This photo was enhanced by me using PicMonkey’s crazy-awesome photo editing!
Echinacea Root is well known as one of the most powerful immune system builders and stimulators!
It works by first enhancing the quantity of immune cells in our bodies and then by stimulating them to action.
The benefits include…
- a shorter duration of colds and flu.
- prevention of future illnesses/infections.
- speeds recovery from chronic diseases.
Herbs for Cold and Flu Season Health
In my quest to create the perfect winter immunity booster for my family’s health, a Hot Echinacea Tincture was exactly what I was looking for!
It combines some of my most favorite herbs for Fall/Winter health!
And now’s the time to start preparing for what we know is before us!
Formulated from:
- Echinacea Angustifolia Root — Naturally increases the actions and functions of the immune system.
- Eleuthero (Siberian Ginseng) Root — An adaptogen, that helps the body properly respond to stress.
- Garlic — The best broad-spectrum herb…well respected for it’s antibiotic, antiviral, antifungal and antiparasitic properties.
- Cayenne Pepper — Capsaicin — the active component of peppers such as Cayenne, Habanero, Serrano, and Jalapeno — stimulates the body’s circulation and makes all of these already powerful herbs many times more effective!
Hot Echinacea Tincture
Ingredients
-2 parts dried Echinacea Angustifolia Root
-1 part dried Echinacea Purpurea Herb
-1 part fresh Garlic, chopped
-1 part dried Eleuthero (Siberian Ginseng) Root
-1/2 part Cayenne powder
-1 quart-sized glass mason jar
-1 cup boiling water
–vegetable glycerin, to cover
-45 ml brandy or vodka, optional but great for longer storage
Please note: Part equals volume, not weight.
Method
- As many herbalist recommend — and especially during the shorter days of fall and winter when the sun’s presence has diminished — I like to start this and all of my tinctures, if possible, on a new moon.
- Using a quart-sized glass mason jar, begin filling it with the herbs and dried plant material until it is 1/4 full.
- Add 1 cup of just boiled water over herbs. Then pour in just enough vegetable glycerin to fill the jar, leaving a 1/2 inch head-space. Note: Add the brandy or vodka during this step if using.
- Shake until well combined.
- Set the jar on a counter in a high-traffic area and shake it as many times as possible throughout each day.
- Allow the mixture to steep at least until the following full moon (approximately 2+ weeks) if you’re in a hurry. However, it’s optimal to allow the mixture to steep until the following new moon (approximately 4 weeks).
- Strain the mixture through a cheesecloth.
- Pour the prepared tincture into a dark glass bottle and discard the herbs. (Note: I love these dark glass bottles for storing my tinctures!)
- Label your tincture with the name, date, and contents.
Adult Dosing
Basic Immune System Boost
- 35 drops (1 dropperful) 6 times a day for a week.
Cold or Flu Treatment
- 70 drops (2 dropperful) every hour while awake (not to exceed 8 doses), upon show of symptoms, for 2-3 days.
Child’s Dosage
I recommend calculating a child’s dose by using “Young’s Rule.” Add 12 to the child’s age then divide his/her age by that number.
For example, my daughter is 6 therefore the calculation that I will use is 6/18=0.33
I will give her 33% of an adult dose.
Where Can I Get This Stuff?
-Starwest Botanicals they have everything you’ll need for this remedy! It’s your one-stop-shop!
–The Bulk Herb Store and Mountain Rose Herbs also carries many of these ingredients if you’d like to price check.
I do have a very limited quantity of these tinctures available for purchase
in my Etsy Shop.
Click on over to the Marketplace
and check out the listing by clicking this link.
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I really don’t like using glycerine in my mouth. Can I just use additional vodka? That is how I make most of my tinctures. Also, I’ve never used boiling water. What is its purpose? You are such a wealth of knowledge and I appreciate your sharing!
How do you take this? Straight up? In tea? Another way? Thanks!
This can be taken straight, but it’s much more palatable in a few ounces of water or tea. I also like to load this into a small mister bottle and spray to the back of my throat…it will cure a sore throat in no time!
With echinacea and cayenne in my garden right now (echinacea being in it’s third year and ready to harvest this fall), I cannot wait to make this when the weather chills!
I would also love to know, what is the purpose of the glycerin?
Would it be possible to only use alcohol for this tincture? Say, 80 proof vodka? Or is there some other reason that water and glycerine are used instead?? I’m ordering the herbs for it today – YEA!
Just a couple of tips… Echinacea requires a high alcohol content to properly extract it’s various constituents. Glycerine is not going to get the job done. According to herbalist Michael Moore (not the film maker), you will need grain alcohol and water it down to a strength of 70%, or 65% if you are using percolation instead of maceration.
If you’re trying to avoid the alcohol for the kids, there really is such a very low dose of alcohol in a serving of tincture that it’s approximately the same alcohol content as what is naturally found in bananas.
If it’s a taste thing, go on and make the alcohol tincture, but add it to honey or maple syrup right before consumption.