I first became interested in oregano as a medicinal herb when I was researching natural wormers for goats. I ran across an article that showed a study using oregano essential oil as a wormer. But I also learned that it has other useful medicinal qualities as well.
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| Page from my Homestead Herbal. Click to enlarge. |
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| Oregano continued. Click to enlarge. |
To make, I used my herb shears to cut up oregano leaves.
Enough to fill a jar about ¾ full. Then the jar is filled with vodka.
Vodka not only extracts the herb's medicinal qualities, but also acts as a preservative. These tinctures can keep for decades!
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| Freshly made |
Then it's allowed to sit in a dark cool place for at least six weeks. About once a week I check my working tincture jars and give them a shake.
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| After steeping. |
Earlier this month, my oregano tincture was ready to strain.
A dose is one to two droppersful, three times a day. For those who don't ingest alcohol, it can be put in a cup and boiling water added. By the time it's cool enough to drink, the alcohol will have evaporated, leaving behind the medicinal qualities and flavor. Oregano would make a good herbal vinegar too.
I find it interesting that many of our common cooking herbs carry the medicinal properties of helping relieve indigestion and gas. Coincidence? Or maybe, back in the day, cooks knew how to help folks enjoy their good cooking! Either way, this is a handy one to have around.
