How to Make a Glycerite Tincture

Do you want to make a pure, effective herbal medicine for your family that builds the immune system, soothes sore throats, and fights infection? You can make this medicine in the comfort of your own kitchen and have absolute confidence that it will be safe and effective for even the youngest members of your family. It contains no alcohol and yet is completely preserved. Making a tincture doesn't have to be complicated! All you need is an assortment of herbs, a jar with its corresponding lid, a towel, and a Crock-Pot! In just six simple steps you will have a pure, concentrated herbal medicine.

Step #1: Prepare your herbs

This step is not always necessary. Some herbs need a bit of crushing and grinding to give the extraction a head start, especially if those herbs have a tough exterior. In my lovely marble mortar I have a nice bunch of dried rosehips which I crushed slightly with my pestle.

Rosehips are full of seeds and a peculiar fuzzy mass.

Step #2: Place herbs in a jar

I placed my crushed rosehips in my Mason jar with my two other herbs, mullien leaf and coltsfoot leaf, being careful to fill it to no more than about two-thirds of the jar's volume. These three herbs combined will make for a powerful defense against the nasty bugs that are responsible for itchy, raw throats!

Step #3: Add your liquids

I poured in roughly three to four tablespoons of vegetable glycerine and a splash of water.

I waited for the water level to go down as the herbs soaked up the liquids, stirred it up a bit, then added more water until it measured just over an inch from the top.

Was that complicated? No, of course it wasn't. =) Just three basic ingredients and you're set for the cooking period!

Step #4: Prepare your Crock Pot

Place an old dish towel, folded twice, in the bottom of a Crock-Pot.

Fill it with several inches of water until it reaches just below the rim of your tightly sealed jar.

Step #5: Cook your tincture

Place your Crock-Pot dish in its heating vessel, set it on Low, and cook it for two to three days. Check your jar every now and then to ensure that there is no leakage or any other problems. The liquid level inside the jar should remain about an inch from the top. (Please pardon the beat-up appearance of our rather ancient Crock-Pot. =D)

Step #6: Strain and store your tincture

Carefully remove the jar from the Crock-Pot, place it on a potholder, and let it cool. Unscrew the lid as soon as you're able to handle it. I "borrowed" an old t-shirt from my brother, cut it into large rectangular pieces, and viola! I have strong, durable, washable fabric perfect for wringing the liquid out of my now-useless herbs. An alternative to the cut-up t-shirt would be cheesecloth. With little muss or fuss, you have a pure, concentrated liquid full of incredible herbal properties!

The only thing that remains is to pour that precious liquid into the storage containers of your choice. I like to use amber glass bottles with a dropper attachment in the screw-top lid.

Anyone can make medicine! No one is as concerned for your health as you are. The LORD God has created incredible herbs for the personal use of every person on earth. You do not have to have a doctor's degree to know how to prepare effective medicines for your family. There are countless herb reference books available that give accurate information on the properties, uses, preparations, and dosages of herbs that have been proven to be effective for our bodily health. You can also find trustworthy information on herbs all over the Internet. Two of my favorite websites to research herbs on are BulkHerbStore and WellTellMe. Herbs in their purest, most natural form are the most effective sources of healing and prevention of disease available to us. God has provided for our health; let's make good use of it!

"He causeth the grass to grow for the cattle, and herb for the service of man" (Ps. 104:14)