Herbs are highly valued for both their nutritive and medicinal value. Adding herbs to foods can enhance the flavor and make what might be a blah meal a wowza!
In addition, herbal medicine has been used for centuries to treat health issues. Herbs as medicine can be prepared as infusions (like a tea), salves, or tinctures. There are different qualities for each of the preparations. For instance, infusions are often considered to be more nutritutional than medicinal, in that they will be used as a tonic or immune-boosting supplement, rather than to treat an illness, although they can be used in both ways.
A tincture is most often considered a medicine and should be used with great care, as the process of making a tincture involves the extracting and concentrating the medicinal qualities of the herb. In short, a tincture is like a turbo-charged version of the herb. A tincture is made by steeping herbs in alcohol, usually vodka or rum. According to Susan Weed, the process of making a tincture leeches the nutritional value out of the herbs, but it enhances the herb’s medicinal value.
As a Prepper,
I wanted to learn to use herbs both in my kitchen and in my medicine
cabinet. It's not so much that I think herbs are inherently better
than pharmaceuticals (although I do believe that herbs are a more
gentle and more natural remedy for most non-life threatening
ailments), but as a Prepper, I am keenly aware that things happen.
Systems break down. Resources become scarce or depleted. And things
that we take for granted, may not always be so readily available. In
the event that finding a doctor or getting OTC rash cream, becomes
problematic, I wanted alternatives.
When we first bought our
property, Deus Ex Machina and I resolved to only grow plants that
were medical or edible. What we found is that they are often both.
For instance, everyone knows that Oregano is wonderful when added to
Mediterranean/Italian cuisine. Oregano oil (which is extracted from
the oregano plant using a distillation process) is also a powerful
immune booster. Cloves are fantastic in pumpkin pie, but the clove
oil can be used for dental issues, like a toothache. It's these
multi-purpose plants that found a home in my garden. Jewel weed is a
wonderful pot herb when its young, but it's a really good treatment
for poison ivy.
Of course, growing the plant is only a portion of the process. Once I figured out what and how to grow it, then, I needed to figure out how to use it. The following are the steps to make a tincture out of herbs in your garden.
Step 1
Gather 1 oz of dried herb or enough fresh herb to fill a pint-sized glass container 1/3 full with the herb. Chop into pieces and place into the jar.
Step 2
Fill the jar to the top with rum or vodka. Susan Weed advises using 100 proof alcohol. She states that lower proof alcohols don’t work as well and higher proof can cause damage to liver and kidneys.
Step 3
Cover the jar and allow to steep for six weeks.
Step 4
Strain the herb out of the alcohol through a cheesecloth or paper filter. Discard used herb.
Step 5
Using the funnel, pour the strained tincture into a dark colored bottle. Label bottle with type of tincture and the date, and store the tincture tightly closed in a cool, dark place.
Skill
Moderately Easy
Things You'll Need
1 oz dried herb or enough fresh herb to fill a pint-sized jar 1/3 full
Alcohol = vodka or rum
Pint-sized glass jar
Cheesecloth
Colored glass jar with a lid
Funnel
Tips
Properly stored a tincture will keep for as long as five years.
Warnings
Herbal tinctures should be treated like all other medications. Before using any herbal remedy, consult a physician or certified herbalist.
References
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