By Mary Hanna

A Primer on Herbal Tinctures

The philosophy behind tincture is to capture the spiritual and physical essence of the plant. This is done by using the power of ethyl alcohol to dissolve and preserve the herb in question.

The substance used to extract the herbs is known as the menstrum. The herbs you are tincturing are known as the mark. Tincturing will extract and preserve both the water-soluble and alcohol-soluble properties of an herb.

In the interest of taking a more involved stance in their health, many people are turning to homemade tinctures made from fresh or dried herbs. Tinctures have proven to be more powerful and longer lasting than dried herbs. Dried herbs can get moldy or be eaten by insects, tinctures do not. Tinctures will keep up to two years and keep their potency if stored properly. Making your own tinctures will save you quite a bit of money. If you purchase tinctures in a retail store you will get a few ounces whereas if you make it yourself it will yield about a quart.

When purchasing herbs, make sure you are buying from a reputable source. Better yet, grow your own herbs to be sure of the highest possible quality. When growing your own you can make any number of combinations to make up your tinctures. I have also found that when growing my own herbs I get the most enjoyment, knowing not only did I make the tincture but I grew the herbs. I become part of the process from beginning to end.

What You Will Need to Make Herb Tinictures

There are several items that you will need to make your own tinctures. First you need either powdered herbs or fresh cut herbs. Vodka, brandy or rum, 80-100 proof to cover the herbs. Mason jars with lids. Muslin or Cheesecloth that is unbleached. Lastly, labels for the jars.

You will need 7-10 ounces of chopped fresh herbs for every quart of vodka, brandy or rum. I prefer to use fresh herbs when making my tinctures. When using powdered herbs, I use 4 ounces of herbs to one pint of liquid. If you are making a tincture from bitter herbs it is best to use rum as it will mask the taste of the herbs. To make a non-alcoholic tincture use distilled water, glycerol or vinegar. Keep in mind that if you use vinegar the tincture will have to be refrigerated.

An Easy Method of Making Tinctures from Herbs

Put your herbs in the mason jars and then pour the liquid over them so that it comes up to about an inch above the herbs. Seal tightly and label the jars then put them in a very dark, warm area. Keeping them in a paper bag has worked well for me. You will have to shake the jar everyday, several times a day if you can mange it.

At first check the solution daily to make sure the vodka, brandy or rum still covers the herbs. Let the mixture steep for at least two weeks and up to three months. When you reach the allotted waiting period, line a sieve with the cheesecloth or muslin and pour the liquid thru the sieve into another bottle. Gather up the ends of the cheesecloth and squeeze to extract all of the liquid. You can now fill small bottles with droppers with the tincture for ease in use. Be sure to label the jar with the name and the date.

The dose is one teaspoon tincture in a cup of tea, juice or water taken three times daily.

There are no right formulas for making tinctures. Experiment with different combinations. Be sure you write down the formula so when you come up with a winning combination you will have it on file.

Herb Tinctures for Treating a Cold

Here are a few ideas for treating colds with homemade herb tinctures. Make tinctures from the following herbs:

* echinacea (leaves, flowers)
* elder (leaves, flowers, berries)
* eyebright (leaves, flowers)
* ginger (root)
* peppermint (leaves)
* yarrow (leaves, flowers)
* catnip (leaves

Copyright © 2006 Mary Hanna All Rights Reserved.

Editor’s Legal Dislaimer: This guest-authored article is offered without any warranty and guarantee and presents general information only. Use at your own risk — and be sure to consult your doctor before using or relying upon herbal remedies of any kind.

My son got his first bee sting this morning. There was a dead (or so I thought) wasp lying on the floor of our dining room. I was talking to our daughter on the phone and was going to dispose of the bee as soon as I got off the phone. Not a minute later, my two-year-old son was crying because he had touched the bee and it had stung the end of his finger! I looked closely at the bee and saw it was still alive, though barely. Just alive enough to sting, apparently!

Fortunately the stinger didn’t lodge in my son’s finger and the pain didn’t last long. I coated the area with a paste of baking soda and water, which he couldn’t resist licking off after a couple of minutes. The pain disappeared after an hour or so, with no apparent allergic reactions, thank goodness.

If you or one of your children gets stung by a bee, the first thing you need to do is determine if there is a stinger that needs to be removed from the skin. Wasps, hornets, and yellow jackets do not leave their stingers behind. A honey bee, however, leaves its stinger embedded in the skin, and the stinger will then need to be removed.

The main thing to keep in mind while removing the stinger is that you don’t want to pull it out by squeezing it, such as with a pair of tweezers. Squeezing the stinger will release any remaining poison and actually worsen the sting. Gently scrape against the side of the stinger with your fingernail until the stinger is dislodged. Next apply an icepack to help reduce swelling.

A number of home remedies are available for lessening the effects of a bee sting. These remedies have been proven to be as good or better than their store-bought alternatives. The main objective is to use something that will neutralize the acid contained in the bee’s poison:

- Apply a paste of baking soda and water

- Apply a paste of meat tenderizer and water

- Apply household ammonia directly to sting (many store-bought remedies list ammonia as one of the main ingredients)

- Apply a paste of aspirin dissolved in water

- Apply toothpaste

- Apply apple cider vinegar

If you see any signs of an allergic reaction to the bee sting you should see a doctor immediately. Signs of allergic reaction include hives, headache, trouble breathing, tightness in the throat or chest, dizziness, nausea, or vomiting. Also see a doctor if swelling spreads to a large area of the body or if pain and swelling last more than three days.

About the Author: Rachel Paxton is a freelance writer and mom who is the author of What’s for Dinner?, an e-cookbook containing more than 250 quick easy dinner ideas. For more recipes, gardening, organizing tips, home decorating, holiday hints, and more, visit Creative Homemaking.