This blog provides educational guidance for herbalists and apothecaries using food grade ethanol for tinctures, botanical extractions, and traditional herbal preparations. Articles focus on solvent selection, proof considerations, and best practices for working with plant material. Content is intended for lawful, informed use by practitioners and experienced makers.

Alcohol For Herbalists Blog

What Not to Extract with Alcohol, and Why

Not every ingredient belongs in a tincture jar. Herbs, roots, citrus peels, resins, and spices often contain compounds that ethanol can extract effectively. Other materials, like gelatin, cod liver oil, and emu oil, behave very differently because they are proteins...

How to Work with Emu Oil and Food Grade Ethanol

Emu oil is fundamentally different from the botanical ingredients typically used in tincture and extract recipes. Herbs, roots, and citrus peels contain compounds that ethanol can extract. Emu oil is already a finished lipid, meaning there is nothing for ethanol...

How to Work with Cod Liver Oil and Food Grade Ethanol

Cod liver oil is different from most ingredients used in tincture and extract recipes. Herbs, citrus peels, roots, resins, and spices often release desirable compounds into ethanol. Cod liver oil is already a finished oil, which means it does not...

Guide to Mushroom Tinctures and Extracts Food Grade Ethanol

Mushroom extracts are different from many leafy herb tinctures. Mushrooms are fungi with dense cell-wall structure, tough dried texture, and a mix of water-soluble and alcohol-soluble compounds. For many mushroom recipes, the best starting point is a dual extraction process:...

Guide to Seed, Pod, and Fruit Tinctures and Extracts using 200 Proof Food Grade Ethanol

Black Peppercorn Cacao Fennel Juniper Berry Onion Pink Peppercorn Vanilla

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