ohn - Oriental herbal nutrient

Chris’s video can be a little confusing as he does not go over how to reconcile the ginger and garlic “conundrum”. The step by step provided by Wendy Kornberg @SUNNABIS provides a detailed set of instructions that will help you get the amounts right!

Step by Step by Wendy Kornberg

Materials List:

Fermentation/Tincture Jars - 6 jars* all the same size for ferment and tincture

Finished/Tincture Jars (storage) - 6 jars* with double capacity of ferment/tincture jars

Mixing container

Scale

Funnel

Strainer

Mesh bag or cheesecloth

Wooden stir stick

Dry angelica root

Dry cinnamon bark

Dry licorice root

Fresh garlic

Fresh ginger

Beer

Vodka

Sugar

*Jars should be glass whenever possible. If plastic must be used, only HDPE plastic is acceptable.

Step 1: Rehydrate dry ingredients

·       Fill four jars one tenth full with dry herbs. One jar each for licorice and cinnamon, and two jars with angelica.

·       Label each jar with main spice ingredient and date. Label angelica jars with “angelica A” and “angelica B.”

·       Fill to half full with beer.

·       Cover with breathable lid

·       Leave in cool dark place for 24 hours.

Step 2 and 3 are done on the same day!

Step 2: Ferment dry spices

·       After 24 hours, add brown sugar to the jars with your rehydrated spices until they are 2/3 full.

·       Stir well with wooden spoon or stick clockwise.

·       Cover with breathable lid.

·       Leave in cool dark place for seven days.

·       *NOTE: NO METAL UTINSLES OR JARS

Step 3: Ferment fresh spices

·       On the same day you ferment your dry spices (step 2) you will ferment your fresh spices. Pulverize garlic and ginger SEPARATELY. Garlic can be peeled or can be left with the skins on. Ginger should not be peeled. Pulverize so all material is smashed well. A mallet, meat tenderizer or wine bottle work well for smashing fresh spices.

·       Begin by estimating the amount of ginger you will need, so that when you mix that amount 1:1 with brown sugar your jar will be 2/3 full.

·       Weigh ginger and mix with an equal weight of brown sugar and massage until the ginger is evenly coated. Fill your jar 2/3 full, or a little over as, as the ginger will settle over the next few days.

·       Prepare garlic in the same way as the ginger. Mix garlic with an equal weight of brown sugar and fill your jar 2/3 full. If you leave the skins on there will be more air space and the jar will fill faster. Your garlic should weigh about the same amount as the ginger, so you can use that as a good reference.

·       Label each jar with main ingredient and date.

·       Cover jars with breathable lid.

·       Leave in cool dark place for seven days.

Step 4: Tincture

·       Fill jars to brim with vodka or other clear 40 proof alcohol.

·       Stir well clockwise.

·       Cover tightly with solid lid.

·       Stir well in clockwise direction every day for 14 days.

Step 5A: First extraction of dry spice tinctures

·       Stir well before first extraction.

·       Begin with one angelica tincture.

·       Strain all liquid through a cheesecloth covered strainer into a measuring cup that can hold more liquid than your fermentation/tincture jar.

·       Make a note of the total amount of liquid and divide by three. Note what 1/3 of this volume is, as we will be using this as our reference for our extractions.

·       Return the solids to the fermentation/tincture jar.

·       Return two thirds of the liquid to the fermentation/tincture jar.

·       Refill fermentation/tincture jar to brim with vodka.

·       Pour remaining 1/3 of tincture into finished tincture jar. (This would be one of the larger jars in the materials list.

·       Label finished tincture jar the same as the fermentation/tincture jar with main ingredient and date. Don’t forget that the angelica tinctures should be kept separate from one another.

·       Remove 1/3 of liquid from remaining dry spice fermentation/tincture jars by using the noted one third amount measured from the first angelica extraction. This finished tincture goes into a labeled finished tincture jar. Each spice should have its own jar.

·       Refill to brim with vodka and stir well clockwise.

Step 5B: First extraction of fresh spice tinctures

·       Remove all liquid from garlic tincture by straining through cheesecloth covered strainer into large measuring cup.

·       Pour liquid equal to 1/3 of the first angelica extraction into labeled finished tincture jar. If you left the skins on the garlic this may be all of the liquid, and you may have to squeeze the garlic solids to get the full amount.

·       Add vodka to remaining tincture (if any) until total amount from first angelica extraction is reached.

·       Return this liquid back to fermentation/tincture jar before you add the solids.

·       Return solids to jar until jar is full to brim.

·       *NOTE: you may have left over garlic at the end of this process. You can throw it out or use it for cooking.

·       Repeat this process for ginger. 

 Step 6-8: Second-fourth extractions

·       Stir everyday in a clockwise motion for 14 days, then perform extraction.

·       Remove one third of liquid from each fermentation/tincture jars by using the noted one third amount measured from the first angelica extraction and add to corresponding finished tincture jar.

·       Refill to brim with vodka and stir well clockwise.

·       Repeat two more times.

Step 9: Final (fifth) extraction

·       Strain all remaining tincture from each fermentation/tincture into corresponding finished tincture jar.

·       Use solids for cooking or other medicinal uses or put into separate compost heap.

FOR USE:

·       Mix equal parts from each of the six finished tincture jars into one jar. Only mix what will be used within three months.