A glycerite is a herbal preparation made with vegetable glycerine (glycerol) as the solvent rather than alcohol or water. Glycerine is a thick, sweet liquid produced from plant oils (usually palm or soy, though look for sustainably sourced versions), and it has several properties that make it a useful alternative menstruum for certain herbs and certain people.
Why Glycerites
The most common reasons to choose glycerites over alcohol tinctures: for children (the sweetness is genuinely pleasant and there is no alcohol content), for anyone avoiding alcohol for any reason, for herbs where the sweet character of glycerine complements the plant’s flavor profile, and for certain constituents (particularly mucilages and tannins) that extract well in glycerine while being less well captured in alcohol.
Glycerites are somewhat less shelf-stable than alcohol tinctures (glycerine preserves well but not as long as high-proof alcohol) and they extract a different, though overlapping, profile of plant constituents. They are not a perfect replacement for alcohol tinctures in all applications, but they are a genuinely useful alternative in specific contexts.
The Method: Cold Maceration
Combine 60 percent food-grade vegetable glycerine with 40 percent water (this ratio prevents fermentation and optimizes extraction). Place dried herb (or finely chopped fresh herb) in a clean jar, fill with the glycerine-water mixture, ensuring all plant material is submerged. Seal and leave in a warm place for four to six weeks, shaking daily. Strain through cheesecloth, pressing firmly, and bottle. Refrigerated, a well-made glycerite keeps for one to two years.
The Best Herbs for Glycerites
Lemon balm glycerite is excellent for children’s nervine applications: the sweet, pleasant flavor makes it easy to take, and lemon balm’s gentle nervine action is perfectly appropriate for childhood anxiety and sleep difficulties. Elderberry glycerite captures the berry’s immune properties in an alcohol-free form appropriate for all ages. Marshmallow root glycerite extracts the mucilaginous compounds that soothe gut and respiratory inflammation beautifully in glycerine, sometimes better than in alcohol. Chamomile glycerite for children’s digestive and nervous system support is a classic paediatric herbalism preparation.
The Herbalist Codex app has preparation guidance for glycerites and profiles for the herbs most commonly used in glycerite form, with notes on which herbs are better suited to this preparation method than others.