Have You Made Your Own Tinctures?
It's been a little while since I have made tinctures, but I am definitely going to make some this spring and summer with herbs I am growing in my garden. I will also use dried herbs if I cannot grow the herbs myself, like Eyebright (Euphrasia officinalis).
Below are some photos of me making a tincture with Sweet Leaf or Wild Bergamot (Mondarda fistulosa) that I grew in my garden. I let it wilt a little and then covered the wild bergamot with vodka. Every day I would shake it a little to mix and then after a month or so I would place a clean cloth over a sieve to pour and remove the liquid from the plant matter. Then I squeezed the cloth to remove as much of the medicine as I could.
I use the Wild Bergamot when the wax in my ear feels thick to the point that it inhibits my ability to hear. I use the herbalist Matthew Wood's approach with many of my tinctures and just add a homeopathic amount of 3 drops to water once a day. For me, it isn't an immediate fix, but over time the ear canal moistens and the ear clears itself of the wax naturally. It works every time.
And now is the tedious time of inventory. Not my favorite but it is good to go through all the herbs (and where they are right now) before I order or plant more. Since it is cold and windy outside, it is less of an issue to go through all my bottles and jars. The nice aspect of this time of the year is that there aren't a million things to do, so I can just brew up some tea and get to work.
What's your favorite herbs that you use? Are there any that you grow in your garden? Thanks for stopping by! God bless and take care.
~All photos taken by me. :-)
