By: Hettie Basil Lighttower
A word I have always been curious about, is the word “tincture”. First of all it is very hard to say. My mouth never wants to go in the right direction to get it out properly, how ‘bout yours? I have heard it pronounced TIN SURE. But really it is supposed to be TING SURE. And somehow the K sound of the C and the T in the middle disappears. It is such a tricky word. There is no G in it. And when you repeat it aloud to yourself several times in a row it sounds quite ridiculous and somewhat playful.
Besides all that, what exactly is a “ting-sure”? One definition is that it is a medicine made by dissolving a drug in alcohol. Drinking alcohol that is. Vodka or absolute; ethyl alcohol should be used because it is safe for consumption but also for skin application. It can be used either way. Isopropyl and methanal alcohols are toxic and certainly cannot be used for internal consumption.
Ethyl alcohol is the safest type for tinctures because it is intended for internal use. And of course, it is only taken as a few drops; per dose usually six drops max per day. It has the capability to extract both fat soluble and water soluble compounds from plants or substances.
Ethyl alcohol is not the only liquid used successively for tinctures. Vinegar may also be used. But not just any vinegar. Only apple cider vinegar. White vinegar does not contain the “mother” which is the beneficial bacteria present after the fermentation process. This helps to pull out the beneficial compounds from the plants or drugs you are wanting to have a tincture of. (Side note here: Last week I talked about the benefits of SPRUCE. Well one of my research sources here about tinctures is coming from a website that popped up on the top of source list called “The Spruce Eats”. I thought that was rather interesting and synchronizing. Of all the names of websites!)
Anyway, back to the real world…. Haha…. Why make tinctures? What is the purpose? There are a couple benefits to utilizing a tincture as opposed to just taking the herb in a capsule or tea or ingesting the plant or medicine outright. Firstly, the active compounds of the plants extracted into the alcohol or vinegar will be preserved for at least a year! This is especially true for the vinegar-made tincture. The alcohol-made vinegar has the capacity to be on a dark shelf or in a cabinet for longer.
A second benefit is the compounds are so concentrated that you only need a few drops under the tongue or on the skin to do the job efficiently. You are maximizing all the benefits plus they are more quickly absorbed into our body in this liquid form as opposed to having to make their way through our entire digestive system and coming against all that encompasses that process.
And you may already know that the skin under your tongue is different than other skin. It allows absorption nearly immediately to provide quick response within the body to it. This is why those at risk for heart attacks can put a nitro glycerin tablet under the tongue and it can save a life. And even a baby aspirin under the tongue can create a quicker response to pain or a fever as opposed to swallowing it.
Tinctures do all these things for us. If you are wanting to try your hand at making a tincture always remember to use thoroughly dried out herbs or plants. If the substance is not completely crispy dry that means it still has moisture in it. If the plants have any moisture, especially if using vinegar as your base, mold can develop and spoil your batch.
So, how do you make a batch? Get a mason jar. Fill it completely with completely properly dried herbs or flowers of choice for the desired remedy you seek. Then fill the with the alcohol or vinegar within a half inch or so from the top of the jar. Put the lid on and give it a few back and forth jostles and see if you have more room for the liquid after the air all goes to the top. If so, add more liquid and be sure all the plant matter is below the liquid surface. Voila’!!! Store in a cool dark place. A good six months later you have your pot of gold. Use a funnel and strainer to pour into a pitcher, then from the pitcher funnel into the individual bottles.
Usually people use amber or dark brown bottles that have a built-in dropper in the lid for convenience of use. Don’t forget to label it. In another month or two you may forget exactly what it was you put in there.
As always, feel free to send in your notions and comments to [email protected]. I will include them in the next available column as per their arrival relative to the publication deadline of Tuesday by 12 p.m. of the same week. If you wish to be anonymous, let me know. Kindness is contagious~*