How to Make Tinctures, Salves & Teas

All three methods in this course — teas, tinctures, and salves — share the same starting discipline: know your herb before you prepare it. Check a herb’s Safety Notes on its Herbarium page before working with it, especially around pregnancy, nursing, children, and any prescription medication.

You don’t need specialty equipment to start. A few things are worth having on hand: a stainless steel or glass saucepan (avoid aluminum, which can react with acidic plant material), glass jars with tight lids, a fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth, and a permanent marker for labeling — every batch you make should be labeled with the herb, the date, and the method, since dried herbs and finished preparations can look similar once jarred.

Always start with a small first dose of anything new, and wait to see how your body responds before making it a regular habit — this applies to teas as much as tinctures.

Tea — technically an infusion — is the simplest and gentlest way to extract a herb’s water-soluble properties, and the right starting point if you’re new to herbal preparation.

Basic method: Use roughly 1–2 teaspoons of dried herb (or double that fresh) per cup of water just off the boil. Pour the water over the herb, cover the cup or pot to trap the volatile compounds that would otherwise escape as steam, and steep for 5–10 minutes for leaves and flowers. Strain and drink.

Decoction, for tougher plant parts: Roots, bark, and seeds need more than a steep — simmer them gently in water for 15–20 minutes instead of just pouring hot water over them, since their beneficial compounds are locked in tougher cell walls that need real heat and time to release.

Check each herb’s own page for its specific steep time and amount where one is given — general guidance here is a starting point, not a substitute for herb-specific notes.

A tincture is a concentrated liquid extract, typically made with alcohol, that preserves a herb’s properties for a much longer shelf life than a tea — often years rather than days.

Basic method (folk ratio): Fill a clean glass jar about a third to halfway with dried herb (or two-thirds with fresh, since fresh plant material has less concentrated material by volume). Cover completely with high-proof alcohol — vodka around 80–100 proof is the standard, accessible choice — leaving the herb fully submerged. Seal, label with the herb and date, and store in a cool, dark place for 4–6 weeks, shaking the jar every day or two. Strain through cheesecloth into a clean labeled bottle; the finished tincture is typically taken in small drop doses rather than by the cupful.

Alcohol isn’t the only option — vegetable glycerin makes an alcohol-free glycerite, though it’s a somewhat weaker solvent, and apple cider vinegar makes a folk-style extract as well. Both follow the same basic soak-and-strain process.

A salve is a topical preparation — herb-infused oil thickened with beeswax into a semi-solid balm for skin use. It’s a two-stage process: infuse the oil first, then finish the salve.

Stage 1 — Infused oil: Fully submerge dried herb in a carrier oil (olive and sweet almond oil are both common, accessible choices) in a clean jar. The slow method: seal and set in a sunny windowsill for 2–4 weeks, shaking occasionally, then strain. The faster method: gently warm the herb and oil together in a double boiler on the lowest heat for 2–3 hours, watching closely so it never simmers or browns, then strain while still warm.

Stage 2 — Finishing the salve: Warm the infused oil gently and stir in beeswax — roughly 1 ounce of beeswax per cup of oil is a common starting ratio for a firm-but-spreadable texture — until fully melted and combined. Pour into clean tins or jars and let cool undisturbed until set.

How you store a finished preparation matters as much as how you made it.

• Teas: best made fresh and consumed the same day; dried herb for tea keeps 6–12 months in an airtight container away from light and heat.
• Tinctures: properly made with high-proof alcohol, these are the longest-lasting preparation on this list — commonly 3–5 years or more, stored in a dark glass bottle away from direct light.
• Salves: typically last 6–12 months, depending on the carrier oil used (oils with more natural antioxidants, like olive oil, tend to last longer than more delicate oils). Store in a cool, dark place; heat and sunlight are what cause a salve to spoil early.

A change in smell — anything sour, rancid, or “off” from how it started — is the clearest sign a preparation has turned and should be discarded, regardless of how much time has technically passed.