Want to learn how to make sloe tincture for natural immunity? Continue reading and find out how to make and use sloe tincture at home.
Sloe or blackthorn (Prunus spinosa) is a thorny shrub with white flowers. The sloe berries, when ripe, are blackish-blue, like blueberries, have a sweet-astringent taste, and contain a large seed, like cherries. They are traditionally used as a natural remedy for colitis, dysentery, food poisoning, and intestinal parasites. Sloes stimulate the immune system due to their anti-inflammatory properties, and help the body recover faster after surgery. Before we show you how to make sloe tincture, here is how to harvest sloes.
How to Harvest Sloes
Sloes are harvested in autumn, in the months of October-November after the first frost. They can be used fresh to make tincture, jam, or syrup, but you can also dry them for later. To dry the sloes, lay them out on a piece of paper, outside, in the sun and wind, and leave them to dry for three weeks. They are ready when they are no longer sticky when squeezed. Store the dried sloes in paper bags in a cool place.
How to Make Sloe Tincture
Wash the sloes well strain (only whole berries) and put them in a glass jar. Pour strong food alcohol (60% alcohol) on top to cover the sloes by about five centimeters. Seal the jar and let it sit in a dark and cool place for the following three months. During this time, add more alcohol on top if the liquid level decreases. Strain the sloe tincture, and pour it into an amber bottle.
Put the used and well-drained sloes in a glass jar and add raw honey over them. The ratio is one kg of honey per 400 grams of sloes. Seal the jar and leave it to soak for another month. After this time, strain the resulting syrup and mix it with the ready-made tincture. Pour the sweet sloe tincture into small amber bottles and allow to macerate once more for the following 6 weeks. After this time, the sloe tincture is ready for use.
How to Use Sloe Tincture
Have one spoonful of this particularly aromatic and sweet sloe tincture three times a day, before the main meals. Although sweet, this tincture is not recommended for children as it contains alcohol. This is a natural immune-boosting recipe worth keeping in your notebook of natural remedies.
Another way to use fresh sloes is to make a simple decoction for intestinal parasites. Simmer 2 tablespoons of crushed sloes in 2 cups of water for 10 minutes. Strain and drink 100ml of this healing decoction before the main meals, three times a day for 10 days. Pause for 10 days and resume if necessary.
Read Also: How to Use Sloes 3 Ways – Sloe Syrup, Juice, and Jam
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