Plantain Magic and Medicine
"Mom, I would like to make a plantain tincture. Would you teach me?",asked my youngest.
"I would love to", I say.
Step one: ask permission from the plant, listening closely for an answer.
"Mother Earth and Plantain say it”s ok for me to harvest for medicine making as long as I don”t take all the leaves from one plant", she says.
Step two: thank the plant and proceed with care. Offer something as a gift of yourself in return such as hair or saliva.
Step three: rinse your leaves and dry them well. You want to remove any dirt or residue from your plant material. Drying them will insure you are not diluting your tincture.
(The girls gave them a full bath)
Step four: cut, blend or rip up the leaves into smaller pieces as to create easier access to the medicine the plant has to offer.
Step five: clean and dry jars and lids well to avoid contamination.
Step six: add plant material to jars, packing down slightly but not too much. You are looking to fill the jar almost to the top with plant but if you squish it down too hard, the alcohol will have trouble reaching it and air could become trapped inside creating oxidation.
Step seven: poor in 80proof alcohol or higher to just over the plants leaving a small space of air at the top to avoid pressure explosion. For leaves, this is a good proof as some parts of the plant are water soluble and some are extracted with alcohol. Alcohol also allows the medicinal properties to flow into the blood stream more effectively. Apple cider vinegar can be used in place of alcohol, although I'm not as familiar with that process.
Step eight: tighten lid and label your tincture with the name of your plant and the date.
Step nine: let your tinctures rest in cool darkness to work their magic for at least 1 month or longer.
Step ten: strain tincture into amber bottles and take a few drops as needed. Continue to store in a cool dark place.
