Echinacea Tincture
How time flies! The holidays have quickly crept up on us, and with them comes chilly winter weather, particularly here in Long Island. Following two years of pandemic, this winter has many of us thinking more than ever about ways we can naturally boost our immune systems and prepare ourselves for the coming flu season. Our secret here at Valentines Farm? Our incredible Echinacea Tincture! The medicinal properties of Echinacea have been used to strengthen immune systems for countless generations, and has been scientifically shown to assist in preventing and treating the common cold and influenza.
A member of the sunflower family, Echinacea is exceptional in that the entire plant is used in the making of immunity-boosting supplements, just as your immune system is a function of your whole body and not just a part of it. For our Echinacea Tincture, we use plants that are 3-4 years old or more, as it takes this long for their full medicinal benefits to mature.
Just as we described in our prior post about Calendula, we harvest the Echinacea at full bloom, when the flowers have opened and are vividly pink and not yet spent (before developing into seed or becoming mushy and old). But this isn’t the only way that timing our harvest is crucial! The best time to harvest is during an ascending moon, although during a waxing moon will work as well (ascending/descending moon refers to the position of the moon compared to the center of the earth while waxing/waning moon refers to its phase). Ideally, we harvest the Echinacea on the morning of a flower day, when the plant’s energies are traveling up the stem, toward the flower. This is when the content and concentration of medicinal compounds and essences are at their peak.
Again, we use the whole plant in our tincture, so rather than cut the flowers at the stem, we dig them up from the roots. After a thorough washing, we chop the plant up into fine pieces, which can be a challenge because the stem is quite tough – it's important to have a sharp knife! Once chopped, we fill large jars with the clippings to about the 2/3 point. Because the plant will swell during the process, it’s important to leave plenty of room.
Next, we make a 70% hydro-alcohol solution. Alcohol extracts the medicinal compounds from the plants, infusing the liquid with the plant’s concentrated essence. For this, it’s crucial to use a cereal grain alcohol and not a topical-only type such as isopropyl alcohol. We like to use a pure grain organic alcohol made from wheat or organic corn. Once the solution is ready, it’s added to the jars of flowers and stored in a cool, dark cellar for at least a month. During this time, we make sure to shake the mixture once or twice each day to increase the potency. Also like our Calendula mixture, we like to think positive thoughts as we shake the jars, in the belief that our good energies are transferred to the solution itself. After a month, we strain the plant matter from the tincture, let it settle, then bottle it into droppers.
Using the tincture is simple. It can be taken throughout the winter to prevent sickness, or once you’re beginning to feel under the weather to keep your immune system fortified. Dosage will vary from person to person depending on body type, weight, and the relative strength or weakness of your immune system. As always, it’s best to start small and increase your dosage depending on your needs. Start by diluting 5 drops into half a glass of water and consume before eating a meal. As desired, you can increase the dosage to as much as 30 drops per glass, taken 2-3 times a day. Monitor how you feel and cut back if you begin to feel dizziness, headache, or nausea. And of course, talk with your doctor before taking Echinacea, as higher amounts can interact with some medications and affect how they work.
If you follow these instructions, in no time you’ll begin to feel your body become more resistant to seasonal sickness as the Echinacea reinforces your natural immunities. And that, friends, is how we survive the cold winter months in Long Island!