It had rained so the mugwort was already free of dust and dirt and I just shook it off well and let it dry a bit in the colander. Then I picked the leaves off the stems and distributed the herbs into three eight ounce jelly jars. The jars were full, but not packed tightly.
I used white vinegar, canola oil, and vodka (not mixed together!!). Filled each jar nearly to the rim, and then capped with a lid and ring and shook them well. The oil filled jar I set on my kitchen windowsill and the other two went into the dark pantry in the basement. They've all been giving a gentle daily shake since then.
Today was "straining day"! Using a handy-dandy glass measuring cup and a fine mesh strainer, I set about opening, straining and re-bottling the tinctures.
First one to open was the vegetable oil tincture. PHEW! Did that ever stink like a half-rotted swamp!! Lesson: when tincturing in oil, next time use DRY herbs. That got dumped out. Total loss.
Then I opened the vinegar tincture. After straining the liquid is a very pale color and the scent while strongly vinegary has a hint of something else. (Duh, mugwort, haha). The vodka tincture is darker in hue and has a mugwort-y scent with a whiff of alcohol to it.
The vodka and vinegar Tinctures of Mugwort are tucked away in my supply area and I am sure I'll find plenty of witchy uses for them.
I think I'll try some culinary or medicinal tinctures next.
The vodka tincture is on the left, the vinegar tincture on the right.
