In a tincture the properties of the herb are extracted and preserved in alcohol – in early times this would have been in wine – there are many old recipes with handfuls of herbs boiled in wine. Tinctures can be made with fresh or dried herbs. Some herbs need different strengths of alcohol but the following is good enough for home use. Use 25g/1 oz  or 50g 2 oz of fresh herb to 600ml/1pint of alcohol. Tinctures keep indefinitely and the dosage is small and effective.

Here is a recipe for making a Herbal Tincture

Makes 200-300 ml/ 7-10 fl oz of tincture

15g/1/2 oz dried herbs

30g/1 oz fresh herb

200 ml/7 fl oz vodka

85ml/6 tablespoons water

1. Chop or bruise the herb
2. Put into a large jar and add the alcohol
3. Cover, label and date the jar and leave to stand for 2 weeks. Shake daily
4. Don’t leave longer than 2 weeks
5. Strain through muslin or loose weave cotton cloth - squeeze and wring the herbs to get out every drop of the tincture
6. Pour the strained liquid into clean glass bottles – they should be boiled or sterilised in a pressure cooker.
7. Label and date

Dosage for a home-made tincture

Tonic = 1 teaspoon once a day

Standard = 1 teaspoon 3 times a day

Acute = 1 teaspoon 4 times a day

Diluted – 1 teaspoon of tincture to 1 cup/8 fl oz of water to make a gargle, wash or compress.

Tinctures have been around a log time !

A tincture for stomach complaints from 1730 (this is for interest and not recommended !)

To make a pretious drink good for wind in the stomak.

Take two quarts of Brandy and put into it of Cowslip flowers, Sage and Rosemary flowers and sweet marjoram of each a good handful of wood bittony and balm of of each a pretty handful and of pellitory of the wall a little: Cinamon and half an ounce, Nutmegs half an ounce, of fennel seeds, aniseed, Coriander seeds Caraway seeds Gromell seeds and Juniper berries of each a dram. Bruise the spices and seeds severally; half an handful of Reysins of the sun stoned and two or three figs sliced. Put all these into a wide mouthed glass then set it 20 days in the sun, then straine it out and put there to half a lb of fine sugar and let it stand in the sun till the sugar be ,elted a way stirring it about some times.