• Post Reply Bookmark Topic Watch Topic
  • New Topic
permaculture forums growies critters building homesteading energy monies kitchen purity ungarbage community wilderness fiber arts art permaculture artisans regional education skip experiences global resources cider press projects digital market permies.com pie forums private forums all forums
this forum made possible by our volunteer staff, including ...
master stewards:
  • Carla Burke
  • John F Dean
  • Timothy Norton
  • Nancy Reading
  • r ranson
  • Jay Angler
  • Pearl Sutton
stewards:
  • paul wheaton
  • Tereza Okava
  • AndrĂ©s Bernal
master gardeners:
  • Christopher Weeks
gardeners:
  • Jeremy VanGelder
  • M Ljin
  • Matt McSpadden

Tincture with fresh or dried herbs?

 
pollinator
Posts: 187
69
cat purity home care books chicken food preservation cooking fiber arts medical herbs seed composting
  • Likes 5
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
I'm starting to make tinctures and curious if you all make them with fresh or dried herbs? I know salves last longer with dried herbs, but I'm not sure if that same principle applies to tinctures.
 
Rusticator
Posts: 9264
Location: Missouri Ozarks
5013
7
personal care gear foraging hunting rabbit chicken cooking food preservation fiber arts medical herbs homestead
  • Likes 3
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
I generally prefer working with dried, for tinctures. But, fresh works, as long as it's done with liquor with a higher abv.
 
steward
Posts: 17625
Location: USDA Zone 8a
4516
dog hunting food preservation cooking bee greening the desert
  • Likes 2
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
I have only worked with fresh.  I have always heard fresh herbs are best for that.
 
gardener
Posts: 2902
Location: Central Maine (Zone 5a)
1460
homeschooling kids trees chicken food preservation building woodworking homestead
  • Likes 7
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
Hi Joy,
I'm not sure about the tincture side of things, but I wanted to mention that how you dry the herbs can have a significant effect on how much flavor, nutrition, health benefits are preserved. Many places dry them at too high a heat and they lose a lot of potency.
 
Posts: 37
Location: Wet Mountains, Colorado Zone 4b
11
  • Likes 3
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
Some medicinal herbs have active constituents that don't survive drying very well (like St. Johns wort and arnica). Otherwise I would say it doesn't matter, tincture how you have the plants! If you're using fresh plants be sure you are accounting for the extra moisture, as Carla pointed out you'll need to use a stronger alcohol. If you're infusing in glycerite or oil use a cloth over the top instead of a lid to let the extra water escape. Your ratios may also differ, for dried and chopped or crushed herbs I like to fill the jar about a third with plant material. For fresh I fill close to the top.
 
Do the next thing next. That's a pretty good rule. Read the tiny ad, that's a pretty good rule, too.
Learn Permaculture through a little hard work
https://wheaton-labs.com/bootcamp
reply
    Bookmark Topic Watch Topic
  • New Topic