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HERBAL EXTRACTS ~

MACERATION of TINCTURES
Most tinctures made from dry plants are [1:5] strength with one part of the dried weight
represented in five parts (by volume) of the tincture. A few stronger plants (Aconitum,
Veratrum, etc.) are properly [1:10]. Many herbs are best tinctured fresh, and the usual
strength is [1:2]. Dry herb tinctures (the majority) are best prepared as a percolation
(described in any Remington's Pharmaceutical Sciences edition), although maceration was and
is considered a proper alternative. Fresh herb tinctures should only be done as a
macerationTinctures are easier to use than many other forms of botanicals, and often are
the preferred media for maximum efficacy. Some herbs such as Trillium are only truly effective
fresh, and a fresh plant tincture retains these properties. Some herbs, such as Scutellaria,
degrade rapidly after drying, and a tincture of the recent plant preserves the constituents far
longer than would be possible otherwise. Still other plants have a high portion of oleoresins,
only completely soluble in higher proportions of alcohol. An herb such as Hydrastis may have a
highly soluble alkaloid (berberine) and a poorly soluble one (hydrastine); a tea will present only
[water] soluble constituents, the tincture will present the complete plant. Further, the shelf
life of tinctures is years. -- Michael Moore Albuquerque, New Mexico, 1/1/96

TOOLS NEEDED
Mason Jars (wide mouth preferred)
Canning Funnel (stainless steel preferred)
Scale (measuring down to at least 1/10th ounces helpful if it also reads grams)
Measuring Cup (minimum 16 oz. and heat resistant glass preferred)
Menstruums (Alcohol, Water, Glycerine, Apple Cider Vinegar)
Spatula and Chopstick
Knife and Cutting Board, Pruners, Kitchen Shears, etc.
Grinder, Blender, etc.
Bowl (Stainless preferred)
Calculator
Notebook to keep medicine making records
Labels

RESOURCES
The Herbal Medicine-Makers Handbook: A Home Manual by James Green
Making Herbal Medicine by Richo Cech
Herbal Constituents: Foundations of Phytochemistry by Lisa Ganora
Herbal Materia Medica by Michael Moore
www.Herbalista.org - Downloadable Forms, instructions, etc.

TINCTURE EXTRACTS

LORNA MAUNEY-BRODEK
www.HERBALISTA.org

BASIC MACERATION INSTRUCTIONS


Herbal extracts are made by steeping (macerating) a fresh or dried herb in a solvent
(menstruum). To expose more surface area, and thus have far greater contact
between the herb and the extracting solvent, we can grind our dry herbs into a powder
(with the except of cinnamon, marshmallow, etc) and if the herb is fresh, we can chop,
tear, grate, or blend. Weigh and place your herb into a jar and cover with enough
chosen menstruum that your herbal material sit below the level of the menstruum for
maximum extraction and to avoid oxidation/spoilage of product. Add additional
menstruum when necessary. Macerate herbs for at least 14 days (1 month when using
glycerin). Shake your maceration daily if required. Strain and compost the marc
(spent herb.) Pour your finished tincture into a clean, brown, glass bottle for storage.
Label should include Name of Herb, Part of Plant, Fresh / Dry, Ratio, Menstruum Blend,
Date, and an identifying number (aka Batch #) that will correspond to your medicine
making notes.

WEIGHT TO VOLUME METHOD [ Weight of Herb : Volume of Menstruum ]


