Usnea lichen is a pure antimicrobial that may disinfect wounds and battle off bacterial infections like a boss.
Crafting it right into a shelf-stable alcohol tincture is one of the simplest ways to make sure you have entry to this potent plant drugs if catastrophe ever strikes.
Learn on to learn to make an usnea tincture and switch this fuzzy fruticose lichen into a flexible remedy for no matter ails you.
Supplies to Make Usnea Tincture
Usnea tincture isn’t exhausting to make, however it’s time-consuming and requires a good bit of hands-on work. This drugs requires a double extraction, very like a reishi mushroom tincture.
Why all the additional work? Usnea’s polyphenolic compounds are extra soluble in water, whereas its coveted antiseptic usnic acid is extra soluble in alcohol. To get the total vary of advantages, you’ve acquired to do each extractions.
To get began, you’ll want the next:
Usnea lichen: Begin with high-quality usnea to make your tincture. I normally use two ounces, however you should utilize nevertheless a lot you’ve.
Excessive-proof alcohol: Act prefer it’s a university dorm social gathering and go for a budget stuff. You’ll want 2.5 occasions as a lot alcohol as usnea by dry weight.
Water: Use any supply. You’ll want 2.5 occasions as a lot water as usnea by weight.
Mason jars: Have no less than three available: one to carry your tincture, one to pressure it into, and one to make use of for combining.
Crockpot or range pot: Both one will work. I want the crockpot because it’s much less hands-on and permits for a slower and doubtlessly extra thorough extraction.
Strainer: I take advantage of a Toncoo small-particle strainer, which works completely for filtering out even small tidbits of plant matter. You could possibly additionally use cheesecloth.
Dehydrator (elective): You’ll want to begin with dry usnea. You need to use a dehydrator like my Nesco Snackmaster or enable your lichens to air-dry.
Making the Usnea Tincture
1. Supply Usnea
Usnea is a inexperienced, coral-shaped lichen that’s comparatively frequent and grows in varied climates. If it grows in your area, foraging for usnea is fairly straightforward.
Nonetheless, usnea is choosy. For those who stay in an city space or expertise a whole lot of air pollution, it gained’t develop close to you.
In that case, you should buy your lichens on-line or from a good native vendor. I counsel beginning with two ounces because it makes measuring the whole lot simpler.
2. Clear Usnea
Usnea normally comes cleaned and dried if you purchase it. For those who forage it your self, that work falls to you.
Choose off items of filth, bark, and different particles. Don’t wash the lichen underneath water since it will solely lengthen the time it takes to dry. If there’s a little bit of filth on it, don’t sweat it — you’ll filter it out finally.
3. Dry Usnea
As soon as clear, tear or chop the usnea into small items and dehydrate it at 130°F for one or two hours. Alternatively, simply depart it within the solar for 4 or 5 hours.
Non-compulsory: You may mix your usnea in an herb grinder or meals processor as soon as it’s dry. Theoretically, it will maximize the extraction potential by rising the floor space uncovered to the solvent.
4. Measure Up
This usnea tincture requires a plant-to-solvent ratio of 1:5. To realize this ratio, we are going to use equal components water and alcohol, starting with the alcohol and including water throughout a decoction part.
As soon as your usnea is dry, measure it on a kitchen scale and multiply its weight by 2.5 to find out the quantity of alcohol you want. Right here’s an equation you should utilize to make it simpler:
(usnea weight X 2.5) = alcohol quantity
For instance, I’m beginning with two ounces of usnea, so I’ll want so as to add 5 ounces of alcohol.
In the course of the water decoction part, I’ll add the identical quantity of water to make the 1:5 ratio.
5. Add Alcohol and Depart for Extraction
Pack your usnea in a Mason jar and pour the alcohol over it slowly. It can probably develop because it takes on liquid; in that case, pack it again down once more.
Place your usnea tincture in a cool, darkish place to infuse for 4–8 weeks. 4 weeks needs to be enough in the event you’re working with powdered lichens. Extra time is healthier in the event you depart the lichens complete.
