Five Essential Teas For Your Home Apothecary

To create a home apothecary, you must have tea remedies. The reason we use herbal tea infusions, as these are wild crafted and knowledge of their health benefits passed down from ancient times. We believe making tinctures and tonics from these teas are essential because they cover basic daily health needs in this given climate. For example, Antiviral may help the body recover quickly and help with symptoms of cough, cold and sneezing whilst Healthy Immunity is believed to boost immunity when feeling run down. Summer Garden has calmative effects and helps the body to relax especially during stressful situations whilst Sleep Well quietens the mind to aid a good night’s sleep. Both China Gunpowder and Sencha are fantastic green teas that help boost energy and rejuvenate the body. These teas are also known to have many more benefits, such as, being anti-inflammatory, having alkalinizing effects to the body and making great adaptogens to deal with life and health in general.

You will need basic equipment such as storage glass bottles (mason jars are ideal but any sterilized jar with an air tight lid will work). You will also need amber or blue dropper bottles, parchment paper, labels to label jars, 80-proof alcohol or greater, strainer, fine muslin or cheese cloth, herbal and green loose leaf teas.

How to make your own tincture and tonics

There are many ways of extracting the benefits from herbs and flowers and the most common way is to infuse and drink them as herbal teas. If a stronger extraction is required, we suggest tincturing the teas as well as creating oxymels, a combination of apple cider vinegar and honey with herbs. The latter is ideal when making a syrup that can be added to salad dressings, smoothies, over food and in any hot or cold drinks including alcoholic cocktails. Oxymels make great home remedies for kids because of the tonic’s sweet taste.

To create a tincture, alcohol is required preferably 80-proof and upwards. Some recipes ask for 60-proof or vodka which works but we prefer 80 upwards to get the maximum extraction.

1. To make a tincture/extract

In a glass jar half fill with antiviral, healthy immunity, sleep well, summer garden or green tea. Pour over alcohol so that its 2 inches above the herbs. Place parchment paper on the mouth of the jar and secure it with a rubber band. This creates a barrier between the solution and the lid. Seal the jar tightly and shake well. Label your jar with the date and tea type. Store in a cool, dry place for 1 month. Vigorously shake every day. You may need to top up with more alcohol.

After a month squeeze out the mixture through a fine strainer or a cheese cloth. Pour the liquid tincture through a small funnel into amber or blue dropper bottles and store in a cool dry place.

Dosage:

Herbal tincture is a concentrated form of the herbal tea and should be taken in small amounts under the tongue. A single dose is approximately 2 droppers full and can be taken up to 3 times per day.

Storage

Tinctures made from alcohol have an unlimited shelf life, if stored in a cool dry place, because the alcohol acts as a natural preservative. They do not need to be refrigerated.

2. To make an oxymel

Instead of alcohol you will need unfiltered and unpasteurized organic raw apple cider vinegar which has a dark, cloudy sediment at the bottom of the bottle known as “Mother” and organic raw honey. If you have pollen allergies then normal honey will do. You can grind down your tea infusion to smaller particles to increase the quantity of oxymel and possibly get a better extraction. Always ensure your glass jar is sterilized. In a mason jar half fill it with one of the above dry herbal or green teas and top with 50/50 ratio apple cider vinegar and honey. Make sure you fill right to the top so that air cannot get in. Seal the jar with parchment paper, rubber band and lid. Give it a good shake and store in a cool dry place for 2 weeks. Vigorously shake every day.

After 2 weeks strain the mixture through a fine strainer or cheese cloth and store the sweet liquid in a glass jar for 6 months. This can be refrigerated.

Dosage

As a general rule take 1 tablespoon 5 times per day or 50ml as a daily shot. If you are diabetic then an oxymel preparation might not be suitable. If you have underlying health conditions, nursing or pregnant please check with your doctor before taking herbal remedies. Avoid taking green tea tincture in the evening if you are caffeine sensitive.