Hello friends,
When I got my Herbal Remedy Kit and discovered that I could easily make my own Echinacea tincture, I was so psyched! We use quite a bit of it in our household, from the youngest to the oldest. It’s our go to herbal remedy as soon as I think someone’s about to come down with the sniffles. It’s safe and effective. If you want to utilize the healing properties of this amazing herb, here’s “How To Make Echinacea Tincture“.
The Basics:
Echinacea purpurea (pronounced “ek-i-nay-sha“) is a herbaceous purple coneflower plant, hence my pretty flower graphic above :). A tincture is basically a liquid extract and really simple to make. All you’re doing is combining the dried Echinacea root with some alcohol, in this case vodka (80 proof or higher). Fill any jar of your choosing half full with herb and pour on the vodka. Wait 6 weeks, strain and done! (If you prefer to not use alcohol, see the end of the post for other variations).
Here’s What You’ll Need:
- dried Echinacea root (buy it here) or (here)
- 80-100 proof vodka (scroll to the end of this post if you rather not use alcohol)
- muslin/cheesecloth (buy it here) or (here)
- jar (the jar I used was 9 oz. but you can fill any size jar half-way with dried herbs, mason jars would work well for this)
- amber or other dark colored dropper bottle(s) (buy it here) (remember to sterilize your jars prior to use)
- small kitchen funnel (sold at fine neighborhood Dollar Stores everywhere)
- label (or use any paper, affix with tape or better yet just write directly on a piece of masking tape)
Directions:
- Pour dried Echinacea herb in jar
- Fill jar with vodka to the lip below the screw band, making sure the Echinacea is covered. Put the lid on. Keep the jar in a dark spot, avoiding sunlight. (place it somewhere you can see it everyday because of Step# 4.)
- Write the date on a label to attach to the jar, also write the “decant date” which would be six weeks from the day you start your tincture.
- Give the jar a good shake. You’re going to have to do this once a day for 6 weeks or at the very least for the first 2 weeks. (make sure to check it everyday to ensure the vodka is covering the herbs)
- Tick…tock. (After 6 weeks) pour the tincture into your cheesecloth or fine strainer. Squeeze out all the liquid goodness.
- Use the funnel to pour the extract into the dropper bottles (don’t overfill, I make that mistake sometimes).
- Label and serve!
Prefer Visuals? Here are the steps in pictures:
- Pour dried Echinacea herb in jar
- Fill jar with vodka to the lip below the screw band, making sure the Echinacea is covered. Put the lid on. Keep the jar in a dark spot, avoiding sunlight. (place it somewhere you can see it everyday because of Step# 4 below.)
- Write the date on a little label to attach to the jar, also write the “decant date” which would be six weeks from the day you start your tincture.
- Give the jar a good shake. You’re going to have to do this once a day for 6 weeks or at the very least for the first 2 weeks. (make sure to check it everyday to ensure the vodka is covering the herbs)
- Tick… tock…(After 6 weeks) pour the tincture into your cheesecloth or fine strainer. Squeeze out all the liquid goodness.
- Pour your extract into your dropper bottles. Label and serve!
How to Use
At the first sign of illness, we take up to 30 drops (or a dropper or two full) in a small amount of water three times a day. You’ll want to veer toward the higher end of the dosage, or 30 drops, during times of illness. Please note that children’s doses are generally one-quarter of an adult dose. It’s most effective before a cold takes hold, but still helpful nonetheless. Your immune system will thank you for it! I don’t, but some folks even take a few drops of Echinacea everyday as part of their health maintenance routine. It boosts the T cells directly, thereby boosting the immune system. Note: For this very reason persons with autoimmune disease should consult with their doctor or other qualified practitioner before taking Echinacea. In addition, because it’s in the daisy family it is sometimes suggested to not be used by those who have compositae or ragweed allergies.
Oh, and it’s also a great antiseptic for cuts and scrapes to prevent infection.
DIY is Cheaper
No more buying Echinacea tincture for me! It’s so much less expensive to make my own. If everyone’s sick in the house, and I have to purchase it, we’re looking at $14 or more for a teeny 1 oz. bottle. That could go pretty fast if everyone’s sick and needs an Echinacea boost. The dried herb costs me less than $2 an ounce and that single ounce can make 2-3 (one ounce) bottles of tincture.
If you’re not up to making your own right now but would still like to try this Echinacea stuff, I used to buy this brand before I started making my own.
Video: Want to see it being made? Here’s an excellent video by Rosemary Gladstar showing you how to make Echinacea tincture. Like everything else, there are tons of online videos and good blogs with recipe variations for making Echinacea tincture.
Can’t do alcohol?: If alcohol use is a concern for personal or religious reasons, you can use the dried echinacea, steeped as a tea and drink it regularly throughout the day as soon as you feel you may be coming down with something. Alternately, there are recipes online that utilize glycerine and other liquids instead.
What’s your take on Echinacea?
Next up…Healing Herbal Salve.
Wendy
Disclaimer: It should go without saying but since I must, let me clarify that this information is not meant to treat, cure, diagnose or prevent any illness or encourage you to pursue any particular course of treatment. This is simply the recipe I use for my family. I strongly urge anyone, as I do myself, to do their own research on any herbs, supplements before taking or giving it to your family. And it’s almost always best to do so under the care and supervision of a medical or other licensed practitioner. There, I said it. 🙂
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