Making Catnip-Fennel Tincture

Using herbs is just as serious and dangerous as using any medication, but here we use several herbal combinations that are safe enough to use almost every day. Standard disclaimers about talking to your doc first before using any new herb should be obvious - YMMV with any treatment.

My favorite one (and useful to food-o-philes) is a Catnip-Fennel tincture that settles the digestive system very quickly (especially for gas, but boy does those burps taste of fennel). Probably pretty similar to the practice of drinking mint tea (catnip is in the mint family) and the South Asian practice of eating fennel seeds after eating.

NEVER EVER TAKE IF YOU ARE PREGNANT - catnip can cause abortion in pregnant mammals of all kinds.

Ingredients:

• 2 ounces of dried fennel seeds
• 2 ounces of catnip leaves
• about 24 to 30 fluid ounces of 80-proof vodka
• 1 quart jar with lid

Steps:

1. Weigh out the fennel and catnip.
2. Pour the herbs into the quart jar carefully - my catnip always seems to dribble everywhere.
3. Pour in enough vodka to cover the herbs and then another inch more.
4. Shake, shake, shake the herb mixture.
5. Each day for 6 weeks, shake the jar and flip it upside down. Store in a dark place away from direct sunlight.
6. After the 6 weeks, drain the liquid out and keep it. I like to line Mason jar ring with a very with very fine cheesecloth (like you use to make cheese, double or triple up that gauzy stuff you buy at a store) - then I invert the jar over a container and let the liquid drain out slowly. I let the tincture brew in a regular width jar and then nest it inside a wide mouth jar to drain (more stable that way).
7. Add the "drunk herbs" to your compost pile.
8. The alcohol should keep the tincture stable and germ-free for at least a year or longer. If the temperature stays pretty constant, it should remain at full potency.
9. I take about a tablespoon by mouth when I feel full or gassy.

Next on the list of tinctures to try out:

1. Ginseng tincture - not sure if it is cheaper, but it would be fresher than what you find at the Asian groceries.
2. Immune-booster tincture - Molly's Herbs makes this and we use it on our goats when they need a bit more immune boost. It is out of stock right now, so I am going to compound up my own this week. Probably a good idea to take daily during flu season, especially since you need to get echinacea into your system right at the start of the infection.
3. More everyday tincture ideas here.