How to Make Your Own Echinacea Tincture

Every year around cold and flu season we run out and buy a bottle of Echinacea tincture as a preventative from getting sick.  The weird thing was we were spending upwards of $20 on a small bottle. 

So this year we grew our own Echinacea.  Echinacea is a beautiful flower that is also known as Purple Coneflower.

 ECHINACEA

I read up on making a tincture and learned that you can make tincture from the roots, stems, leaves, and flowers, so I decided to use all four!

I filled up a small canning jar about halfway with the roots, stems, leaves and flower of our Echinacea.  I then topped the jar up with vodka, and let it sit for 3 weeks. 

It looked pretty amazing when I first mixed it all together. 

Within a couple weeks it started turning the darker color you associate with the tincture you buy from your local health food store. 

We have been using the Echinacea tincture all winter long now, and haven't had to run out to buy the over-priced tincture we were accustomed to buying.

Now to get through the rest of the flu season without getting sick...

- John Briner