Making your own Dandelion Tincture

You can make your own medicinal tincture with a plant that lives naturally in your backyard.  Unless you have no weeds growing on your lawn.  Dandelions are typically viewed as pesky weeds; let's dig a little deeper and discover their hidden potential.

Interesting dandelion facts:

• The milk inside the dandelion's flower stalk contains a type of latex also found in rubber trees.
• Dandelions can help gardeners by bringing up nutrients from the ground.  
• Dandelions also attract bees which then pollinate plants.
• Dandelion seeds can travel up to 5 miles!

What can dandelions be used for?

• Dandelions can be cultivated as a food source.  This practice occurs today primarily in Eurasia.
• The entire plant except for the flower stalks can be consumed.  Consider sauteing dandelion or using the leaves in a salad.  The flowers, in my opinion, taste the best and are only slightly bitter and surprisingly, slightly sweet.  The leaves are very bitter and are similar to mustard greens.
• Two years ago, we made dandelion wine.  It was dry and slightly bitter but drinkable and refreshing.
• Historically, dandelions have been used in medicine to treat infections, as well as liver and bile illnesses due to its pharmaceutical compounds.

In this post, I will explain one way dandelions can be used medicinally in a tincture.  

First of all ... What is an herbal tincture?

An herbal tincture refers to extracting pharmaceutical compounds from an herb by soaking it in alcohol.   Due to the fact that tinctures are alcohol-based they can be stored for years depending on the herb/alcohol and container, etc.  Most tinctures are made from 100 proof spirits (50% alcohol) or 80 proof (40%) and are the best method for extracting medicinal compounds.  Vodka or grain spirits work the best.  Spirits with more distinct flavors such as brandy, whiskey or rum can be used but will impart their inherit flavors.  They are very easy to prepare and typically involve harvesting the herb, selecting the proper plant part, cutting it to the right size, placing it in a glass jar and then pouring alcohol over it.   Tinctures are then stored for the amount of time based on the preparation ... usually 6 weeks.  Once ready, the solution is strained and then, most commonly, stored in an amber-colored glass jar in a cool, dark place.

One thing to keep in mind, when preparing herbal medicine, is to never let the preparation come in contact with metal.  

What can a dandelion tincture be used for?

The better question may be what can't it be used for.  Here are just some of the benefits of dandelion tincture:

• To treat skin conditions like: acne, psoriasis and eczema by removing toxins from the body
• To help fight against PMS, depression and fatigue
• To help eliminate age spots
• To help regulate blood sugar
• To help fight cancer according to some research
• To be used as a diuretic
• To help treat: tonsillitis, pneumonia, bronchitis, osteoporosis, warts and more
• As a detoxifying tonic to help with illnesses with the liver, spleen and gall bladder
• To stimulate the appetite

The cost of making a dandelion tincture at home versus buying it at a store:

The cost of making the tincture at home involves using a 100 or 80 proof spirit and just enough to fill the glass jar or container.  Look online for prepared dandelion root tinctures and you will see that you can pay around $20 for 2 ounces.  The instructions below will show you how to make your own tincture for a fraction of the cost.  The recipe below will ,on average, produce 8 to 10 ounces.  So, if you do the math, 8 ounces at a retail store would cost around $80.  It is definitely more cost-effective to make your own. Our total cost for the recipe below is about $10.

Instructions on how to make a dandelion tincture:

(Disclaimer:  Always use extreme caution when harvesting any plant to be used internally or externally.  Be sure you are correctly identifying the plant and use the correct parts of the plant.  Also, consult your doctor before taking any herbal remedies.)

Step 1:  Harvest the entire plant including the root.  The root is the most important part in the dandelion tincture.



Step 2:  Remove the flower stalks completely (they contain a milky latex substance) and discard.  Also discard any rotten or dry leaves or flowers.  Keep the other plant parts including fresh leaves, flowers, and root.

Step 3:  Wash the plant parts mentioned above in cool water and lightly pat with a lint free towel to dry.

 

Step 4:  Finely chop all of the clean plant parts and place in a clean, quart-sized mason jar.  Place plant material into a clean, glass jar or container.

Step 5:  Pour the 100 or 80 proof spirit into the jar all the way up until you reach the band area.

Step 6:  Cut a piece of wax paper or plastic wrap large enough to completely cover the band area of the glass jar.  Then screw on the band and the lid and store the tincture in a cool, dark place.  A cool pantry is the best option.

Step 7:  For the next 6 weeks, check your tincture every so often by lighting shaking the jar and adding alcohol as needed.

Dandelion Tincture

Step 8:  To finalize the tincture for storage and medicinal use: find a strainer, a bowl and cheese cloth.  As a reminder, do not let  your solution come in contact with metal.  Place your strainer over a bowl, then place cheesecloth on top of the strainer.  Now, pick up the cheesecloth and squeeze out the excess liquid directly into the bowl.  The solution in the bowl is now ready to pour into a clean, amber or cobalt glass jar.  The best jar to use is one that has a plastic or glass dropper top so that it can be easily administered. 

The plant material in the cheesecloth can be composted.

Our tincture has been resting for about 2 weeks now.  I will update this post once we have strained and stored our solution.  Updates will include:

• Picture of the final product
• Suggested dosage and administration
• Reviews after using the tincture for some of the medicinal effects & affects listed in this post