Determine how much ginseng you want to use daily. (There are many opinions and no standards on usage.) My own personal preference is 1,000 - 1,500 MG per day. Others might suggest more or less. Then determine how long you want your supply to last. Tinctured properly, it is generally considered that an alcohol ginseng tincture will maintain its strength for about 3 years. But initially, if I were just starting out making and using a tincture, I would prepare a supply to last for perhaps 3 or 4 weeks until I became more familiar with it and its performance.
For example, suppose I wanted use 1,000 MG of ginseng per day for 4 weeks.
1,000 MG X 28 days = 28,000 MG of ginseng. At 28 grams per ounce, that would call for me to use one (1) ounce of ground ginseng;and of course the better the grinding, the better the extraction.
While ginseng will extract quite well in water, it will extract a bit better in alcohol. The alcohol will also help to preserve the tincture very much longer that a water extract would be preserved. I prefer to use the highest proof vodka I can find for tincturing.
Place the ground ginseng in a bottle or clean jar that can be sealed. Cover the ginseng with one and a half or two inches of the vodka. Make sure that ALL of the ginseng is covered with the alcohol to prevent fermentation. Place the tightly closed container in a warm area. Each day gently shake the soaking ginseng tincture for about a minute. Within two or three weeks, you should achieve maximum extraction.
If you will be using the tincture with an eyedropper, you can filter it with a piece of clean cheesecloth and/or an unbleached coffee filter to remove the solids. Otherwise you may prefer to leave the solids in the tincture and prevent possible waste in the filtering process.
Using the 4 week example, I would either equally separate it into individual tincture bottles or simply determine how much of the finished tincture I would be using daily (1/28 if it) and use it accordingly.
The tincture is best stored in a cool dark place and ideally in a dark colored jar or bottle. Many folks find the refrigerator a ideal place for storage.
An alcohol tincture will be absorbed into one's bloodstream more rapidly than a water extract or a straight powder. Most folks consider that a plus. If you prefer not to use alcohol, a daily dose of the tincture can be put into a half cup of hot water and steeped. In 10-20 minutes, most of the alcohol will have evaporated and the active constituents will remain in the water.
Many folks find that enjoyment of the ginseng flavor is an "acquired taste". Should you use the hot water method just mentioned, you might want to sweeten it with a bit of honey.
