If you want to surprise your guests with something special during holidays, then you can try making your own tincture at home!
Tinctures are relatively easy to make, and they allow you to experiment with different herbs, fruits, berries, and also spices.
Here are a few tips on how to do that at home.
Choose Your Herb
Pick an herb you want to use for your tincture. It could be something like chamomile, lavender, or echinacea.
Make sure it's something safe to consume.
Gather Supplies
Get the things you need, like the herb, high-proof alcohol (like vodka or rum), a clean glass jar with a tight lid, and a dark, cool place to store it.
Clean the Jar
Wash your glass jar thoroughly. It's important to start with a clean container to avoid any contamination.
Measure Your Herb
Figure out how much herb you want to use. A common ratio is one part herb to five parts alcohol.
For example, if you have one cup of herbs, use five cups of alcohol.
Combine Herb and Alcohol
Put your herbs into the clean jar and pour the alcohol over them. Make sure the herbs are fully covered by the alcohol.
Label and Date
Label your jar with the name of the herb and the date you started the tincture. This helps you keep track of what you made.
Shake and Wait
Shake the jar well to mix the herb and alcohol. Then, store it in a dark, cool place. Shake it every day or so for about 2-6 weeks.
This lets the alcohol extract the goodness from the herbs.
Strain and Store
After a few weeks, strain the liquid to remove the herb parts. You can use cheesecloth or a fine mesh strainer.
Store the liquid in a dark bottle, like amber glass, and keep it in a cool place.
