Folk tincture (any herb)

4–6 weeks, then years in the dark · A pint jar makes ~10–12 oz finished tincture

1. Use a clean dry half-pint or pint jar. Chop the herb so the solvent can reach it.
2. Fresh herb: fill the jar loosely (leaves) or halfway (roots). Dry herb: fill one-third to half — dry plants swell.
3. Cover by at least a finger of 80–100 proof vodka or whiskey (40–50% alcohol). Apple liquor or brandy works. Keep the herb under the liquid; a clean stone or extra herb helps. Air plus herb is mold.
4. Label: plant, fresh or dry, proof, date. Shake when you walk by.
5. At 4 weeks (6 for tough roots), strain through cloth, squeeze, bottle in amber if you have it. The leftover marc goes in the compost, not the tea pot.
6. Weight method if you have a scale: fresh 1:2 (100 g herb, 200 ml spirit). Dry 1:5. Folk method is close enough for kitchen herbs.

Dose

Adult: 1–2 droppers (about 1–2 ml) up to 3 times a day for a short illness, unless the herb page says less. Child: ask someone who knows the herb, or use tea and honey instead of alcohol. Not for infants.

Store

Cool dark shelf. Tight lid. Most tinctures hold 3–5 years. If it smells like nail polish and rot, compost it.

Drinking alcohol is the solvent. Do not give spirit tinctures to kids, or to anyone who cannot have alcohol. A vinegar tincture (acetum) is weaker and sours faster — use it within a year, fridge if you can.