alchemy

yesterday marked two weeks since the nettle tincture was bottled. (thankfully it was labeled, as it was a suspicious concoction, at any rate, to be swathed in a dingy tea towel and left in the bathroom to steep.)

straining the tincture is an easy task but a rather time consuming one as the nettles have undergone considerably metamorphosis during their exposure to the alcohol.

like most plants, the nettles' compounds are both fat and alcohol soluble. (this is why it is best to eat most vegetables, especially greens, with a considerable amount of fat (bacon, pancetta, butter, ghee, oil, etc.) thus making their fat-soluble compounds available to the body instead of functioning purely as roughage.) while heating the green matter in a fat source would certainly draw the medicinal properties out of the leaves more quickly, it would leave the mixture subject to rather quick oxidation and thus rancidity. this is a fine method of obtaining the medicinal compounds from the plants but would require the forager to consume it within three or four days after preparation. some plants in particular, like flaxseed, are of course harvested and processed to render their oils and these must be kept refrigerated as their molecules are heat-sensitive and not very stable (another reason never to cook with flaxseed oils or anything high in omega-6's or 3's.) however, since nettle is collected for its chemical compounds, the best way to extract and maintain a local source is by suspending it in alcohol which will keep for much longer.

the purpose of using an alcohol medium (known alternately as 'menstruum') is three-fold. firstly, the alcohol acts as a preservative, inhibiting the production of bacteria from decomposition of the plant material. secondly, it acts as an astringent, drawing the phytochemicals out of the plant. and lastly, because alcohol is able to pass through mucus membranes, to access the blood vessels close to the surface in the mouth, and to permeate the stomach lining, its role as carrier of the plant compounds is extremely efficient. however, because the alcohol acts to macerate the material, a considerable amount of alcohol remains in the plant fiber after being strained. therefore, it is important to give the tincture adequate time to drain, retaining as much of the liquid as possible.

jargon and chemistry aside, the process is really very simple and should encourage anyone interested in undertaking to experiment in herbal medicine to give it a try.

here are the basic steps to summarize:
1. harvest the material
2.decide whether you intend to make a fresh or dried tincture. a fresh tincture needs to be made soon after harvest to retain all the active compounds in the plant. a dried tincture needs to be completely dry before processing in order to prevent the formation of molds.
3. chop or pass the material through a food processor or spice mill.
4. cover the material with alcohol in a *clean* jar. fresh tincture ratios should be 1 part menstruum (grain alcohol, ethanol or brandy) to 1 part plant material. dried material ratios should be 1 part menstruum to 2 parts plant material for a comparable potency.
5. store the raw tincture out of light in a cool dry place for two weeks. (no need to store tincture in the refrigerator as the alcohol will prevent spoilage.) agitate this mixture every day or two for two weeks.
6. strain the tincture by pressing it through a few layers of cheesecloth or a fine mesh strainer, press the back of a spoon or rest a heavy or weighted bowl in the strainer to press out as much liquid as possible.
7. store in an airtight, lightfast container. health food stores, co-ops,  and the dreaded whole foods sell blue glass vials in the cosmetic section which are best for storing alcohol tinctures. these minimize the exposure to uv light which will damage and weaken the tincture. they don't, however, keep all uv light out and should be stored in a dark place. if you don't have access to a source for these vials or prefer not to buy anything additional to crowd your medicine cabinet a simple application of duct tape, electrical tape, or light-fast paper can be taped around the jar with equal efficiency.

cheers.