• Menu
  • Skip to right header navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary navigation
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Natural Fertility and Wellness

Trying to get pregnant? Learn how to prepare your body and overcome infertility.

  • Start Here
  • Fertility Help
  • Recipes
  • Books
  • Start Here
  • Fertility Help
  • Recipes
  • Books
  • Contact Donielle
  • About Donielle
  • Privacy Policy
Home » How to make elderberry tincture

How to make elderberry tincture

November 1, 2010 //  by Donielle Baker

FacebookTweetPinYummlyEmail

Elderberries have long been traditionally used to help boost the immune system during the cold and flu season to help ward off viruses. We’ve been using it every winter for quite a few years now and I continue to make elderberry tincture as I find it helpful.

Over the last couple of years I’ve begun to prefer tinctures over the syrup for myself, and honestly I feel that it does a better job medicinally. I also use a lot less, going through only six ounces or so of tincture instead of quarts of syrup. Whereas the elderberry syrup takes a bit more time to make, doesn’t last as long, and needs to be kept in the fridge. (although it does taste better!)

To make “proper” tinctures, one should use fresh plant material, but you can always use dried material as well.

To make elderberry tincture

You’ll need a quart size mason jar.

  • 1 cup dried elderberries or two cups fresh (take out any stems or plant material)
  • 1/2 cup raw honey
  • optional – herbs like rose hips, cinnamon, ginger, and elder flower (I like to use a Tablespoon of each)
  • 80 proof vodka

Fill each jar 1/2  full with dried elderberries (or 2/3 full for fresh) and add any extra herbs you’d like to use. Popular herbs to complement the elderberries are rose hips, cinnamon, ginger, and elder flowers. The flowers are known by many to boost the power of the tincture, so I’ve added them in for the first time this year. Cinnamon and ginger are warming and great during the cold winter season.

Stir in the honey if using (you can leave it out, but it does help the taste of the tincture).

make elderberry tincture

Fill the rest of the jar with the vodka, leaving a bit of head space and making room for when the berries expand.

Place the cap tightly on the jar, label with the contents and date, shake gently and then set in a cool, dark area for at least 7-10 days, shaking each day. After it sits for a week or more, you can then strain out the berries and place the tincture in a dark colored bottle. I prefer to keep my tinctures steeping for 4 weeks.

How to use elderberry tincture:

I can’t tell you how to dose your own tincture, but for myself, I take one squeeze of the dropper each morning, which is about 1/4 teaspoon. When I feel like I’m coming down with a virus I take this dose a few times per day. Work with a qualified herbalist in your area to find the best dosage for you and your family.

If you are concerned about the alcohol content, you can always put the dropper full in a small amount of boiling water and let cool before consuming. That should take care of the alcohol for you!

I’ve also begun to weigh the herbs and measure the alcohol so that I can get a feel for what works best for my family and so that I can duplicate the recipes each year. I’d recommend you do the same!

How to make elderry tincture

I purchase my elderberries from Mountain Rose Herbs, or the Bulk Herb Store, or forage them myself in August.

 

Print Recipe

How to Make Elderberry Tincture

Course: Herbal remedies
Author: Donielle

Ingredients

  • fresh or dried elderberries take out any stems or plant material
  • 80 proof vodka
  • optional: rose hips cinnamon, echinacea, elder flowers, ginger

Instructions

  • Fill each quart size mason jar approx 1/2 full with dried elderberries, this should come out to about one pound. For fresh elderberries I fill the jar about 2/3 of the way.
  • Add additional herbs as desired. I like to add two cinnamon sticks, 1/8 Tbsp elder flowers, and 1/2 cup of rose hips to each batch.
  • Fill the rest of the jar with vodka, leaving a bit of head space.
  • Place the cover on the jar, label with contents and date, and store in a cool, dark space.
  • On the first day, check to see if you need to add more vodka after the herbs absorb some of it. Shake gently each day for at least seven days. I prefer to let my tincture sit for four weeks, but you can use it anytime after seven days.
  • Strain out the berries, and pour tincture into dark colored bottles.

