Glycerites

Glycerites are a wonderful alcohol-free alternative to tinctures! Made in much the same way, herbs are instead steeped in vegetable glycerin to extract the active/healing components. Glycerites are a perfect alternative for children, animals, adults with alcohol sensitivity, or people who don’t want to consume alcohol. They aren’t as potent as alcohol-based tinctures and don’t extract the alcohol-soluble properties, but they are still effective, especially for the right herbs! And the bonus is they taste sweet, so they’re easier for children to consume.

What is vegetable glycerin?

Vegetable glycerin is a clear, odorless liquid made from vegetable oils like palm, soy, or coconut oil. It is produced by heating to split the glycerin molecule from the fatty acids. It has a sweet flavor but not metabolized by the body like sugar, making it a nice herbal preparation for all ages. When sourcing vegetable glycerin, choose organic whenever possible, sustainably harvest, non-GMO for highest quality. I prefer coconut-based over soy, but the soy glycerins are usually easier for me to find. Mountain Rose Herbs has a reliable soy-based vegetable glycerin, and Wildly Organic has my preferred coconut-based version. Both are nice options, but my personal preference is coconut.

Plant Material

Glycerites are best made with fresh herb material because they are great plant material preservers. Fresh aromatic plants are particularly wonderful in glycerites because the volatile oils are fully preserved (wheres the drying process degrades some of the volatile oils). Fresh herb glycerites are made with 100% glycerin, whereas dried herb glycerites are generally made with a 3:1 ratio of glycerin to water and should have at least 55% glycerin.

Making an Herbal Glycerite

Making glycerites is so simple! Using the same folk method used for alcohol-based tinctures gives a great result. Although not always completely consistent, it’s perfect for an at-home apothecary.

  • Fill a sterilized glass jar with cleaned, chopped fresh herb material (or fill halfway with dried herbs, allowing for expansion)
  • Pour glycerin (fresh herb) or glycerin diluted with water (dried herb) in a 3:1 ratio into the jar to completely cover the herb material
  • Using a spoon, push down the plant material to fully cover it and release air bubbles
  • Cap & label the glass jar with the name of the herbs & the date, and place in a cool dark place for 4-6 weeks
    • *Note – do not allow metal tops to come in contact with the glycerite
  • Stir the contents every few days, making sure that the herbs are pushed below the glycerin
  • After 4-6 weeks, strain the glycerite through a fine mesh strainer and cheesecloth, squeezing as much of the glycerite out of the cheesecloth as possible
  • Label and bottle the glycerite in amber-colored dropper bottles

Here is my recipe for a Lemon Balm Glycerite!

General Dosing Guidelines

Although dosing is herb-specific, general glycertie dosing guidelines are as follows:

  • Adults – approximately 1-5 mL, or 20-100 drops, 3x/day
  • Children – based on weight using Clark’s Rule:
    • (child’s weight / 150) x adult dosage 3x/day – always start with smaller dosage
      • ex. for 50 lb child: (50/150) x 1 ml = 0.33 ml 3x/day

* For children, always use gentle herbs that are considered safe for children. Chamomile, violet, lemon balm, and catnip are wonderful options!

As with alcohol-based tinctures, it is helpful to start small and work up to a full dosage to identify individual sensitivities.