This is a standardized method that takes at least one of the variables out of plant
medicines. And how many lovely variables still remain (growing conditions like sun,
rain, and soil, etc...) To do this method you will need both a scale (preferably
measuring to the 1/10 of an oz) and a measuring cup (at least 16 oz. size.) This
method utilizes a ratio where the left side represents the amount of herb by weight
and the right side shows the menstruum by liquid volume. Commonly used ratios are
[1:2] when working with fresh herbs and [1:5] when working with dried herbs.
Whatever the weight of your herb, you will multiply that by the right side of the ratio
to determine how much menstruum to use. See examples below.
Dry herbs [1:5] 1 part dry herb by weight to 5 parts menstruum by volume
i.e.: I have 2 oz. of dried Chamomile. 2 x 5 = 10. I will need 10 fl. oz. of menstruum.
Fresh herbs
[1:2] 1 part fresh herb by weight to 2 parts menstruum by volume
i.e.: I have 4 oz. of fresh Pedicularis. 4 x 2 = 8. I will need 8 fl. oz. of menstruum.
If you find that the menstruum does not cover the herb, you will need to add more. Be
sure to measure out the menstruum you add and change your ratio to reflect the
additional menstruum. It is helpful to add your additional menstruum in parts.
For example, in the Chamomile scenario above, if you needed more fluid to cover the
herb, you would add 2 oz. at a time (whatever the weight of your herb was). Each
time you poured in 2 more ounces, you would increase the right side of your ratio by
1. The first additional 2 oz. I add will take my ratio from a [1:5] to a [1:6], if I added
2 additional parts, then would become a [1:7], and so on. You do have the option of
adding in parts as well.

TINCTURE EXTRACTS

LORNA MAUNEY-BRODEK
www.HERBALISTA.org

FRESH PLANT MACERATION CONTROVERSY


The only thing herbalists can truly agree on is not to use aluminum pots. And when it
comes to the preferred method for fresh plant macerations, the debate is fairly fierce.
Both methods are practiced by great herbalists and some use a combination of the
two. Ultimately your medicine should reflect your practice philosophy and will change
over time, as you work with the medicines and find out what works through direct
experience.

FRESH PLANT UNDILUTED ALCOHOL (95%) METHOD & PACK


This method is based on the guidelines established in 1902 at the Conference
Internationale pour lunification de la Formule des Medicaments Heroiques that took
place in Brussels, Belgium. The protocol agreed upon at this conference was made
official in the US Pharmacopoeia VIII in 1906. In order to extract plant constituents
through a still functional plant cellular wall you need absolute alcohol. If your
menstruum percentage is lower than that, it lacks the pulling power.
Tincture fresh plant at a ratio of 1:2 with undiluted (190 proof/ 95%) alcohol
No shaking necessary as extraction is based on the principle of dehydration.
Packing style: Since no room to shake is needed, you can pack the jar to the
brim. This method allows the cap to acts as a barrier holding the plant material
down in the menstruum, saving you from adding more menstruum (further diluting
your preparation) to ensure your herb is fully submerged during extraction.
How do you know how much herb and menstruum will fit into a jar?
Add your parts together and divide the size of your jar by that number (i.e. if doing
a 1:2 ratio, add 1 + 2 = 3. Now divide the size of your jar by 3.)
EXAMPLE: Fresh sage [1:2, 95%] with a 16 oz jar
HERB: 16 3 5.3 Weigh out 5.3 oz of herb.
MENSTRUUM: Multiply 5.3 x 2 = 10.6 Measure 10.6 oz of 95% alcohol
When using leafy material, dont pack in all of the herb at once. First, pack 1/2 of
into the jar, adding 1/2 of the alcohol. Press and poke out the air bubbles.
Continue to add herb and alcohol until filled to the brim. Cap and label. After two
weeks, strain and compost the marc.

FRESH PLANT DILUTED ALCOHOL (under 95%) METHOD & PACK


This method matches the menstruum to the constituents, plain and simple. If the
constituents you desire are more water soluble, you should use less alcohol, and if they
are more highly alcohol soluble your menstruum will be of a stronger proof. See
formulas for making your own custom menstruums below.
When we use diluted alcohol, we must shake daily for proper extraction. This means
we must have room in the jar for agitation to occur. Since the cap does not help to
hold down the plant, we might need to add additional parts of menstruum to the jar to
keep the plant submerged, or use something to hold the plant down between shakes.

