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Alcohol elderberry tinctures are one of the most concentrated and shelf-stable ways to prepare elderberry, and they are usually taken in just a few drops at a time rather than by the spoonful.
We prefer putting tinctures into dropper bottles, which makes it easy to measure small amounts with minimal waste and to place a few drops into small mouths when appropriate.
Elderberry Tincture Ingredients
2 cups dried elderberries
750 mL organic alcohol (such as vodka or brandy)
Instructions
- Clean a 1-quart glass jar, then rinse and thoroughly dry; place the alcohol and elderberries into the jar.
- Shake well and place in a cool, dark location, such as a closet or pantry.
- Once or twice per week, shake the mixture well.
- Allow the tincture to age for 2–6 months.
- Once the mixture is mature, strain and bottle. It is best to store elderberry tinctures in dark amber bottles in a cool, dark place. Light may damage and degrade many of the beneficial compounds in the extract.
Alcohol is expensive. One way to save is to purchase higher-proof organic alcohol in bulk—a gallon or more—often available at around 180 proof (90% alcohol), and then dilute it with distilled water to reach 80 to 120 proof (40 to 60%) for tincture-making.
By our estimates, this can cut the cost of the alcohol in half or more compared with buying small bottles at retail.
A simple approach is to combine equal parts high-proof alcohol and distilled water—for example, 2 cups alcohol and 2 cups water—to end up near 45% alcohol. Generally, most good tinctures are made with at least 40% (80-proof) alcohol, so if you prefer, you can use slightly more alcohol than water to stay on the higher side.
If you want to fine-tune your dilution beyond simple half-and-half, you can work out more precise ratios based on the starting proof of your alcohol, but in practice, it is generally better to err slightly on the side of higher alcohol content when making elderberry tinctures.
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Well Being Journal adapted the above excerpt from The Elderberry Book: Forage, Cultivate, Prepare, Preserve by John Moody. Copyright © 2019 by John Moody, and reprinted with permission from New Society Publishers.
