Wild lettuce tincture, as with most tinctures is actually very easy to make. Anything new can seem intimidating the first time, but once you learn how to make wild lettuce tincture, you’ll be empowered to branch out and make all kinds of other herbal tinctures.

Making Wild Lettuce Tincture

For wild lettuce tincture as with others, you’ll want to select a high-proof alcohol for extracting the medicinal compounds from the wild lettuce. High-proof alcohol (such as Everclear or vodka) with at least 40% alcohol content (or 80-100 proof) are commonly used.

80-100 proof vodka typically contains 40-50% alcohol by volume (ABV). The proof is a measurement used in the US to indicate the alcohol content of a beverage. In this case, 80-100 proof vodka translates to 40-50% ABV, meaning that 40-50% of the total volume of the vodka is pure alcohol.

Avoid using rubbing alcohol or denatured alcohol, (which is unsuitable for consumption) when making herbal tinctures.

Materials needed:

• Wild lettuce leaves and stalks
• Gloves (optional); wild lettuce has some pokey sections, but they’re not usually sharp enough to pierce your skin.
• Garden shears or sharp knife
• Clean, sterilized glass jar with an airtight lid
• High-proof alcohol (such as Everclear or vodka)
• Fine-mesh strainer, cheesecloth, or coffee filter
• Amber glass bottles with dropper caps
• Labels for labeling and dating the bottles

1. Gather wild lettuce: Wild lettuce (Lactuca virosa) is a plant that grows in many parts of the world. Look for mature plants with fully developed leaves and stalks.

2. Harvest the leaves: Cut the leaves and stalks of the wild lettuce plant using garden shears or a sharp knife. Collect enough to fill up the amount of tincture bottles you’ll want to make.

3. Chop leaves: Using a sharp knife or herb scissors, chop the wild lettuce leaves and stalks into small pieces. Smaller pieces will increase the surface area and allow for better assimilation during the extraction process.

4. Wash & Dry Leaves: We like to chop the leaves then wash them in a bowl of water, followed by lifting them out of the spent water to spin dry in a salad spinner. Alternately, you can pat to dry with a towel or paper towel.

5. Prepare a glass jar: Get a clean, sterilized glass jar with an airtight lid. Depending on how much you want to make, a quart mason jar should work great and make enough liquid tincture for around a dozen bottles finished 2 oz. bottles of tincture. So, use a smaller or larger jar depending on how much you want to make.

6. Place leaves in jar: Place the chopped, washed and dried wild lettuce leaves into the glass mason jar.

7. Add alcohol to cover: Pour enough alcohol into the jar to completely cover the plant material by an inch or two above the herbs.

8. Seal the jar: Securely close the jar with the lid, ensuring it is tightly sealed. Shake the jar gently to mix the alcohol and wild lettuce.

9. Store the tincture: Keep the jar in a cool, dark place, such as a cupboard or pantry. Allow the tincture to steep for around 4-6 weeks, shaking the jar once a day or so to agitate the mixture.

10. Strain the tincture: After the steeping period, strain the tincture to separate the liquid from the plant material. Use a fine-mesh strainer, cheesecloth, or a coffee filter to strain the mixture. Squeeze the plant material to extract as much liquid as possible.

11. Bottle and label: Pour the strained tincture into amber glass bottles with dropper caps for convenient use. Label the bottle with the date of preparation and the contents (e.g., wild lettuce tincture).

12. Storage and shelf life: Store the bottles in a cool, dark place away from direct sunlight. Properly stored alcohol tinctures can retain their potency for years.

Herbal Tincture Shelf Life

Renowned herbalist, Rosemary Gladstar says this about tincture longevity:

• Alcohol tinctures can last for many years
• Glycerin tinctures can last for 2-3 years
• Vinegar tinctures can last a up to a year, and possibly longer

See Rosemary Gladstar’s book: A Beginner’s Guide to Medicinal Herb, a Beginner’s Guide.

Remember, it is important to consult with a qualified healthcare professional before using wild lettuce tincture or any herbal remedy, as it may interact with medications or have contraindications for certain individuals.

You may also enjoy our article on edible wild lettuce as well as wild lettuce look alikes.