How To Make A Tincture: A Beginner's Guide To Herbal Medicine

by Skye Macfarlane on Mar 24, 2026 0 comments

Unless you already live with jars of mysterious plants quietly steeping in your cupboards, you might be thinking... What is a tincture? And how do I make a tincture at home without poisoning myself or making compost in a jar?

Well, great news, because if you’re new to herbal medicine, this guide will show you how. No complicated equipment, no at-home laboratory. All you need are plants, glass jars, patience and vodka - the start of all great adventures if you ask me.

What is a tincture?

A tincture is simply a plant that has been soaked in alcohol long enough for the alcohol to extract and preserve the beneficial compounds inside it.

Alcohol pulls out medicinal constituents and helps to keep them stable for years, creating a concentrated liquid extract that can be taken in small doses. Humans have been doing this for centuries, long before capsules, powders, or wellness trends even existed.

Why choose a tincture over a tea?

Tea is wonderful, we love tea, but tinctures win when:

You don’t want to drink copious amounts of liquid
The plants you need are really bitter, therefore not that fun to drink
You want consistent dosing
You are travelling or busy
You need a longer shelf life
The therapeutics you need from the chosen plant are not water-soluble
You want something efficient (tinctures absorb quickly)

Why do you use alcohol in a tincture?

Alcohol is excellent at extracting all sorts of things, like terrible karaoke renditions of Whitney Houston, but also aromatic oils, bitters, flavonoids, alkaloids, and resins. Most importantly, it helps preserve the beneficial properties of the plants you are tincturing.

What kind of alcohol should I use to make a tincture?

Not your best gin. Vodka is the best option, 40% strength, which you can find at a liquor store. Professional herbal extract companies, like MediHerb and Phytomed, use ethanol strengths much higher than 40%, but for us at home, vodka is perfect for most of the plants you would want to tincture.

What should my tincture ratio be?

When making herbal tinctures, the ratio of plant to alcohol changes depending on whether you’re using fresh or dried herbs because of their water content. Fresh plants, for example, obviously hold more water, so the extraction will not be as strong as when using dry.

Fresh herb tincture ratio (1:2): Fresh herbs contain a lot of moisture, which dilutes the alcohol, so use a 1:2 ratio (1 part herb to 2 parts alcohol) to keep the tincture strong and shelf-stable. Example: 100g of fresh lemon balm to 200ml of vodka.

Dried herb tincture ratio (1:5): Dried herbs, on the other hand, have already had the water removed, making their constituents more concentrated, so a 1:5 ratio is recommended. Example: 50g dried lemon balm to 250ml of vodka.

In both cases, make sure the herbs are completely covered.

How to make a tincture (step by step):

You will need:

Glass jar with tightly fitted lid
Plants of your choice (see below for seasonal ideas)
Vodka
Label
Pen

Step 1: Chop the plant matter - Chopping up the plants increases the surface area for more extraction. Think salad, not smoothie; you don’t need to pulverise the plants.

Step 2: Fill the jar - If you’re using fresh herbs, loosely fill the jar. If you’re using dried herbs, fill the jar halfway. Remember to allow room for the alcohol. Label the jar with what it is and the date.

Step 3: Cover with alcohol - Pour vodka over the herbs until they are completely covered, plus a little extra. Make sure nothing is sticking out above the liquid, as that is how mould can grow.

Step 4: Shake daily - You need to do this to move the liquid around the plant material.

Step 5: Strain and label - After 3-4 weeks, strain the tincture and decant it into a clean jar with a new label. For example, ‘Lemon balm tincture (fresh), Alcohol 40%, April 2026’. Every herbalist owns an unidentified jar; it might be a rite of passage, but hopefully you can avoid it.

How to make a tincture without alcohol

If you don’t want to consume alcohol or are looking for something safe to give to children, then there are alternative solvents you can use to make herbal medicine.

Vegetable glycerine - naturally sweet, palatable and suitable for children. Glycerine does, however, have a shorter shelf life, so it won't last as long as an alcohol tincture.

Apple cider vinegar - Great for mineral-rich herbs like nettle and chickweed, and has a long shelf life (over 12 months).

What plants should I tincture?

Knowing how to make a tincture requires a bit of knowledge about the plants that grow around you. If you want to make a tincture start with some of the ones we've listed below as they're easily identified and safe for beginners. You don't need to import herbs; the best way to begin is using seasonal and local plants (like we do here at Wild Dispensary).

Spring

Spring is traditionally the season for movement, ‘cleansing’ and fresh growth. So the plants that you find in spring tend to support your liver and digestion, especially after the heaviness of winter and winter foods. Spring is perfect for fresh herb tinctures because the plants are often vibrant green, and plentiful.

Cleavers
Chickweed
Plantain
Lemon balm - great for supporting sleep and our nervous system
Nettle leaf - nutritive
Parsley
Dandelion leaf
Thyme

Summer

The plants that emerge in summer are great for heat, ‘busy energy’ and overstimulation; they can help with calming, hydration and stress balancing.

Chamomile
Peppermint
Calendula
Rose
Lavender
Fennel seeds
Yarrow

Autumn

This season is about preparing for winter and resilience (think immune support before winter ills and chills). Autumn is when fresh plants become less abundant, so it can also be a time to use plants that you may have stored from summer.

Rosemary
Rosehips
Sage
Thyme (you can freeze this in winter)

Winter

The season for immune and circulation support. The plants we use are mostly roots, barks and warming plants. In the garden sense, there is not much that grows in winter in the cooler regions, if you are lucky enough to live in a warmer climate, you might have more options.

Garlic
Oxymels - onion and garlic in a vinegar and honey mix
Echinacea root
Citrus peels
Some pine needles - Radiata pine (Pinus radiata) and Eastern white pine (Pinus strobus) can be used. Not yew (Taxus baccata), Norfolk pine, ponderosa pine and common juniper, as they are reported to be toxic.

How much tincture should I take?

A typical adult dose: 2.5ml - 7ml (1-3 times daily). Start low and observe how your body responds.

You can take your tincture:

Directly
In water
In juice/tonic

Storage and shelf life

Alcohol tinctures are incredibly stable and can last 3-5 years or longer. As long as you you store them in:

Dark bottles (sunlight can effect the potency of some tinctures)
A cool area

Safety first

Herbal medicine is active medicine, so when learning how to make a tincture, it is important to correctly identify plants and check for any interactions with medication you might be taking. If you are pregnant, breastfeeding or have an illness, you need to make sure what you are making is suitable for you - consult a health professional if you need guidance. Natural does not mean risk-free; it means biologically active. Care is always needed.

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