catnip tincture

Catnip is harvested at peak potency from and steeped in organic alcohol for a minimum of six weeks. Catnip (Nepeta cataria) has been used historically as a mild tranquilizer that helps relieve stress and stimulate the appetite. Catnip herb has also been used to treat anxiety, colds, flu, fever, inflammation, and general aches and pains. This cat‚’s fancy has also been shown to be effective as a mosquito and insect repellent.It is also used with restlessness, nervous irritation, nervous headaches, insomnia, amenorrhea and dysmenorrhea.

Catnip is also available in tincture form to take by mouth or apply topically. A tincture is a herbal preparation made by diluting the herb in alcohol. A catnip tincture or crushed catnip can be applied to a compress to treat cuts and scrapes. The principles behind making tinctures are to obtain the spiritual and physical quintessence of the plant. This is done by using ethyl alcohol to dissolve and preserve the herb you are using. The material used to extract the herbs is known as the menstrum. The herbs you are tincturing are called the mark. Tincturing will extract and maintain both the water-soluble and alcohol-soluble properties of an herb. The material used to extract the herbs is known as the menstrum. The herbs you are tincturing are called the mark. Tincturing will extract and maintain both the water-soluble and alcohol-soluble properties of an herb.

To cook up your own tinctures, you need either ">dried or fresh cut catnip herbs, vodka, brandy or rum, 80 - 100 proof to pour over the herbs, mason jars complete with lids, unbleached muslin or cheesecloth, ands of course, labels. We usually make tinctures with all-natural brandy or 80 proof vodka, but last summer we discovered a whole new take on a Catnip tincture. We found a thriving stand of Catnip growing wild at the beach, and wanted to put it up fresh as it loses potency when dried. All we had on hand was tequila, so that's what we used. Result: an effective medicinal tincture with a pleasant minty after taste.

Here's how you do it:

Pack a pint (or larger) clean glass jar with fresh Catnip. Harvest just before it blooms for greatest strength. Pour in tequila (we used gold) to cover all of the herb, cap, label, and date. Put away in a cupboard for 10 days to two weeks, then strain into another clean jar. Pour into glass dropper bottles for use. Dose: 1-2 droppersful 3-4 times per day as necessary for cramps. And don't drive after dosing -- take a Cat nap!

At the beginning inspect the tincture daily to be sure the vodka, brandy or rum still is covering the catnip herbs. Allow the brew to steep for at least 2 weeks and up to 3 months. Line a sieve with the cheesecloth or muslin and pour the fluid through the sieve into a fresh, clean bottle. Draw in the ends of the cheesecloth and press to get all of the tincture. Now fill smaller bottles with droppers with the tincture. Be sure to tag the jar with the name of the catnip herb and the day, the month and the year that it was produced.

Tinctures are made with herbs and grain alcohol. Small quantities of tinctures are effective. They are stable, convenient, and probably represent the actual chemistry of the herb more closely than any other preparation. Tinctures are quickly and readily absorbed into the bloodstream and are not dependent upon the efficiency of digestion which is an advantage over tablets and capsules. Absorption is a bit more efficient if taken between meals. To use the tincture, drop one teaspoon into juice, water, or tea, three times per day.

Many people are making their own tinctures from dried and fresh herbs in an attempt to be more involved in their health. Tinctures of fresh herbs have proven to be more vitalizing and longer lasting than dried herbs. Dried herbs tend to get moldy or be eaten by insects; tinctures will not. Tinctures will keep for as long as two years and sustain their potency if stored properly. Creating your own tinctures will save you quite a bit of money. If you buy tinctures at a retail shop you might get a few ounces but if you create them yourself you can yield a quart.