Chickweed Tincture
A Chickweed tincture is a homemade herbal remedy that's easy to make with just a few ingredients.
Equipment
- Pint mason jar (or any other jar with a tight-fitting lid)
- Funnel
- Cheesecloth (or fine mesh strainer)
- Adhesive label or masking tape (for labelling tincture)
Ingredients
- Chickweed fresh or dried
- Neutral Spirit such as vodka*
Instructions
- Fill a clean mason jar about 3/4 full with fresh chickweed or halfway if you're using dried chickweed.
- Pour your chosen alcohol (vodka is a great option) over the chickweed until it is fully submerged, ensuring the plant material is completely covered.
- Secure the lid tightly on the jar and give it a gentle shake to mix the contents. Store the jar in a cool, dark place, away from direct sunlight, and let it steep for 6 to 8 weeks.
- Give the jar a gentle shake every few days to encourage the extraction process. Daily shaking is ideal, but even shaking a few times a week will work. Keep an eye on the alcohol level to ensure the plant material stays submerged. If needed, top off with more alcohol to keep everything covered.
- After the infusion period, line a funnel with cheesecloth and place it over an amber glass tincture bottle. Pour the tincture and chickweed into the funnel, gently pressing to extract as much liquid as possible.
- Once the tincture is strained, label the bottle with the date, contents, dosage recommendations, and suggested uses. Store the tincture in a cool, dark place away from direct light.
Notes
*Tinctures are typically made with vodka because it has a neutral flavor, but you can also use other high-proof spirits like brandy, whiskey, or rum. The key is to ensure that the final tincture contains at least 25% alcohol to preserve it effectively. Fresh herbs release some moisture, so you must use an alcohol that’s 60-proof or higher.
Avoid using denatured alcohol or isopropyl alcohol, as these are toxic and should never be consumed.
For an alcohol-free tincture (glycerite)
Use dried chickweed and cover it with a mixture of 3 parts glycerin to 1 part distilled water. For fresh chickweed, skip the water and use only glycerin. Shake the jar daily, and follow the same decanting steps as with the alcohol-based tincture.Yield
The amount of tincture you end up with can vary depending on whether you're using fresh or dried plant material. With fresh herbs, you can expect to harvest just a bit more tincture than the amount of alcohol you initially add. However, when using dried herbs, the plant material will absorb some of the alcohol, so you'll end up with a little less tincture than the alcohol you started with. The amount of vodka needed will also depend on how densely you pack the jar. Generally, for a quart jar, you'll need about 2-3 cups of vodka, and for a pint jar, around 1 to 1 1/2 cups of vodka. Just be sure to keep the plant material fully submerged in the alcohol during the extraction process. Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!