It’s tincture time for my fresh garlic – need advice

[SharonStudent]

I’ve asked this question in different ways previously, but no real answers.  So here we go…  I have some organic garlic that I purchased about December, and it’s starting to sprout in the fridge, so it’s time to tincture those rascals.  What I need to know, given that they are not dried, nor do I want to dry them in the house – is what ratio of fresh garlic to alcohol (1:2 or 1:1), and would 50% hooch do the job?  Thanks in advance for helping me get good answers this time!

[Sharon EStudent]

There is no hard and fast rule to this that I have come across. What I have done for fresh garlic as in non-dried garlic is. Alcohol at about 70% or 80% alcohol content so like everclear in the US. I have chopped up the garlic and then put the alcohol and garlic in a bullet blender and then that is the tincture.
The water content of the garlic is taken into consideration with it weakening the final tincture, that is why a higher proof alcohol is needed. As to if it’s 1:2, 1:5 etc will depend on how much liquid you need for the bullet blender to be able to mince up the garlic.
Then let it sit, shaking it daily or whatever once it’s in it’s final jar for the tincture to mature.
Once it’s been sitting there for about a couple of weeks or a month then it’s time to strain it, if using it as a spray then go one further with the straining and use a coffee filter.
Use gloves unless one wants super stinky hands.
Now I am not sure about the allicin thing as some say it’s best to crush the garlic and let it be exposed to the air, so you may want to do that before putting it in the alcohol and blending it. Or one can simply forget the blending bit and chop it up and put it in the alcohol. It all depends on the method one wants to do at the time and what they are trying to achieve and it’s final usage purpose etc. I prefer to do my tinctures so that they will be good in many, many yrs time if necessary.
Good alcohol content ie up around the 40% mark no matter what or even higher.
HTH Cheers

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Sharon

[SharonStudentTopic Author]

Thanks Sharon – I don’t worry about the stinky hands as I rub the stainless steel faucet and all stink is gone!  Appreciate the help 🙂

 

[Author]

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