Bacopa and Rosemary, Together Again

                A few weeks ago I planted cuttings of Bacopa.           
Bacopa now. It was much bigger. I cut a lot of it to dry and make tincture.
                                      
I cut fresh Rosemary-on bottom hanger, hung upside down to dry. Lavender at the top drying for another project.

Bacopa (Bacopa monnieri) from my mother plant. After some weeks of patiently waiting, I had a nice bunch of fresh plants to work with. As mentioned before (Blog, "Remember What? Who?), Bacopa is a medicinal herb used to enhance cerebral functioning. I decided to pair Bacopa with another herb...Rosemary! The spice? Yes! In herbal medicine, Rosemary is indicated for impaired circulation to the brain, specifically for symptoms of depression or cloudy thinking. The pleasant aroma of Rosemary also helps alert the mind and improves mood. 

Bacopa and Rosemary Tincture in process-Day 2
I give tincture a shake or two everyday to keep contents mixed. Once the 6 weeks are up, I'll strain the herb from liquid, will have Bacopa and Rosemary tincture.

I decided to make a tincture with Bacopa and Rosemary-easy and quick to take throughout the day, usually 2-3ml in small amount of juice or water, 2-3 times/day. I would like to have made a lot more but I had a limited amount of herb to work with- 15 grams fresh, dried and ground Rosemary and 4 grams of dried Bacopa (Bacopa plant has a lot of water content so drying it significantly reduces the amount of herb you have). I am in process of macerating/infusing the Rosemary and Bacopa in Food Alcohol-50% and filtered water (236.61ml each) total amount of tincture 473.22 ml. Brief reason regarding the use of Alcohol and water when making a tincture, each one is better at separating certain components of the plants.  I will be able to strain and use the tincture in about 6 weeks-with me giving the bottle a shake or two everyday to make sure contents don't separate. I'll store the tincture in a dark bottle and it'll be ready to use.

Winter can be a rough time of the year for some of us-the cold, the wet, the dark days. It's good to have something to keep you sharp and alert during the long, cold season.

Thanks for hanging out with me, let's meet again:).


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