 

*Elderberry has been studied to be effective for combating the influenza virus (read: real flu, not a tummy bug) but not the common cold virus (though anecdotal stories from others do say that it is helpful.)

*I would only feel comfortable giving this to adults because of the alcohol content.

**Remember, I’m just one person trying to do my best to keep my family healthy in natural ways. Please consult a medical professional or herbalist for personalized help!

 

Some links (including Amazon.com links) in our posts might be affiliate links. This means that, at no additional cost to you, I may earn an affiliate marketing commission if you make a purchase.

Some links (including Amazon.com links) in our posts might be affiliate links. This means that, at no additional cost to you, I may earn an affiliate marketing commission if you make a purchase.

  • Bio
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • *Disclaimer
Donielle Baker

Donielle Baker

owner and editor of Natural Fertility and Wellness at Natural Fertility and Wellness
I believe women can learn how to heal their bodies & balance their hormones through natural methods. An advocate for natural health, I have a passion for nourishing/real food nutrition and natural living. My personal background includes both infertility and miscarriage and I started Natural Fertility and Wellness in 2008 in order to share all of the information I found helpful in my journey to heal from PCOS and overcome infertility.
Donielle Baker

@donielle

Follow @donielle
Donielle Baker
Donielle Baker
Many of the links on this site are affiliate links, which mean that the owner of the site may earn a small commission from your purchase through the company. We will not recommend a company that we do not purchase from ourselves and we thank you for your support. No contributor or author on this site is a medical doctor and the statements made here have not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration. These statements are not intended to diagnose, treat or cure or prevent any disease. This notice is required by the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act. Read our privacy policy and full disclosure here.
FacebookTweetPinYummlyEmail

Category: Herbal, Natural LivingTag: Herbal Information

You may also be interested in these posts from the same category.

How to make elderberry syrup

basic fertility tea for women

Fertility Tea Blend

adrenal calming infusion

Adrenal Calming Infusion (tea for adrenal support)

super drink for endometriosis

A super drink for Endometriosis

chaga tea

Chaga: A Medicinal Mushroom

uncluttered and clean bedroom

Detoxify the Stress in Your Home

Homemade Vanilla extract

Homemade Vanilla Extract

natural homemade shampoo

DIY Shampoo for healthy, strong hair

natural menstrual products

Choosing natural menstrual products; what you need to know about tampons and pads

Is cooking in a microwave safe for your fertility?

Are cleaning supplies disrupting your hormones

Are cleaners disrupting your hormones?

what essential oils to buy

What essential oils should you buy? Which ones are the best?

Previous Post: « Real Food Road Trip
Next Post: Spelt Berry Salad with cranberries spelt berry salad»

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. jenna

    November 1, 2010 at 9:20 am

    are the dried elderberries available at health food stores or is it best to order them online?
    thanks!

    • Anna

      November 1, 2010 at 10:34 am

      @jenna, here are my favorite places to buy :
      http://www.bulkherbstore.com/ and http://www.morethanalive.com/ .

  2. Katie @ Riddlelove

    November 1, 2010 at 12:05 pm

    THANK YOU! I have picked elderberries the past two summers and never did much with them. Next summer, I’ll be pulling up your elderberry recipes for sure. Bookmarked!

  3. jnet

    February 15, 2016 at 4:32 am

    The recipe says honey, but in the method it doesn’t say when the honey is added, could you please explain, and if you can add honey to a tincture to make it taste better for compliance? Thank you

    • Donielle Baker

      February 15, 2016 at 3:13 pm

      Sorry about that! Add in the honey before the alcohol. It’s not needed to make the tincture, but it sure does help it taste better!

Primary Sidebar

Can I help you find something?

  • Contact Donielle
  • About Donielle
  • Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2023 · Mai Lifestyle Pro on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

Share this ArticleLike this article? Email it to a friend!

Email sent!