Your combination will flip brown, reddish, or coppery relying on the species. Usnea is commonly used as a pure dye and can flip the solvent into stunning and generally sensible colours!
6. Pressure
As soon as a number of weeks have handed and your solvent takes on a pleasant colour, you’ll separate the plant matter from the alcohol.
Pressure the liquid out over one other Mason jar and press the lichen nicely to take away as a lot alcohol as attainable. Put a lid on the jar of alcohol and set it apart.
7. Add Water and Decoct
Keep in mind how a lot alcohol you used? Go forward and measure out the identical quantity of water for this step.
Place the usnea lichen within the backside of your crockpot and canopy it with water. I at all times add one other half-ounce since warmth makes water evaporate, even in a crockpot. The lichen may even take in a number of the water, so it’s greatest to have just a little further.
Flip the crockpot on the “low” setting for one hour, then change it to the “heat” setting. Depart it no less than 12 hours and as much as 24 hours. Some folks depart it as much as three days. If you wish to go this route, add one other half-ounce of water every day it sits within the crockpot.
What in the event you don’t have a crockpot? No drawback. You may put the usnea in a range pot with water. Set your range to a low setting, add an additional half-ounce of water, and depart it to decoct for two–12 hours.
Be sure to maintain a lid on the pot always to stop as a lot evaporation as attainable.
8. Pressure
As soon as your scorching water extraction is full, your water will tackle a brownish, swampy hue. It’s not almost as fairly because the alcohol solvent, however it is rather medicinal.
Pressure out the plant matter over a mason jar and prepare to mix!
9. Mix Extractions
At this stage, you’ve a jar of alcohol and a jar of water extract. They need to be roughly equal in quantity. In the event that they’re off by a bit, it’s no huge deal.
Seize your third Mason jar to mix it. Add the alcohol first, then pour in the identical quantity of water and watch the magic occur.
The mix will bubble barely, producing a cloudy, opaque, light-colored liquid.
10. Retailer Correctly and Get pleasure from!
After you have mixed the alcohol and water extractions, you’ll have a dual-extracted usnea tincture!
All that’s left to do is retailer it appropriately.
It’s greatest to bottle your tincture in darkish blue, black, or amber-colored tincture bottles. Glass is healthier than plastic as a result of it gained’t leach into your drugs.
Utilizing dark-colored glass will block UV rays and warmth, stopping the tincture from degrading over time.
Because you began with 190-proof alcohol, your combination ought to include between 35%–45% ABV. This implies it’s shelf secure and can keep good for 3–5 years.
Usnea Tincture Dosage
The preferred means to make use of usnea tincture is orally for inner infections. Though it’s a superb remedy for present infections, it’s not a preventative.
I don’t advocate taking usnea each day since usnic acid may cause liver toxicity in excessive quantities.
The aged, youngsters, these with critical underlying well being points, and pregnant or breastfeeding ladies shouldn’t take usnea tincture in any respect due to this danger.
Getting ready a tincture at a 1:5 ratio will lead to about 200 mg/ml of dry plant matter. It is a protected each day routine, contemplating that animal research report no toxicity at this quantity.
Issues and eventual lethality happen at a lot larger doses of between 7 and 20 grams each day.
For wholesome folks, low doses of as much as a milliliter per day needs to be wonderful. To remain protected, it’s at all times greatest to ask your physician earlier than supplementing with usnea or any medicinal plant.
Usnea tincture can be used externally as an antifungal to battle ringworm and different mycotic infections. Additionally it is useful as an antiseptic to wash and sanitize wounds, scrapes, and bites.
Be warned: the excessive alcohol content material makes software to damaged pores and skin painful, so keep away from utilizing tinctures externally until no various is on the market. An usnea powder is simpler to make and way more snug to use!
Usnea lichen serves many medicinal functions on the homestead. Now that you know the way to make an usnea tincture the correct means, you’re able to harness the true potential of this lichen immediately!
