Description
This combination of five antiviral herbs provides the best immune booster you can make at home. All ingredients can be grown in your garden and dried for home use or purchased from a reliable bulk herb provider.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup echinacea purpurea herb and root
- 1 cup elderberries
- 1/4 cup calendula flowers, dried
- 1/4 cup rosehips, dried and deseeded
- 1/4 cup astragalus root, dried
- 3 cups Brandy
- A wide-mouth quart canning jar
- A stainless steel funnel
- A stainless steel strainer
- Cotton cloth or cheesecloth for pressing out the herbs
Instructions
- Wash and sanitize your equipment.
- Place all the herbs in a jar up to 1/2 full. The dried herbs will absorb the alcohol and swell in the jar.
- Use a chopstick to displace any air bubbles.ย After 48 hours, take a look at the jar and top it up with more brandy to keep herbs submerged.
- Cap tightly and label the jar with the contents and the date. Donโt forget to label, in a month you may not remember what you put in the jar and it will look entirely different.
- Every day or as often as you think of it, shake the jar to evenly distribute the herb in the alcohol.
- After 4 to 6 weeks your tinctures are ready to strain.
To use:
For Adults: Use 1 teaspoon every 2 hours at the first signs of a cold or flu.
For Children under 15: Use 1/2 teaspoon every 2 hours at the first signs of a cold or flu.
For Children under 5: Use 1/4 teaspoon every 2 hours at the first signs of a cold or flu.
Use with caution for children under 2.
Notes
To strain the herb tincture, line a fine-mesh sieve with a cloth.ย Place the sieve over a glass bowl to catch the liquid. Once most of the tincture has dripped through the cloth into the bowl, twist up the cloth to squeeze out as much tincture as possible.
Pour the tincture into colored glass bottles. Label and store in a cool, dry, dark cupboard. Tinctures made with alcohol and dried herbs have a long shelf life. They can last for decades without a decrease in potency, provided they are protected from light and heat.
