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Fri Oct 01, 2010 7:25 am  |
| JessicaWiehle wrote: |
YOu can just call me Jess. 
Thank you! At what total percent to you put the extracts in your recipes using tinctures? |
Hi Jess,
I pretty much go by drops with essential oils I use 10 per oz. so since the extracts are less concentrated yet still potent I go with 20 per oz. Unless there is a commercial extract listed on one of the many DIY sites then I check the recommended percentage and go by that. |
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I'LL SEE YOU ON THE DARKSIDE OF THE MOON.... |
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Fri Oct 01, 2010 9:44 am |
I have always used the easy route ie. Alcohol! LOL
Some info from the net:
Until Bio-Chelation there was simply no good way to make a potent alcohol-free extract. Greenbush alcohol free extracts begin with organic alcohol regardless of whether the final product contains alcohol or not. After finishing the first step in the plant extraction, an additional step is performed to remove the alcohol. This is done by utilizing a proprietary cold extraction process called Bio-Chelation®. Bio-Chelation® describes the cold process vacuum distillation method, which removes all the alcohol initially used to obtain the good herbal extract.
http://www.greenbush.net/giroex.html
Our herbal glycerites are very similar to our liquid herbal extracts and they can be used in the same way. The difference is a slightly adjusted extraction process, which enables us to extract the herbs with natural plant glycerine instead of alcohol.
http://herb-pharm.com/catalog/herbalglyceritesalcoholfree-c-22.html
Q: What are liquid herbal extracts?
A: Liquid herbal extracts are herbs that have been processed in such a way that their active constituents (ingredients) are suspended in a liquefied medium, usually alcohol and water. If the alcohol is left in the formulation, an alcohol-containing extract is the result. However, once the constituents have been extracted, the alcohol in the extract can be removed using a heat-free process to produce alcohol-free herbal extracts. The alcohol-free herbal extracts are suspended in glycerin to make alcohol-free extracts or suspended in olive oil to create a liquid herbal concentrated extracts in softgels.
http://www.herbsetc.com/Faqs/choosing_herbal_products.htm
↓ Scroll down to catalog page for Eclectic Institute
Glycerite Compounds-Alcohol Free
Click to go to: [PAGE 1] [PAGE 2] [PAGE 3] of Alphabetized Freeze-Dried Concentrate Formulas
http://www.aminoacidbotanicalandsupplementsource.net/Eclectic_Flavored_Glycerite_Compounds1.htm
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Of the five most common ways of taking herbs
Eaten fresh
Dried, powered and then encapsulated
Brewed as teas
As tinctures
As low-alcohol, live-concentrated tincture/extracts
The concentrated tincture/extract method is the most effective.
Taking fresh herbs is difficult for several reasons. First, it is nearly impossible to get or even find many of these herbs in fresh form. Second, you would have to consume massive quantities of the fresh herb to obtain significant results. And, lastly, we must rely on our digestive systems to digest the herbs so we can access their beneficial properties. Many of us have less than optimal systems which cannot adequately digest some herbs. Some herbs, in fact, are very difficult to assimilate. Result—we do not get full benefit of herbs eaten fresh, or (for many of the same reasons) from herbs taken in capsule form.
Tea is a good method to use when taking herbs. During the brewing process, many of the beneficial properties of the herbs are liberated and made available for absorption into our system. However, there are some disadvantages to teas: all the properties are not liberated and the heat destroys valuable enzymes.
The “king of value” and the state-of-the-art delivery system in herbs is liquid herbs. Herbs taken in this manner cost less per dose, are easier to use (by simply placing a drop or two under the tongue or adding to water or juice) and are better assimilated than the same herbs taken in other forms.
The two main categories of liquid herbs are extracts and tinctures. Within these categories you will find liquid herbal drops, fresh plant, non-alcohol, glycerin or standardized forms. Better equipment and methods to break down botanicals has resulted in new and more potent medicines! There is not sufficient room here to outline the various methods of preparation however, after years of research Master Herbalist Truman Berst has developed a special low-alcohol, live-concentrated tincture/extract that yields an enzyme active product like no other ever available.
Low-alcohol, live-concentrated tincture/extracts have none of the disadvantages of fresh or encapsulated herbs or of herbs taken in teas. They are made by placing the finely ground fresh or dried herb into a solution of distilled water and alcohol (which acts as a solvent). The process takes approximately 3 weeks (some herbs require more time) of soaking and agitating before pouring the liquid into a reserve chamber. The bulk that remains is then placed in a cold-process vacuum extraction chamber. The rich reserve gained from this extraction process is then combined with the original reserve.
After much testing with many different natural solvents, alcohol has been found to be both the safest and the most effective method of extracting the essence from herbs. Glycerin grows bacteria too easily and vinegar is not an effective solvent with many herbs. Should you prefer, you can easily remove the alcohol by lighting the tincture like a flame in a restaurant, or by adding the tincture to water or tea that is warm enough to have steam rising from it. Do not use boiling water which will destroy the precious enzymes. Glycerin is used when we make alcohol free tinctures/extracts. Because bacteria grows easily in glycerites they need to be refrigerated after opening and they have a shorter shelf life.
(Fact: In your digestion you get more alcohol from one soda cracker than from 2 oz. of our low-alcohol tincture.)
HOW LONG WILL IT LAST
1 drop = 26 mg
38 drops = 1 gram
1cc = 37-40 drops
2 ounces = 200 drops* = 1000 (500 mg) capsules
2 ounces = 80 squirts
1 squirt = 25 drops
Taken 1 time /day 6 drops = 333 days 12 drops = 166 days
Taken 2 times /day 6 drops = 167 days 12 drops = 83 days
Taken 3 times /day 6 drops = 111 days 12 drops = 55 days
Taken 4 times /day 6 drops = 83 days 12 drops = 41 days
http://www.healthherbs.com/conditions/about-tinctures.html
Of course they don’t tell you the process as they wish to sell you their extracts!  |
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I'LL SEE YOU ON THE DARKSIDE OF THE MOON.... |
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Sat Oct 02, 2010 8:51 am |
WOW! Thank you, Darkmoon. You are amazing and so helpful! I will definitely check out "The Way of Herbs". Thank you SO much for the recommendation and for taking the time to share all this valuable info!
It sounds like the alcohol and glycerin-free extracts are made using alcohol, but then a vacuum pump is using to "cold" evaporate the alcohol....yep, that's definitely way beyond what I'd be willing to do. But still, it's interesting to know what they do! |
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34 y.o. FlexEffect and massage. Love experimenting with DIY and botanical skin care products. Appreciate both hard science and natural approaches. Eat green smoothies + lots of raw fruit and veggies. |
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Sun Oct 03, 2010 8:08 pm |
| DarkMoon wrote: |
| JessicaWiehle wrote: |
| I read in one of Rosemary Gladstar's books that you can remove the alcohol using low heat but w/my luck i'd screw it up and waste 3 weeks of efforts extracting the herbs in the first place! I'll stick to tinctures. Thanks for all this! |
Jess,
Do you recall the name of the book by Rosemary Gladstar? I am always buying books on essential oils and herbs!
TIA |
YES! Rosemary Gladstar's Herbal Recipes for Vibrant Health. She's a fabulous writer and the book is very easy to use. |
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