Subject: Re: Echinacea Tincture Help

From: Cathy LeFevre <[email-masked]>
Date: 17 May 1995 17:20:43 GMT

Richard, I have successfully prepared Echinacea tincture in my home.  It 
is a fairly easy process.

I grow my own echinacea purpurea (i.e. purple coneflower).  The fresh 
roots are the best to use for any purpose, but you can use dried.  You 
need more herb if you are using the dried herb.  I have a specific recipe 
if you are one of those people that has to have exact measurements, 
however I found that the exact measurements translated into covering the 
herb with alcohol and letting it set for two weeks in a dark place.

My method is:

Pull the fresh root in the fall and chop it with a sharp knife.  They are 
tough so this can be a little time consuming.  You could probably use a 
Vita-Mix or something similar.  Put the fresh root in a jar.  I use a 
quart size canning jar and fill it halfway with the root.  Pour in enough 
alcohol (the drinking kind, not the rubbing kind) to cover the root 
completely.  Put a tight cap on the jar and shake well.  Store this 
mixture in a dark place.  Take out twice a day to shake well.  Store for 
two weeks.  

After two weeks drain the alcohol into a container.  I pressed the extra 
alcohol out of the root, but didn't get much so it probably wasn't worth 
the effort.  The alcohol is your tincture.  It is now dark brown.  That 
indicates that the essential oils from the root has been absorbed by the 
alcohol.  Now you let that set for a few hours so the sediment settles.  
(There isn't much sediment.)  It can be used this way or you can 
carefully pour the tincture into a dark glass bottle with a tight lid, 
being careful not to disturb the sediment.  I poured what I could into 
the bottle without getting any sediment then let it settle again.  Then I 
used a small siphon to get what I could without disturbing the sediment. 
 Kind of a pain since the sediment is probably good for you too, but it 
looks good.

I have used my tincture safely for illnesses in myself and my family.  It 
has worked well for us.  I only take 1/2 teaspoon three times a day when 
I first feel ill.  Then I only take it for a few days.  That is usually 
all that is necessary.  Remember, tincture prepared from fresh root is 
stronger so you don't need to use as much of it.

I have used this same method to extract the essential oils from willow 
bark.  I have used that tincture for headaches and find it works much 
better and more quickly than commercial aspirin.

Good luck!!

8-)