homemade elderberry tincture

[sissy]

Hi ya,
My question is about making elderberry tincture. I've been using dried elderberries to make my tincture.
My question is should I cook them first?
What do you think?
And how much would be too much?
My recipe is
7 1/2 oz half & half everclear & water
1 oz dry elderberry
1/2 oz elderflower
Thanks for any info you can share
sissy

[CarolAnn]

You do not need to cook the dried elderberries to make tincture from them - in fact, cooking them will possibly cause some of the ingredients that you want in the tincture to be lost. Do you dry your own berries or buy them?

Making an herbal tincture is really easy! I don't know where you got your recipe, but I use a lot more plant matter to my measure of alcohol. I also use 151 rum and no water so the alcohol level is higher (yours will be about 100 proof, or half alcohol if you're using 200 proof Everclear.) I pour enough alcohol mixture (rum) over the plant material to cover it and give another inch or so above that level. Seal it tightly in the jar and keep it in a dark place. You need to shake it once a day if you can remember to do it.

I do this with fresh, cleaned & chopped echinacea angustifolia root and in about six weeks I have a tincture that will knock a cold or sore throat for a loop. (15 drops of this to a glass of water, or a few drops under the tongue.) It tastes horrid. But it works.

Just jump in there and try this with your elderberries and elder flowers. You will be amazed at the potency in just a few weeks!

[sissy]

Right now I'm buying the elderberries dried off line. I want to grow some when we get to the homestead. I got my recipe off the net somewhere. It called for 90 proof vodka, & I used 190 proof everclear half with water. I read somewhere you could substitute the vodka with everclear & water. I'm still learning. Thanks for the info.
Thanks for your recipe I will try it.
sissy