How to make Garlic Tincture and General plant info

Garlic tincture is a really amazing, natural way to help yourself fight off sickness and, as it turns out, help with literally anything else. In my research, I’ve found that garlic can be helpful for so many things it’s not possible to go into detail about all of them in a single article. From parasites to blood pressure to antibacterial, garlic is something we all can add into our diet for more flavor and health.

Where did garlic come from and how did it become popular?

There is debate and mixed evidence as to where garlic came from originally. But we do know that it was being consumed and used in ancient cultures such as Egypt and China well over 2,000 years ago. By the Middle Ages garlic was used at least by the peasant class. But that varied by place and year.

General plant info and growing experience

In our experience garlic has been by far the easiest and hardiest plant to grow. As of 2024 we’ve grown garlic 7 years. Generally, garlic likes full sun in well-drained soil. We’ve planted it in many diverse places on our property from by a marsh, part shade, full sun in moist ground, full sun in drier ground… it grows without problem every time. Garlic has virtually no pests that bother it nor diseases that will kill it. What??? Crazy. And, as I’m writing this my hands smell like garlic from cutting some up earlier today. (Maybe not always the best smell though… ladies who’ve gone through a 1st trimester you know what I mean).

kinds of garlic

Anyways, back to garlic. There are hundreds of varieties of garlic that fall into two categories: hardneck and softneck. Hardneck is more cold hardy and produces a scape, soft neck grows faster and has somewhat less-potent bulbs. Living in the upper Midwest, we have thus far only grown the hardneck variety. Note: contrary to what some websites say, hardneck garlic stores well in our experience. We’ve had success storing it in a cool, dry place making it lasts for about 10 months.

You can learn how to grow your own garlic , harvest your garlic , and dry your garlic in these articles.

I would highly recommend trying to grow your own garlic! You can even grown it in pots and one big pot could probably hold 4 bulbs. If grown this way you could have fresh, organic garlic at your fingertips!

Also, did you know that garlic is the second most consumed thing behind onions worldwide? So, we are all using it… the question is; are you eating enough of it AND in the right way to reap all of the benefits? If you don’t like the taste, are there other ways for your body to intake garlic?

How should I eat garlic and recipe ideas?

Well, garlic has the most health benefits when eaten raw… or consumed as a tincture, because it’s a distilled raw garlic. Of course, it still has benefits when eaten cooked just not as much. If you like the taste of garlic and also don’t mind it being on your breath for the rest of the day then you’re in luck!

I do NOT recommend buying pre minced garlic from the store. This has been processed and heat treated, losing benefits. If you want to buy it get a braid of local organic garlic.

Another benefit of growing your own is that you can eat the scapes (the seed heads), as the have the same benefits as the bulb.

Recipe ideas to include minced raw garlic in your life:

• homemade guacamole
• homemade mayonnaise
• on top of eggs
• in a freshly ladled bowl of soup
• in whipped butter on bread

What are the benefits of garlic?

So, it turns out that garlic has so many benefits it’s astonishing! There are quite a few in-depth studies on the research that has been done and really how many things consuming garlic can help with. Of course, it’s not something to dive into here but if you’re interested I would encourage you to read up on some of the labs that have been done with raw vs. cooked vs. tinctures. Some benefits of garlic (due mostly to it’s compound allicin) in general are listed here.

• anti bacterial- inhibits growth of bacteria: allicin
• helps the circulatory system
• can help control cholesterol
• can help manage blood sugar levels
• is made of a virus-fighting and fungus-fighting ingredient: allicin
• may slow the growth of some cancer cells
• can help in ridding your gut of parasites

Why make a garlic tincture?

I think garlic tincture is a great way to get ALL the benefits of raw garlic if do or if you DON’T particularly enjoy the flavor.

Hear me out.

I know that a tincture is highly concentrated therefore way more flavorful. However, garlic tincture really doesn’t taste that much more potent than the bulb itself AND you can take a dropper-full in a couple tablespoon of water and down the hatch. Chase it with some chocolate or coffee or something you like and it will NOT be on your breath for the rest of the day!

Garlic has soooooo many benefits for your health it’s worth it!!

Cautions and Facts for garlic tincture makers:

If you eat too much of anything it can (most likely) cause some stomach upset or other unpleasant side effects. Same is true with the garlic tincture. The two most common side effects are:

• blood thinner
• stomach upset

Side story that shows the power of the tincture and is also something worth considering: When I was down with a case of mastitis (for those who don’t know, mastitis is inflammation and most likely infection in the breast tissue. It is extremely painfully and comes with fever and chills) right after the birth of one of our babies, I was taking garlic tincture to help with the infection… Little did I know that, while it was helping with the infection, it is also a blood thinner. Taking the tincture was also causing much more bleeding postpartum. I didn’t put two and two together until I contacted my midwife and told her what was going on and what I was taking. Tada! Extra bleeding caused by the garlic tincture. SO, the point of the story is that it WORKS but it might not always be the best choice- consider your circumstances and other health conditions.

How to MAKE GARLIC TINCTURE

Step 1: Gather your ingredients and supplies. You’ll need:

• 2 cups vodka or apple cider vinegar for a nonalcoholic option- both of these extract the compound from the garlic and also prevent bad bacteria from growing
• 1 cup freshly minced organic garlic- about 2 medium sized bulbs
• pint canning jar with lid
• knife and cutting board

Step 2: Crush each clove of garlic with the side of your knife blade. This will release the allicin and make it easier to peel. Cut off the place at the bottom of the clove where it attached to the stem. Peel the garlic and mince. Place the minced garlic into the jar making sure you have about 1 cup.

Step 3: Fill the jar with 2 cups of vodka or apple cider vinegar and put the lid on!

That’s it! Now wait and let the process take place…

Important notes:

Your tincture will need to sit in a cool or room temp, dark place for about three weeks to one month to get all the benefits of the garlic. After this time is over you can strain out the chunks of garlic and put it into a dropper bottle. Keep storing it in a cooler, dark place.

You can take a dropper-full whenever or when is advised by your doctor or naturopath.

If you’d like to read one of the studies on garlic check out This Study on garlic and it’s benefits for a host of health conditions.

~ Emily

**disclaimer: I am not a medical professional and you should consult your doctor if you have health issues or are on any other medications before taking garlic tincture**