simple folk tincturing

Recently, I was pawing through my tea shelf, slightly annoyed with all the clutter; realizing I had numerous herbs on the shelf that had been sitting there perhaps for over a year.

Lucky me, I happened to have a handle of vodka in my kitchen that I bought specifically for tincturing fresh artichoke leaf, which a friend gave me from her garden. With the night frosts setting in, I figure now is the perfect time to tincture everything from my garden worth salvaging, and all those dried herbs that have been stagnant on my shelf for much too long.

While there are more modern and "sophisticated" methods of tincturing (with precise ratios of dry herb to alcohol), I chose to go the folk route, which seems to have an innate, simple wisdom to it. You can find instructions on folk tincturing here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4dloPF1QDuw. (Brief disclaimer: I just want to point out that I do not work for Mt. Rose Herbs or attempt to promote them on this blog, I just think they do a good job of providing educational resources that are worth sharing!) Also, a quick note on vodka selection; while I usually can't afford the organic, one can often find an affordable vodka that's been filtered 4-5 times, and it will say on the label.

So above, you'll notice I made mostly medicinal tinctures (motherwort, ashwagandha, cayenne ginger, peppermint, kava kava, black walnut w/ clove, boneset, goldenseal, artichoke, oat milky seed, and a couple of infused vodkas (vanilla and coconut vanilla) for fun.

They are all made with vodka, except the cayenne ginger, which is steeped in bourbon. I'm looking forward to adding it to a hot toddy on a cold winter night.

Lastly, if you're interested in seeing what plant compounds are soluble in alcohol, or want to know basic herbal recipes for salves, syrups, infusions, etc., check this jam-packed DIY site http://earthnotes.tripod.com/basics.htm#howto.

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So lemon balm extract is the latest industry craze (thx to Dr. Oz) that everyone wants and nobody can get (all herb suppliers appear to be out of the tincture)! I have been suggesting to people looking for it that they use the above method to make their own lemon balm extract, and voila! Easy, empowering (relaxing) solution.