An herb tincture press can be a valuable addition to your home herbal supplies. Having a tincture press allows you to turn your fresh herbs into tinctures, infusions and other powerful herbal medicines.
What Is an Herb Tincture Press?
An herb tincture press is a device that you can use in your home to make herbal tinctures. It usually consists of some type of a straining mechanism, a container and a press. There are a variety of herb tincture presses available on the market for around $150, as well as a number of methods for making your own tincture press.
What Is a Tincture?
An herbal tincture is a concoction made with distilled water and/or alcohol and fresh herbs and/or dried herbs. Tinctures are typically taken in tea, water or juice, and are believed to be more readily accessible to and more quickly absorbed by the body than capsules, tablets and powders. Tinctures also have much more stability than dried or fresh herbs. While dried and fresh herbs can mold, a tincture can last indefinitely in a dark glass jar. It is important to note if you are making your own tinctures that the type of alcohol to use is pure grain alcohol - not rubbing alcohol or wood alcohol, which are poisonous.
Tinctures can be made by steeping herbs in pure grain alcohol, vinegar and/or distilled water, or by pressing them through a tincture press. Those that come through a tincture press are purer and more concentrated, and using a press allows you to get that last little bit of concentrated herbal goodness out of the herbs that you are pressing.
Why Make Your Own Tinctures
Herbal tinctures purchased in the health food store can be quiet expensive. Pressing your own tinctures can provide several ounces of herbal tincture for the price of a tiny bottle that is a fraction of an ounce. By making your own herbal tinctures at home, you also have control over the quality and ingredients that go into them.
Where to Find Herbal Presses
Tincture presses are available through retail outlets and online, although they can be somewhat expensive - ranging anywhere from $90 upwards. Here are a few resources for ordering a tincture press for your herbs.
- Walmart sells the EJWOX tincture press for just under $90
- Plant Based Pros offers a stainless steel press for about $200.
- Press Herbs sells six different presses with prices starting around $225.
- Your local health food store may have tincture presses available, or they may be able to direct you to a local source to obtain them.
Making Your Own Tincture Press
There are a number of resources on the Internet with instructions on how to make your own herbal press. Be sure to use food-grade components if making your own.
- If you don't have the money for a press, Inhabitat offers practical directions for making press-free tinctures.
- Herbal Tincture Making has more information on making your own herbal tinctures.
Other Uses for Herbal Presses
Tincture presses aren't necessarily just for making herbal tinctures. They have a variety of other uses as well, including:
- Making infused oils for aromatherapy. This is yet another way to save money, as infused oils can be quiet expensive. After the initial cost outlay on an herbal press, however, you are only out the price of your ingredients.
- Pressing small batches of fruits and vegetables for a small pressings of juice. This allows you to have fresh juice on demand.
As you can see, an herbal press can be a handy item to have around the house. After the initial outlay for the press, making your own herbal tinctures using a tincture press can save you a lot of money.
