How to Brew the Best Tincture

The following is how I brew my tinctures, and I follow the instructions of Dr. Richard Schulze closely. Dr. Schulze is a natural healer who once ran a very successful clinic, and therefore has the real-world experience a lot of others lack. (See my page about Dr. Schulze)

He says that for an herbal tincture to work, it must be strong, and the way to do this is to follow the methods of the old-time masters:

1. Start with a big glass jar and fill it 3/4 of the way to the top with your herbs. (Dr. Schulze recommends www.PacificBotanicals.com as a good source for herbs. For more information about why it's important to get herbs from a quality source, see Who Says Herbs Don't Work???)
   
   Herbs breakdown in light, so make sure the jar's glass is dark amber or some such. You can also paint it or simply make sure the jar is kept in the dark.
   
2. Add 100-proof organic grain alcohol to just cover the herbs. Some herbs absorb liquid, so if this is the case, add a little more. Depending on the formula, sometimes apple-cider vinegar or glycerine should be used instead of organic grain alcohol.)
   
3. Let the herbs brew for at least two weeks in a cool, dark place. The traditional way is to start on a new moon and finish on the full moon. I don't know if this really affects the result, but this is the tradition handed down to us. Maybe it was simply a timing technique or a way to remain in harmony with natural rhythms.
   
   It helps if you stir or shake your jar on a daily basis, but if you don't, simply let them brew longer.
   
4. When it comes time to squeeze out the herbs, you can use a press of some kind if you have one or wrap them in muslin cloth. An old (but clean!) cotton T-shirt works fine also. It helps to have a partner for this as well as two sticks that the ends of the cloth can be wrapped around. You can then wring the cloth much more easily.
   
5. This about does it! You now have pretty much the strongest herbal tincture money can buy. If you want to store your tincture in dropper bottles, check out my selection in the Herbal Outfitters section.