Tincturing Beyond the Folk Method

Herbalists who practice the folk method rely on their senses and experience instead of precise measurements and formulas. It’s simple, intuitive and flexible and, because it doesn’t require a lot of measuring and math, it’s appealing to those of us who prefer a more natural and less technical approach to herbalism. The folk method produces a perfectly good tincture for personal home use, but there are times when the folk method just isn’t sufficient.

More Than Just a Pretty Face: Tincturing with Self-heal

Prunella vulgaris, commonly known as self-heal, is charming little purple flower that never fails to make me smile. But it’s so much more than just a pretty face. Self-heal possesses potent medicinal qualities, offering both topical and internal benefits, from wound healing to immune support.

Making a CBD Salve with St. John’s Wort

A good CBD salve can be an indispensable tool in your pain-management arsenal. The trouble is, CBD products can be so darn expensive — particularly if you’re a salve snob like yours truly and want an organic, clean, high-quality salve infused with botanicals.

Fortunately, high-quality salves are easy to make, and investing in a jar of CBD concentrate makes it FAR more affordable to keep CBD salve in the budget!

Working with St. John’s Wort

St. John’s wort is one of the best known and most used herbal medicines in the world. And like so many of our medicinal wild plants, it’s considered a noxious weed in much of the western US.  In my county, we’re actually required to eradicate all trace of the plants on our property within 10 […]

Infusing & Using Herbal Vinegars

Once upon a time, before the advent of distilled alcohol, liquid herbal extracts were made one of three ways: with water, wine or vinegar.

As a menstruum, vinegar is nowhere near as effective as alcohol at drawing out an herb’s medicinal properties; however, it can assist alcohol in extracting certain plant constituents.

Willow Wildcrafting & an Herbal Apprenticeship

I’m excited to announce that I just began a 4-month apprenticeship with the wonderful Suzanne Tabert of Cedar Mountain Herb School. I’m literally vibrating with excitement over all I’ll learn in the coming months.

Jalapeño-Thyme Infused Tequila​ + a Cocktail Recipe

jump to the recipe Alcohol tincturing for therapeutic purposes is a basic and useful skill in herbalism. But beyond the herbal medicine cabinet, there’s another whole wide world of fun alcohol infusions out there. Neutral grain spirits aren’t the only way to go, and infusing herbs into your favorite liquor can seriously elevate your cocktail game! […]

Making an Herbal Tincture

Next to tisanes (aka herbal teas), tinctures are probably the most commonly used therapeutic herbal preparation. They’re a convenient way to incorporate herbs into your daily routine — effective, portable and easy to dose since you typically only take a few drops at a time diluted in water.