The short answer: to make a tincture, cover chopped dried spices, citrus peel or herbs with alcohol of at least 40%, close the jar and let it steep in the dark for 4 to 6 weeks, shaking it often. Strain it, bottle it in dark glass and label it. The measured ratio is 1 part dried plant by weight to 5 parts alcohol by volume: 50 g in 250 ml.
In the kitchen a tincture is a flavouring. Orange peel, cinnamon, coffee beans or rosemary in alcohol, used by the drop in drinks, sauces and desserts. This guide is about flavour and method only. Health questions belong with a doctor or pharmacist, especially if you are pregnant, breastfeeding or take medication.
| At a glance | |
|---|---|
| Hands-on time | 15 minutes |
| Steeping | 4 to 6 weeks |
| Ratio | 1:5 dried (50 g in 250 ml), 1:2 fresh |
| Alcohol | 40% or more, food-grade |
| Keeps | Years, closed and dark |
Ingredients for a 1:5 kitchen tincture
- 50 g dried spices, peel or herbs, coarsely chopped or crushed
- 250 ml vodka, 40% alcohol, or a stronger food-grade spirit
- A 500 ml glass jar with a tight lid
- A fine sieve and a piece of muslin or a coffee filter
- Small dark glass dropper bottles
- Labels and a pen
Which alcohol: vodka tastes of nothing, so the plant comes through. Use at least 40%: weaker spirits pull out less flavour and keep less well. Fresh plants carry water that dilutes the alcohol, so they need a higher-proof spirit; our garlic tincture uses 96%.
Kitchen tinctures worth making
| Tincture | Plant | Try it in |
|---|---|---|
| Orange peel | Dried peel, no white pith | Cocktails, chocolate, cake glazes |
| Warm spice | Cinnamon, cardamom, clove | Coffee, hot chocolate, mulled drinks |
| Rosemary | Dried leaves | Lemonade, gin and tonic, roast potatoes |
| Coffee | Crushed roasted beans | Tiramisu, ice cream, espresso martini |
| Chili | Dried chilies | Bloody Mary, soups, marinades |
Folk method or measured method
| Method | How | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Folk | Fill the jar about half with dried plant, cover with alcohol by 2 to 3 cm | Quick batches, tasting as you go |
| Measured | Weigh the plant, measure the alcohol: 1:5 dried, 1:2 fresh | Repeatable results, the same flavour every time |
The folk method is fine for one jar. The measured method is what you want when a tincture works and you want to make it again exactly the same.
How to make a tincture
- Weigh and chop. Weigh 50 g of dried plant. Crush spices, snap cinnamon sticks, chop peel and leaves coarsely. More surface means faster flavour.
- Measure the alcohol. Pour 250 ml over the plant in the jar. Everything must sit under the surface.
- Label the jar now. Write the plant, the ratio, the alcohol percentage and today's date on a strip of tape.
- Steep. Keep the jar dark at room temperature for 4 to 6 weeks. Shake it daily in the first week, then a few times a week.
- Taste. From week 2, put a drop in a glass of water. Stop when the flavour is clear and full.
- Strain and press. Pour it through a sieve lined with muslin, then squeeze the muslin to get the last of it.
- Bottle. Fill small dark dropper bottles to the top, so little air sits on the tincture, and close them.
How to label a tincture
A tincture without a label is a mystery bottle within a month. Write:
- the plant and the part used, fresh or dried
- the ratio and the alcohol percentage
- the start date and the strain date
For example: "Orange peel, dried, 1:5, 40%, started 8 Nov 2026, strained 20 Dec 2026".
How long a tincture keeps
At 40% alcohol or more, closed, dark and at room temperature, a tincture keeps for years. The aroma fades slowly, so smell and taste an old bottle before using it. Throw it away if it turns cloudy, smells musty or shows mould.
Tincture vs extract vs infusion
| Tincture | Extract | Infusion | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Liquid | Alcohol | Usually alcohol | Water, oil, vinegar or honey |
| Ratio | Measured, often 1:5 | By flavour | By flavour |
| Time | Weeks | Weeks | Minutes to days |
| Keeps | Years | Years | Days to months |
| Example | Garlic tincture | Orange extract | Herb oil, syrup, tea |
In a kitchen, tincture and extract are close cousins: both are a plant in alcohol. "Extract" is the word on baking bottles such as vanilla. "Tincture" usually means a measured ratio, a dropper bottle and use by the drop. An infusion uses no alcohol, which is why it keeps for days or months, not years. A tincture made with glycerin instead of alcohol is called a glycerite.
More bottles to make this way: homemade extracts.
A concentrated tincture in the Herb Lab
The NOIDS Herb Lab can reduce a strained tincture with its Evaporation function, at about 50 ml per hour and never above 102 °C. Its Condenser catches the alcohol as it boils off.
- Pour the strained tincture into the Glass, below the MAX mark, and press the dry Glass into the Main Body.
- Fit the Condenser: short end into the Spout of the Filter Set, then close the Glass with the Filter Set. Stand a second, empty Glass under the long end.
- Turn the Rotary Control to Evaporation. Turn it to OFF when the volume is where you want it.
- Cool, then bottle. Once little alcohol is left, keep it in the fridge and use it within 4 days, or freeze it.
Food-grade, non-denatured alcohol only, in a room larger than 50 m³ with fresh air, at least 5 m from any open flame.
Questions
What alcohol is best for a tincture?
Vodka at 40% or more for dried plants, because it adds no flavour of its own. Fresh plants need a higher-proof food-grade spirit, because their water dilutes the alcohol.
What does a 1:5 tincture mean?
1 part plant by weight to 5 parts alcohol by volume. 50 g of dried orange peel in 250 ml of vodka is a 1:5 tincture.
How long should a tincture steep?
4 to 6 weeks in the dark, shaken often. Taste it from week 2 and strain when the flavour is clear.
Can I make a tincture without alcohol?
Not a tincture as such, but a glycerite: 3 parts food-grade glycerin to 1 part water, steeped 6 to 8 weeks. It is sweeter and keeps about 1 year.
Is a tincture the same as an extract?
In the kitchen, nearly. Both are a plant in alcohol. A tincture usually follows a measured ratio and is used by the drop; an extract is the name on baking bottles.
