CURE FOR A SPELL

With echinacea plants in full bloom, a tincture is a simple herbal remedy you can make with its choicest flowers and leaves.

Some people swear by echinacea for health benefits, such as boosting immunity, while others feel it has no positive effect on them at all. That may be because some products on sale have been tested to have zero echinacea content!

Originating in North America, the Plains Indians used echinacea for a variety of ailments, including snake bite, coughs and colds, and for pain relief. It was also seen to have magical powers and offered to the spirits to strengthen spells.

Exactly what its benefits may be and why they work is still not completely proven or understood. Some say it can improve inflammation, anxiety, blood sugar and skin health. Others ward off colds and flu with a thrice-daily dose at the first sign of illness. How much you take, and how often, differs depending on the potency of your brew and what you’re treating. As the long-term effects of taking echinacea are unknown, you should seek medical advice or consult with a herbalist before trying it and never take echinacea for longer than 10 days.

Growing Tips

Wait until echinacea plants are three years old to ensure they are well enough established to withstand harvesting for herbal remedies.

The entire plant (Echinacea purpurea is my choice), including roots and stalks, can be used. This recipe uses only the best flowers and leaves, which are the simplest parts to harvest.

Don’t harvest echinacea that has been sprayed with chemicals. If you must spray for pests, only use natural sprays and consider why your plant is getting pests in the first place.

step one: Gather Leaves and Flowers

• Harvest only the best flowers and leaves – in the morning.

• Use secateurs and remove any aphids or other insects.

• Ensure you have plenty of stem for hanging.

• Once you have picked enough to half fill your jar(s), wash gently with water.

• Discard any leaves, stems or flowers past their best or where insects remain.

step Two: prepare and dry

• Remove lower leaves from stems.

• Gather stems in small bunches; small bunches allow better airflow than large. • Wrap each bunch using a rubberband – some stems shrink as they lose their moisture and rubberbands shrink with them. This helps stop stems falling out as bunches dry.

• Find a cool and dry space out of direct sunlight. Set up a string line and hang your bunches off it by threading paperclips over the string and through each rubberband.

• Leave room between each bunch for airflow. Monitor regularly for mildew and remove bunches that show signs of this.

• Once completely dry (enough to crumble in your hand, though you don’t need to do so), strip the leaves and flowers from stems.

• Place these into a clean container with a sealable lid (Agee jars are ideal).

• Store the jars in a cool dark place and use within 12 months.

step Three: Make your Tincture

Equipment

• Clean sterilised jars or bottles with lids (amber-coloured bottles are best as they reduce light, which can affect potency).

• Alcohol (such as vodka) – at least 40 per cent alcohol content; the higher, the better.

• Cheesecloth.

Method

1. Gently fill your jars half full with dried echinacea (there is no need to squash the plant material down).

2. Pour alcohol into the jar, leaving a few centimetres at the top and ensuring all of the plant material is submerged.

3. Screw on the lid and give the jar a shake.

4. Place the jar somewhere cool and dark, giving it a shake once or twice a week.

5. After 1–3 months, your tincture is ready to be strained.

6. Carefully strain tincture through cheesecloth into sterilised jars.

7. Lid and label the bottles with a use-by date (within 12 months).

8. Store your tincture out of direct sunlight.