Herbal Glycerite

Today, I am going to be making an herbal glycerite (an herbal extract using vegetable glycerine). This is the kind of extract you usually find in health food stores- it usually says "alcohol free" on the bottle. Herbal glycerites are used in children's herbal medicine, for obvious reasons.


Glycerites are not as potent as alcohol extracts, and their shelf life is only about 1 year (unless preservatives have been used- check the label). This is also the kind of herbal extract I use in my lotions and soaps. Since glycerine is already used in many of my recipes, the herbs just add more goodness and healing power to these products!


The first step is gathering your ingredients. You will need food grade glycerine, your herbs, and a jar with a tight-fitting lid. For this type of extract, you will also need a crock pot.

I am using a mixture of licorice root and peppermint (licorice root is good for throat ailments- peppermint is just for taste). The glycerine is from a local health food store- they can usually special order it in gallon jugs.










First, you need to fill your glass jar about 1/3-1/2 full of your herbs. Just eye it- it doesn't have to be too precise! At this point, you can soak your herbs with hot water to get them started. Use just enough water to wet the herbs, but don't drown them! (This is the same step as in alcohol extracts.)















Next, you fill the jar to within about an inch from the top with glycerine. The herbs will not want to mix, so you need to stir them and add more glycerine. Once you add the glycerine, screw on the lid tightly.

















Then, you need to fill your crock pot with water. This mixture is going to "cook" in a warm water bath for 2-3 days- this depends on how hot your crock cooks. ( I set the jar on a rag, so that it doesn't get too hot and crack.) Set crock pot on lowest setting, and keep an eye on the water level,- you will need to add water as it evaporates! As with the alcohol extract, you need to mix the herbs about once a day to keep them circulating.





When the mixture looks dark and smells very herbal, strain into a clean glass jar. You can use an old tee shirt to squeeze remaining extract out of herbs. Store jar in a cool, dark place for up to 1 year!

This post is part of Monday Mania on the Healthy Home Economist!