe the rim as best you can and cap the jar tightly closed.

7. Shake daily to agitate the mixture and top it off with more alcohol if needed to keep everything submerged.

8. Decant the tincture and squeeze out as much liquid as possible from the plant material through a strainer into a large glass bowl.

9. Allow the tincture to settle before bottling to avoid sediment getting into the finished product.

10. Filter more if desired using coffee filters.

11. Make sure everything is labeled with the plant use, the solvent, the date, and dosage.

Now that you know how to make tinctures, you may be wondering about which herbs are best using this type of preparation. Well, I've got you covered!

Herbs That Work Well Prepared as Tinctures

Herb	Part of Herb	Weight to Volume	% of Alcohol	Adult Dosage
Black Cohosh	Fresh rhizome Dried root	1:2 1:5	100% 60-80%	.5-2 ml: 3x a day .5-2 ml: 3x a day
Burdock	Fresh root Dry root Seed	1:2 1:5 1:5	100% 40-60% 60-70%	2-4 ml: 3x a day 2-4 ml: 3x a day 1-2 ml: 3x a day
Calendula	Fresh flowers Dry flowers	1:2 1:5	100% 60-80%	1-2 ml: 3-4x a day 1-2 ml: 3-4x a day
Cayenne	Dry fruit	1:5 or 1:10	80-95%	1-8 drops
Cleavers	Fresh whole plant	01:01.5	100%	2-4 ml: 4x a day
Cramp Bark	Dry bark	1:04	50-60%	2-3 ml: up to 4x a day
Dandelion Root	Fresh root Dry root	1:2 1:5	100% 35-65%	8-15 ml: 3-4x a day 8-15 ml: 3-4x a day
Echinacea	Fresh root Dry plant root	1:2 1:5	100% 50-75%	1-3 ml: up to 5x a day 1-3 ml: up to 5x a day
Fennel	Crushed seed	1:03	60%	2-4 ml as needed
Ginger	Fresh root Dry root	1:2 1:4	100% 80%	2-4 ml as needed
Ginkgo	Leaves	1:05	55-70%	2-3 ml: 3x a day
Goldenseal	Fresh root Dried root or leaf	1:2 1:5	100% alc/5% vinegar 60-75%alc/5% vinegar	.5-2 ml: 3x a day .5-2 ml: 3x a day
Hawthorn	Fresh leaf/flower/berries Dry	1:2 1:5	100% 40-70%	1-3 ml: 3x a day 1-3 ml: 3x a day
Mugwort	Dry herb	1:05	40-60%	.5-2 ml: 3x a day
Mullein	Fresh flowers Dry	1:1 1:5	100% 50-60%	2-3 ml: 4x a day 2-3 ml: 4x a day
Nettle	Fresh herb Dry herb or root	1:2 1:4	100% 40-50%	1-3 ml: 3x a day 1-3 ml: 3x a day
Oat	Fresh seed no milk	1:1.75 or 1:2	50-75%	2-5 ml: 4x a day
Peppermint	Dry herb	1:04	40-60%	1-3 ml: 3x a day
Plantain	Fresh herb	1:02	100%	2-3 ml: 3x a day
St. John's Wort	Fresh flowering tops	1:02	100%	1-3 ml: 3x a day
Saw Palmetto	Fresh berries Semi-dry	1:2 1:5	80-100% 60-80%	2-5 ml: 3x a day 2-5 ml: 3x a day
Scullcap	Fresh herb Freshly dried	1:1.75 or 1:2 1:5	100% 45-60%	1-3 ml: 3x a day 1-3 ml: 3x a day
Siberian Ginseng	Powdered root	1:05	60%	2-4 ml: 4x a day
Uva Ursi	Leaf	1:05	50-65%	1-3 ml: 3x a day
Vitex	Berries	1:4 or 1:5	45-65%	1-2 ml: 3x a day
Valerian	Fresh root	1:1.5 or 1:2	100%	1-3 ml: 3x a day
Yarrow	Fresh flowering plant Dry	1:2 1:5	100% 40-60%	1-3 ml: 3x a day 1-3 ml: 3x a day
Yellow Dock	Fresh root Dry	1:2 1:5	90%alc/10%glycerin 50%alc/10%glycerin	1-2 ml: 3x a day 1-2 ml: 3x a day