Tinctures are the most convenient to take herbal medicine. They're simple to make and all you have to do is pop a few drops in your mouth or glass of water. But they're expensive to buy. A simple echinacea tincture can cost you around $10 for an ounce. But if you plan well in time, you can make your own for just $1 for an ounce.
Studies have shown that Echinacea is very effective in working against influenza strains as it has many antiviral properties. Many people swear by Echinacea during the cold season. But with its many other benefits, it's always good to have Echinacea Tincture in your apothecary.
What is a tincture?
A tincture is a concentrated herbal extract simply made using two to three ingredients. Most tinctures are made from alcohol which is one of the best ways to extract the right benefits from any medicinal plant. Non-alcoholic tinctures are made with vinegar and are not as concentrated.
The Benefits of Echinacea
Echinacea not only cures cold symptoms but also
- Boosts the immune system.
- Lowers blood sugar levels
- Reduces inflammation.
Its infection-fighting properties also show promise in the treatment of herpes, malaria, syphilis and urinary tract infections. Native Americans also used it as an all-purpose painkiller.
Echinacea Tincture Blends
The best part about making your own Echinacea Tincture is that you customize your blends. Most often, people make an Elderberry and Echinacea blend since they complement each other's properties. The berries also mask the difficult-to-like take of Echinacea.
Other common Echinacea tincture blends include:
Elderflower
Rose Hips
Oregon Grape
Ginger
Cayenne
Goldenseal
Yarrow
Linden
Chamomile
Echinacea Tincture Side Effects
According to WebMD, Echinacea is 'likely safe' for most applications. However, like with any medicine, there is a potential for an allergic reaction.
People with autoimmune issues must avoid this herb as it interacts with the immune system.
Equipment Required To Make Homemade Echinacea Tincture
The equipment required to make herbal tinctures is very minimal.
Mason Jars: Regular mason jars work, but amber jars prevent light damage. Make sure the lid is tight-fitting.
*The Echinacea tincture must be stored in a dark place while you're waiting for extraction.
Funnel: A medium-sized funnel with a couple of layers of cheesecloth works best when decanting the finished Echinacea tincture.
The tincture must be stored in a dark amber glass bottle with a dropper to protect its medicinal compounds
Lastly, label your tinctures with blank adhesive labels or tags.
Disclaimer: You must always consult your doctor or clinical herbalist before you try any new herbal remedy. There is a possibility of an unintended reaction/consequence/side effect. I am not a practising clinical herbalist and the following is based on my research and experience. If you are foraging in the wild, please be 100% sure of the identification of the plant.
Let’s Make Homemade Echinacea Tincture
I love working with echinacea. It’s one of my favourite herbs and I always have some of it in my apothecary. I generally use dried organic Echinacea but you can use it fresh too.
Take a clean jar and fill it about halfway with dried echinacea. If you are using fresh plant material, fill 2/3 of the jar. Next, pour alcohol until all the Echinacea is completely covered. I personally use Smirnoff Vodka because it's inexpensive and tasty, I mean you will be dropping the tincture into your mouth eventually. You can use any other ethyl alcohol you like as long as it is 80-proof (or 40%) alcohol. Anything below will ruin your tincture.
Never use rubbing alcohol (isopropyl alcohol) as it is poisonous and can make you extremely ill. You may use rubbing alcohol in herbal liniments as it's for external use but be sure to label them carefully.
Alright, moving on. Give the jar a gentle shake and then store it in a cool, dry place which is void of any direct light, like a kitchen cabinet.
Repeat gently shaking the jar for a few days and monitor the alcohol levels. Dried matter invariably absorbs more alcohol. In such cases, simply open the jar and top the berries off with more alcohol.
After a month, your tincture is ready for decantation. Place a folded cheesecloth over a medium-sized funnel. Make sure the tip of the funnel is placed into the neck of a dark amber glass bottle. Slowly pour the tincture into the bottle through the funnel, while making sure you squeeze the echinacea in the cheesecloth to the last drop.
Label the bottle with its contents, the date it was bottled, the dosage and what it can be used for.
Note: Echinacea has a very harsh taste, so always take it mixed with water or juice.
Echinacea Tincture Dosage
Most herbalists recommend taking about 25 to 30 drops of a tincture, three times per day, which is about a dropper-full.
Herbalist Susan Weed breaks down dosages based on weight.
She rounds a dropper full for children 25 to 50 pounds.
For adults and older children:
50 to 100 pounds: 2 droppers full
100 to 150 pounds: 3 droppers full
150 to 200 pounds: 4 droppers full
200 to 250 pounds: 5 droppers full
If you're sick and have acute symptoms, a full dosage can be taken every 1-2 hours. As a preventive cure, you can take it every 3-4 hours.
Even for an average 150-pound adult, that is a lot of echinacea over 2-3 days. So after that, Susan Weed suggests tapering off to a few doses every week or so to prevent a relapse.
Where can I buy Echinacea?
Echinacea is easy to grow from seed which you can purchase online. However, it should not be harvested for the first 3 years since it is still getting established. I often buy bulk echinacea online. A pound of dried Echinacea costs about $20 and is more than enough to make a gallon of the tincture. Even if some is left over, you can always use it for tea.
ECHINACEA TINCTURE RECIPE
Prep Time: 10 mins
Active Time: 10 mins
Additional Time: 1 month
Total Time: 1 month 20 mins
Difficulty: Easy
Filled with health benefits, Echinacea tincture is a powerful and magical medicine to keep in your kitchen apothecary. Make your tincture at home using dried or fresh Echinacea now!
Materials
- Dried or fresh Echinacea
- Vodka or any other high-proof alcohol
Tools
- Mason Jar (pint) with a tight lid
- Funnel
- Cheesecloth
- Dark amber dropper bottles
- Labels or Tags
Instructions
1. Fill a dry and clean mason 1/2 with dried Echinacea. 2/3 is the material is fresh.
2. Pour alcohol over the Echinacea, completely covering them.
3. Screw the lid tightly and gently shake the jar, allowing it to settle naturally.
4. Store in a cool dry place, away from direct light, like a kitchen cabinet, for the next 1 month.
5. Shake alcohol-based tinctures every few days. If alcohol levels decrease, top it off.
6. Once ready, decant it using a funnel with cheesecloth lined in it. Place the tip of the funnel in the neck of the dark amber bottle.
7. Pour the tincture and squeeze the cheesecloth for all the extract.
8. Label with its contents, the date it was bottled, the dosage and what it can be used for.
Note: Echinacea has a very harsh taste, so always take it mixed with water or juice.
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