Mucilage in Tea? and Tincture Creation Length of Time

[Jennifer DrueryStudent]

Great content so far! I am learning so much.

I have two questions.

You mention the mucilage in Marshmallow and Slippery Elm. I have been taking it as a tea with Marshmallow dried root cut up small and Slippery Elm in powder forms. I am not seeing this mucilage in my tea, should I? Or is it something that happens in the gut? Maybe the hot water levels it out? Bad herbs?

Last question;

You mention 2 weeks for the tincture shaking the jar and keeping in a cool dark place. I’ve seen some other herbalists go longer on their tinctures. Is it safe to assume it depends on what strength you want your tincture to be that determines the length of time you do that first process? Or is it certain types of herbs (maybe harder bark like herbs) need more time as well?

Thanks!

 

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Jennifer Dalby

[Michelle KochStudent]

Hi Jennifer,

I don’t have the answers to your other questions, but I am one of those people who lets my tinctures macerate a bit longer.  One thing I noticed, is the color deepens over time.  I don’t know if that increases the potency or strength, but I like to wait until the color “peaks” to its richest, deepest, most concentrated.  Some herbs, like the nettle leaf powder that I get from HGH, infuses right away, and is super beautiful instantly.  Others take a bit longer, and I’ve noticed the form of the herb will affect the extraction rate.  For example, finely powdered herbs seem to “take” more quickly than chopped, or even fresh.  Another fun observation I’ve made, is when I’ve tinctured up fresh, whole garlic cloves.  I noticed if the bulb has been sitting in my cupboard for several weeks, when I tincture it up, the alcohol turns a pale yellow at first, deepening to gold over time.  But when I use a bulb within a day or two from bringing home from the grocery store — so it is as fresh as I can possibly get it– It turns blue in the alcohol, then a pale green, then eventually turns yellow and deepens to gold after six weeks.  I would not consider the “older” garlic to be “old” at all!  It’s plenty aromatic and moist inside.  But I’ve decided if I can let those cloves soak a bit longer, and let the color deepen, it’s probably going to yield a higher concentration of medicinal compounds.

3 users thanked author for this post.

Dr. Patrick Jones, Jennifer Dalby, Jennifer Druery

[Dr. Patrick JonesHomestead Instructor]

Mucilage isn’t really “visible”. It’s mostly just slippery. It extracts better in cold water than hot. Also, you don’t need to use both marshmallow and slippery elm. Either will give you mucilage (and the marshmallow isn’t a threatened species).

For dry, powdered herbs I think two weeks is plenty of time. You certainly can go longer and for some herbs may get a bit more extraction, but the return is probably pretty minimal. If using chunkier bits of herb than a powder, longer can be much more important.

One of these days I really want to take a bunch of samples of the same tincture collected at different days to a chemist and see how much extraction levels change from day to day over a period of a month or so.

Don't use herbs or combine herbs with medications or use them during lactation or pregnancy without talking with your healthcare provider.

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