Elderflower Tincture
A gentle herbal tincture made by macerating fresh or dried elderflowers in vodka for 4 to 6 weeks. Yields about 12 oz of finished tincture from a pint jar, enough to fill six 2-oz dropper bottles. Keeps its potency for 2 to 5 years stored cool and dark.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups fresh elderflowers stripped from stems, or 1 cup dried
- 1 1/2 cups vodka 80 proof / 40% ABV minimum, or brandy, or rum, enough to fill the pint jar to within an inch of the top
Instructions
- Harvest elderflower umbels on a dry sunny day when the flowers are fully open. Snip the entire umbel off at the base, shake gently to dislodge insects, and bring them inside in a single layer.
- Do not wash the flowers. Strip the small flowers from the green stems using your fingers or a fork. Discard the stems.
- Pack the stripped flowers into a clean pint mason jar. The jar should be about 2/3 full of fresh flowers, or about 1/2 full of dried.
- Pour vodka over the flowers until the jar is filled to within an inch of the top. Make sure all the plant material is submerged.
- Cap the jar, label it with the contents and date, and store in a cool, dark place.
- Shake daily for the first week, then every few days for the remainder of the maceration.
- Let macerate for 4 to 6 weeks.
- Strain through a double layer of cheesecloth set inside a fine mesh strainer. Press the spent flowers gently to release the last of the liquid, then compost them.
- Decant the strained tincture into amber dropper bottles. Label with contents and date.
Notes
Yield ~ This recipe makes about 12 oz of finished tincture from a pint jar, enough to fill six 2-oz dropper bottles.
Alcohol percentage ~ 80 proof (40% ABV) is the minimum for fresh plant material. High-proof grain alcohol (Everclear, 190 proof) should be diluted to about 50% ABV with distilled water before using.
Folk method vs. weight-to-volume ~ The folk method (jar 2/3 full of fresh flowers, top with alcohol) is what's written here. Herbalists often use a more precise weight-to-volume formula: 1:2 ratio fresh plant to alcohol by weight, or 1:5 dried plant to alcohol.
Fresh vs. dried ~ Use about half the volume of dried flowers compared to fresh, since dried material rehydrates and swells. Maceration time stays the same.
Don't wash the flowers ~ Elderflower's most aromatic and medicinal compounds sit right on the surface of the flowers. Water washes them off. A gentle shake to dislodge insects is all the cleaning the flowers need before they go in the jar.
Strip the stems ~ The green stems and stalks contain trace amounts of the same compounds found in the bark and leaves of the elder plant and are generally avoided in internal preparations. Only the small white flowers go in the tincture.
Plant ID safety ~ Use only black elder (Sambucus nigra) or common elder (Sambucus canadensis), both of which produce dark purple berries later in the season. Avoid red elderberry (Sambucus racemosa), which is generally considered toxic.
Alcohol-free version ~ Substitute food-grade vegetable glycerine to make a glycerite. Shelf life drops to about 1 to 2 years. Raw apple cider vinegar is another non-alcohol option.
Shelf life ~ Stored cool and dark, alcohol-based tincture keeps its potency for 2 to 5 years. Discard any tincture that smells off or shows visible mold.
Dosage ~ The general dose is 1 to 2 droppers full taken three times per day, either directly on the tongue or diluted in water. For acute use at the onset of a cold or flu, herbalists often suggest taking the upper end of the dose more frequently (every 2-3 hours) for the first day or two, then tapering. Consult a clinical herbalist or your doctor for guidance on your situation, especially during pregnancy, nursing, or when taking medications.
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