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| dicinal teas straight, with no added flavors or sweeteners. |
| Tinctures. To make a tincture, which is a concentrated alcohol extract, fill a glass jar 1/4 to 1/3 full with fresh or dried herbs that you have cut or shredded into small pieces. Cover the herbs with 80-proof or higher proof vodka, rum, brandy, or grain alcohol, with a few inches of alcohol above the plant matter. Cover tightly and place in a warm location. Check the jar every day or two, shaking it briefly. As the dried herbs absorb the liquid, add more alcohol. Some recipes call for 1 part plant matter to 4 parts alcohol, but using less alcohol or more plant material results in a more concentrated, medicinal tincture. Let the tincture stand for three or four weeks before filtering. Some herbalists recommend straining and bottling tinctures at the full moon. There is no specific deadline; a tincture left for two months will be more potent than one left for two weeks. Strain the tincture through cheesecloth or muslin, pressing out as much liquid as possible before discarding the spent plant material. Alcohol tinctures have an indefinite shelf life. Stored in amber glass jars away from heat and light, they last for decades. |
| If you prefer not to use alcohol for the tinctures you will use during detoxification therapy, substitute vegetable glycerine or mix glycerine with alcohol. Glycerine does not dissolve all of the medicinal constituents that alcohol extracts, but it is widely used in tinctures, especially for children. Glycerine adds a sweet taste and syrupy texture to tinctures. Cider vinegar can be used to make no-alcohol tinctures, though their shelf life is shorter than glycerine or alcohol |
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