But when you make them at home you can see just how economical they are. From a few berries infused in eight ounces of vinegar, you will get sixty-four ounces of delicious shrub. Infused water has become all the rage in health clubs and spas and is de rigueur at tony picnics. Specialized bottles that partition the flavoring ingredients away from the water have been designed to allow eaters to make their own infused waters without the pesky bother of cucumber slices or oranges sections from bumping against their lips and teeth.
Just slice up anything you think would be flavorful to sip on and add it to your water jug, glass or bottle. Cucumbers, citrus segments or just their peels , chunks of melon or pineapple are all really tasty. Extracts are just highly concentrated cold infusions. They are easy to make and can be created for a fraction of the cost of store bought. Alcohol is the typical menstruum used to make extracts.
Use the same method described above for making flavored vodka, using a high concentration of flavoring material to alcohol. For non-vegetal items such as nuts and spices, you can use less but still more than the straight infusion described above. For instance, instead of one vanilla bean in a ml bottle of vodka for a flavored liquor, you will need to use two or three beans in a cup of vodka. Citrus is another great extract option. Pack a pint jar half full of zest strips, cover with a cup of vodka and let it go.
Allow your extracts to diffuse for much longer than flavored vodka or vinegar. Two to three months should do it. Strained and bottled, preferably in a dark bottle or kept in a dark place, they keep for a year or more.
Tinctures are the strongest infusions and are often used for medicinal purposes. Dried or fresh herbs and flowers such as mint, calendula or rosemary are infused to extract their oils and leave the plant material behind. Alcohol is also the most popular menstruum to make tinctures. The ratio of plant material to alcohol is the highest of all infusions: about for most recipes, but higher for some. Tinctures keep for up to five years. Those sensitive to alcohol often turn to vegetable glycerin as their menstruum when making tinctures.
People are understandably curious about how herbal tinctures are made, as its origins are decidedly ancient and low-tech. Essentially, an herbal tincture is an extract of plant material in ethanol, or drinking alcohol , but it can include other ingredients.
The only things that go into Herbalogic formulas are herbs, water, alcohol, and glycerine. We never use additives, fillers, preservatives, flavoring agents, or stabilizers. Herbs are the solid ingredients in a tincture, and they vary from formula to formula.
The liquid ingredients, on the other hand, are constants, and they include water, glycerine, and alcohol. Herbalogic formulas use EarthH20 spring water delivered to our manufacturing facility in 5-gallon glass carboys. It is rich in naturally occurring minerals and tastes great. Glycerine is another important part of our liquid mix, though it makes up only a small part of the total volume. As one produces stronger and stronger tinctures, i.
We do not advocate repercolation, which through the use of heat and vacuum destroys or alters many plant actives. The percolation method is the most accurate. A total dissolved solids figure is much more useful, as is an assay of any known specific markers. Home » Tinctures, Liquid Extracts, and Variations. Tinctures, Liquid Extracts, and Variations February 1, Reprints Share. Red Clover for Menopausal Symptoms. Tinctures, Liquid Extracts, and Variations February ; Volume 2: 13 By Tieraona Low Dog, MD Confusion exists regarding when a liquid herbal preparation should be referred to as a tincture and when it should be classified as a liquid fluid extract.
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