TINCTURE EXTRACTS

LORNA MAUNEY-BRODEK
www.HERBALISTA.org

MIXING CUSTOM MENSTRUUMS


FORMULA for CUSTOM MENSTRUUM (pretending 95% alcohol is 100%)
total oz. menstruum x
desired Alcohol % =
oz. pure Alcohol
total oz. menstruum

oz. Alcohol
=
oz. H2O
Example : You want to make 16 ounces of 60% alcohol
16
x
0.6 (%60)
=
9.6 oz pure Alcohol
16

9.6
=
6.4 oz H2O
Check yourself: 9.6 + 6.4 = 16

FORMULA for CUSTOM MENSTRUUM (LEGIT)


% of Alcohol you have
% desired Alcohol =
X
total oz menstruum
X
(from above)
=
oz. Alcohol
total oz menstruum

oz Alcohol
=
oz. H2O
Example : You want to make 16 ounces of 60% Alcohol menstruum from 95% Alcohol
95%

60%
=
1.583
16

1.583
=
10.11 oz. Alcohol
16

10.11
=
5.89 oz. H2O
I would round these number to 10 oz. Alcohol and 6 oz. Water.

SOLVENTS
ALCOHOL (ETHANOL / EtOH)

The percentage equals of the listed proof. 80 proof vodka is 40%


alcohol (and 60% H2O)
Excellent at extracting resins, balsams, camphors, essential oils, and
alkaloids.
Depending on the herb, you either use straight 195 proof/ 95% alcohol or blend
the 95% alcohol with water to achieve a desired lower percentage. One can also
80 or 100 proof (40 or 50%) alcohol such as brandy, vodka, or tequila.
Shelf Life: The end product must contain at least 20% alcohol for reliable
storage.
Macerate for a minimum of 2 weeks.

WATER

An excellent solvent with a wide range of extraction protential. Also pretty darn
available. The other part of diluted alcohol menstruums.
Use clean water. If from a well, have it tested regularly and if from a municiple
source, make sure to filter.
Excellent at extracting sugars, gums, mucilage, polysaccharides, some
alkalids such as berberine, allantoin, tannins, to name a few.

TINCTURE EXTRACTS

LORNA MAUNEY-BRODEK
www.HERBALISTA.org

APPLE CIDER VINEGAR (ACV)

ACV is a dilute acetic acid liquid (just over 5% solution)


Since ACV has a large percentage of water already present, it can extract all the
constituents water does, such as mucilage, starch, sugar, gums, and
tannins with the bonus of being an extremely efficient extractor of both
minerals and alkaloids.
Shelf Life: Due to large amount of water present, use straight. Do not further
dilute. Refrigerate fresh plant vinegar extracts. Store dry plant vinegar
extracts in a cool, dark place.
Use wax paper between jar and cap when macerating.
Macerate between 2 and 4 weeks.

VEGETABLE GLYCERINE (GLYCERITE)

Glycerin is the sweet principle of oils, obtained by hydrolysis. Vegetable Glycerin


is often made from soy. However, after the hydrolysis process, no proteins
remain. Allergies are reactions to proteins, therefore it should be safe for
someone, even if they have a soy allergy.
In general, extracts constituents similar to water and alcohol, just to a weaker
extent. Expecially effective at extracting tannins.
For reliable storage the end product should be at least 60-70% glycerin. It is
used straight when working with fresh herbs due to the presence of water in the
fresh material and may be diluted to extract dry herbs. Shelf life is 3-5 years.
Also used in small percentages (5-10%) in other tincture preparations to
reduce precipitation of tannins and alkaloids.
Macerate for 1 month.

GOOD HERBALISTA PRACTICES


(cGHPs)
Herbal Medicine Making is regulated by the FDA according to guidelines issued in 2008
(aka Good Manufacturing Practices or cGMPs.) The cGMPs regulate not only the
manufacturing industry, but also explicitly (and most inappropriately) applies to the
practicing herbalist as well. Despite the fact that we are healthcare practitioners with
a completely different set of needs and responsibilities, the FDA has denied our original
request for exemption. While it is important to inform yourselves of these regulations
to understand the current climate we practice in, it is important to realize that rules
can be rewritten. We must work towards securing out exemption or towards a greatly
reduced set of code that does not stifle the art of herbalism or create such
tremendous barriers to herbal access. For more on this topic, please read my essay In
Defense of Good Herbalista Practices (GHPs), available on my website.

TINCTURE EXTRACTS

LORNA MAUNEY-BRODEK
www.HERBALISTA.org

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