In past years, I would pick the heads from really fresh dandelions and make a dandelion cordial. I have too many other obligations to do that this year, but the yard has some lovely dandelions.
Hey there witches! I’ve covered water infusions aka Hydrosols before, but it’s time to move onto the hard stuff: alcohol
A tincture is an extract which has an alcohol base. Traditionally, these were herbal infusions used for medicine, but for today’s topic, we’ll be talking about tinctures in all forms, but it’s up to you as to what’s for consumption, and what may be used as a perfume, floor wash, or ritual spray etc.
Tinctures can be a lot easier to make because they have a cold infusion method, as in no heat source is used to speed the process. Alcohol absorbs plant matter and dissolves quite easily, so heating it is a dangerous step not necessary for the occasional infusion.
What can be made into a tincture?
Flowers
Berries
Leaves
Roots
Stalks and barks
Spas and resins
Seeds
These can be dried or fresh.
Especially for flowers, some fragrance doesn’t carry once the flower withers, so using fresh can be super helpful if the fragrance is important!
What do I do to make one?
Take your container like a mason jar
Fill with plant material about halfway*
Add in your alcohol**
Shake and let infuse***
Strain and decant into its new container
Now it’s simple, but you do have to make some decisions like if you’re making individual tinctures or a blend. Individual tinctures can be blended later of course, but takes more containers and individual checking than throwing it all together. Go by instinct and research until you’ve got the experience.
That sounds simple, but I want some more tips:
Break apart or cut up ingredients so more of the matter gets mixed and infused. It releases fragrance, juices and gives more surfaces for the base to interact.
Shake your tincture while it’s infusing every day. You may want to infuse for a day, a week, or a full cycle of the moon, you do you!
If you’re using a mason jar or other metal lid container, a piece of Saran Wrap/cling plastic can protect the lid from corroding.
You can get a high proof alcohol and dilute it with distilled water.****
If taking internally, do so with care, and dosage is usually only a few drops at a time. Check with your doctor before starting any regiment.
If you want to make a ritual tincture for a salt bonfire, the alcohol has to be minimum 100 proof or it won’t catch fire. Don’t burn yourself.
I have a ginger tincture I use for upset stomachs. Just a few drops in mineral water and it settles right down (think ginger ale).
For tooth aches, I use a few drops of clove tincture in warm water and swish around. Plus my breath smells great afterwards.
Just remember, it’s concentrated, and in a lot of cases may not taste great by itself, just like if you took a spoon full of vanilla extract. Start small, dilute, or use in ritual.
Knowing what ingredients are toxic, harmful, or poisonous is extremely important if you are to explore this. Many of these terms are referred to as the other, but from a medical safety standpoint, it is particularly important to discuss the specifications based on what you personally intend to create.
You should always contact a medical professional before ingesting a new substance into your body. Even if it says it is safe in all the research you find, you could still even be allergic.
Classifications:
Brews:
A brew is a potion that requires heat to steep and activate the best effects, brews are made for the purpose of drinking hot, such as a coffee or tea. Brews specifically are classified only by the method of heat.
Decoction:
Decoctions are the liquid resulting from concentrating the essence of a constituent by mashing and then boiling it. This includes bark, rhizomes, and the roots of a plant. Pulverizing the plant first will allow for optimum dissolution, and then boil in water to extract the volatile organic compounds and chemical substances.
Elixirs:
Curative concoctions in which the effects might shift or benefit selective biological properties to the drinking. They may contain alcohol to promote a proper digestive breakdown.
Infusions:
An infusion is characterized by being a plant or biological extract in water to be drank. Effects are based on which ingredients are chosen. Teas and coffees are examples of Infusions.
Potions:
The word potion itself refers to a magickal liquid or substance that is intoxicating, and can lead towards positive, negative, or transformative effects based on purpose, intention, and ingredients.
Poultice:
A Poultice, also called a Cataplasm, is a damp patch of heated plant matter that is distributed on cloth and laid over the skin to treat an inflamed or aching section of the body. The intention a Poultice is to cool a spot of the body over a prolonged period by drawing heat out of the spot through the process of circulation and evaporation.
Lotions or Salves:
The simple difference between lotions and salves is that lotions are an oil or thicker cream, and salves are more creamy or gelatinous. Both are to be applied to the skin.
Tinctures:
To define a tincture would be a plant extract including alcohol, it can either be made into a drink, or something to be applied to the skin such as lotion when diluted.
I love plants, especially herbs. As I’m studying clinical herbalism @lincolncollegeuk part time. It really helps to actually see the plants and I love my herb garden at home. So bought some extras herbs today.. It’s a bit late in the season for herbs, but I bought some tarragon, Lemon verbena, oregano and lavender. I’ll be busy looking all these up and learning their botanical names and medicinal properties. My home and garden will look great and smell good. Looking forward to making tinctures and other using the herbs in a multitude of ways
