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Turmeric Tincture Recipe

Food For Life Garden
Turmeric Tincture Recipe is an easy way to make your own turmeric as a supplement. It's convenient to have on hand for consistent use.
5 from 3 votes
Print Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Infusion Time 45 days
Total Time 45 days 15 minutes
Course Medicinal Tincture
Servings 1 quart

Equipment

  • 1 quart jar with a tight fitting lid
  • 1 nut milk bag, paint strainer bag, flour sack towel or butter muslin
  • 1 dropper bottle for dispensing

Ingredients
  

  • 8 ounces turmeric rhizome
  • 1 Tbsp black peppercorn
  • 1 quart 100 proof Vodka - 80 proof will do if you can't get 100 proof.

Instructions
 

  • No need to peel the turmeric, just give it a good rinse and cut out any blemishes.
  • Grate, finely slice, or chop your turmeric root and fill your quart jar to about ¾ full. Use gloves if you have some, or your hands will stain (and everything else too).
  • Add the peppercorns.
  • Pour the vodka over the herbs and fill the jar to the top. It is important to coverall herbs and as they will expand a little once wet, we'll want to be generous. I like to fill mine right up to the very top. Check back later to make sure they are still covered.
  • Close the lid tightly, label it, and shake it.
  • Set aside for 6-8 weeks to extract the benefits of the turmeric. Give it a shake every few days, whenever you think about it.
  • Strain out the herbs using a piece of cloth. Squeeze out what you can and dispose of the rest in your compost. You can also add it to pig feed, if you don't add too much at a time (you don't want to get them drunk). Turmeric is good for them too.
  • Now store it in a tightly sealed container. It will keep for many years.
  • If you like, you can fill a dropper bottle with your tincture for immediate use. But store the rest in a well sealed jar, not in dropper bottles.

Notes

How Long Will It Store?

It will keep for many years. I have tinctures that are 7 years old and are still great. One reason they can go bad is if the alcohol evaporates or if you didn't store it in a dark place.

If you use it several years from now, give it a quick look, if it does't look bad and smells good, make sure it still tastes of alcohol. Alcohol can evaporate even through seals. If it tastes off, it's probably bad and you shouldn't use it. But otherwise, it's fine to use aged tincture.

How To Dose Turmeric Tincture

You can use a dropper bottle for easy dispensing. But don’t store tinctures in dropper bottles. In my experience, the alcohol evaporates over time through the rubber top, and that can ruin your tincture. Fill only what you’ll be using in the next month or so. Keep the rest in a tightly sealed jar until needed. 
Herbalists recommend that you use 10-30 drops 3 times per day at equal intervals. One dropperful contains 20 drops. You’ll want to keep the curcumin circulating in your body throughout the day and that takes regular dosing to be effective. Start with a lower dose and use more if needed.

How To Take A Tincture

Tinctures work the quickest when taken under the tongue. Just squirt a few drops or a dropperful under your tongue and let it remain there for a moment.
You can also add tincture to hot water and let it sit for a few minutes to evaporate some of the alcohol. Or you can just add it to cold water, tea, or juice.

Voilà, You've Got An Effective Homemade Turmeric Tincture!

That was so easy! And now you have a potent extract of the turmeric rhizome that is convenient to use every day and easy to take with you when travelling. Try to take it with meals that include some fats for best absorbency. And if you grow your own, you’ll have the freshest turmeric for making extracts!
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