Glycerites are made by macerating fresh or dried herbs in glycerine. .

Glycerine is a clear, viscous, sweet liquid extracted from animal fats or vegetable oils. It was originally discovered as a by product of soap making in the late 1700s

 As well as extracting and preserving properties Glycerine has the added advantage that it tastes very sweet but does not behave like a sugar in the body.

 If you are making a component part for a Solidarity project, please use vegetable based glycerine that is not based on palm oil

 The basic principle of making a glycerite that in order for it to preserve the extracted phytochemicals, and not be to drying ( glycerin is lipophilic, it pulls moisture), then it needs to be   roughly 65 % glycerine to 35% part water. Or one part water to two parts glycerine.

 When making a fresh glycerite the water in the plant material tends to represent this proportion. When creating a glycerite from dried material you need to make up the amount of water with an infusion or decoction of the plant material you are using.

 As with the  herbal vinegar different plants require slightly different preparation methods, but the basic principles are as follows:

 

Fresh plant glycerites:

 1 part herb

3 parts glycerine

 Use a jar with a sealable lid that won’t leak.

Chop or grate the herb into small bits. (A magimix/ninja style blender works well, but finely chopping with a knife can do a good job too).

Pour the glycerine over the herb and give it a good mixing.

Ensure the plant material is fully covered.

Store in an airtight vessel and shake daily for two weeks.

Strain, bottle, label.