Coming Soon! Thyme To Talk Vlog
Do you learn better or prefer to learn by watching videos? Would you rather be shown how to make herbal medicinals?
Hopefully by mid May I will be getting a new computer that is capable of producing videos. As soon as it is set up, I will be able to produce tutorial videos.
So stay tuned…
(Sign up for my newsletter, if you haven’t already, so that you will be notified when the first video is produced.)
Author, Master Herbalist, Holistic Nutritionist, creator and owner of Thyme Wisper Herb Shop Inc and Thyme's Tinctures online store.
Hi Thyme
I just bought your book! Thanks for sharing such valuable info with us.
A question that I don’t see mentioned in the book – is it possible to make tinctures from fresh or frozen berries? eg we have a bunch of seabuckthorn berries and I was wondering if / how I could tincture them?
Cheers
Cara
Hi Cara,
Thank you for buying my book! I hope it motivates you to make many tinctures.
Concerning making tinctures of Sea Buckthorn berries… Of course, you can make a tincture of anything. The question will be whether the tincture will be useful medicinally or not. Let me explain. Sea Buckthorn berries (and/or seeds) “commercially” have the most value as an oil and that is how you will usually see it sold. Chinese researchers completed a study suggesting that Sea Buckthorn oil extract can lower cholesterol, reduce angina and improve heart function in patients with cardiac disease.
From a holistic perspective, we know that the leaves and flowers are used for arthritis, GI ulcers, gout and skin rashes. Tea made from the leaves contains vitamins and minerals, antioxidants, amino acids, and fatty acids. The tea is typically used for lowering blood pressure and serum cholesterol, prevention and treatment of diseases of the blood vessel, and for increasing immunity.
That being said, I would not discount a tincture of the berries. I think of how the Schisandra berries are considered best medicinally eaten as dried berries, yet the powder/capsules has been used in Russia and now the rest of the world, and I (as well as others) have found the tincture to be quite effective.
So, even though I have not seen any information on the Sea Buckthorn berry tincture, it could be an excellent method to preserve and medicinally use as a tincture. If you decide to make it, please let me know how it does (I am assuming you already have experienced benefits just from using fresh or frozen berries). Perhaps I can interview you on a VLOG episode at that time?
To make it into a tincture (following the process described in my book), you will need to dry the berries first and then ground them into a powder. I use a dehydrator to dry my herbs, but you can just use an oven with the door slightly ajar and set at the lowest temperature (warm). Frozen berries would not work as a tincture because the formula does not consider the water content, which the frozen berries would have.
The follow on book I am hoping to have published by next year will describe in detail how to determine your own formulas. I hope you will get that book next year to understand in depth why I am suggesting that, for the berries, you use the formula 1:5 in 50% alcohol. Following the process as described in the book you just bought and using this formula, will result in a tincture.
Please let me know how it works for you, both in using the process in my book and the quality of the benefits of the Sea Buckthorn Berry tincture.
Thyme
Dear Thyme
thanks for your speedy reply. Fascinating.
We do still have some fresh berries on the trees, so I’ll make sure to harvest some and dry them and try what you mention.
And following on from that -the process you mention that will be in the follow on book – do you mean with dry berries or would it be possible with fresh berries?
They are so juicy that dehydrating (we do have a dehydrator), is a lengthy process. Any ways to try tincturing with fresh berries I’d love to hear..
I’ll keep in touch!
Cara