Here is a video of Logan showing you how to make pine pollen tincture.
What you’ll need to do this includes:
- Mason Jars
- Pine Pollen
- Alcohol (recommended high-quality vodka that is at least 70 proof)
- Spoon or similar instrument for stirring
Optional tools include:
- Dropper Bottle
- Funnel
- Paint Cone Strainer
The process to make pine pollen tincture is actually quite simple. Pour the pine pollen into a glass jar. Then add alcohol in sufficient quality to cover it all. After that you let it sit for about two weeks.
The pine pollen and alcohol will separate. This is good as you just want the pure alcohol, as the pine pollen won’t really have anything beneficial left in it. You can use a dropper to squeeze the liquid off the top. Or you can pour it off into another jar through a strainer to separate the liquid from the powder.
By creating your own tinctures, you can save a lot of money over buying them, although it will take some work. Since the pine pollen tincture has the benefits of delivering the hormonal components even better, many people prefer this form.
I would recommend you start with a dropper-full and you can increase it from there. I personally can feel something stronger when I take pine pollen in tincture form, rather than in a powder. I’ve gone up to 6 full droppers at on time.
Pine Pollen Acetract (Tincture Alternative)
We sell more Pine Pollen Tinctures than anything else here at Lost Empire Herbs. (We do sell more Pine Pollen Powder, but it’s spread across our 50-gram bags and the 250-gram megadose versions, so less individual units of each.)
But some people do not want to take tinctures, because they’re sensitive to alcohol, such as recovering alcoholics who are trying to stay 100% alcohol-free, or others who may have concerns due to a medical condition, etc.
In our post on How to Take Tinctures, I mentioned a method that mitigates the alcohol. By squirting the tincture into boiling hot water, much of the alcohol evaporates off because at it’s boiling point it’s less than that of the water.
Well, now we offer you another alternative…the Pine Pollen Acetract.
Acetract! Unless you’re an herbalist, I’m willing to bet you’ve never heard that word before.
To get into the terminology a tincture specifically refers to an alcoholic solvent of an herb.
But there are other solvents available too. With the ever-common water, you’d be making an infusion or a decoction. Glycerin makes for a glycerite. And vinegar makes for an acetract. The root acet- being the same as what you see in acetic acid, the main acid found in vinegar of all types.
Now, the reason that alcohol is used is because it is one of the very best solvents. Vinegar works too but to a lesser degree. I figured I’d run a little experiment…
Does an acetract or vinegar tincture of Pine Pollen work as well as a normal Pine Pollen Tincture?
Does it produce the same hormonal effects?
Well, I started this acetract a while back, promptly forgot about it, but then discovered it again and filmed the pressing of it to give it a shot. Warning, if you choose to try this. The taste of vinegar is intense. It’s hard to tell if the immediate effect was the same I feel from a Pine Pollen Tincture, or if it simply was from the intensity of tasting the straight vinegar.
I’m still early in my experiment with this, so I can’t say for sure. but I’ll offer it up to anyone else to try if they’d like to avoid alcohol altogether as an option. If you have tried this or use this method, please post your results in the comments section below.
I know someone is going to ask. What type of vinegar should be used to make pine pollen tincture? What kind did I use? I’m not sure. It wasn’t on the label and I don’t remember. (This is why you should put lots of details on your labels when you’re processing your own herbs.) It’s likely either apple cider vinegar or white vinegar. And either of those are good to use.
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John says
Also, I have Fire Water which is 151 proof would that be better to use? or 100 proof? It is not Vodka though.
Logan Christopher says
We don’t currently, but that’s a good idea. I’ll put one together. No familiar with Fire Water but that should work. You can water it down too.
John says
Do you have a step by step instruction (guide) with measurement included. For example, one cup pine pollen, two cups of the alcohol.
I’ve read every post on your blog I just haven’t seen the measurement to use.
Thanks.
Jake says
Hi Logan,
How large are the Mason Jars you’re using to empty the whole 50 gram bag? 8 ounces? And how much fluid/tincture are you able to extract this way? Can’t imagine that 1 or 2 fingerbreadths of alcohol above the pollen line can yield that much (at least in the video)
Thanks
Logan Christopher says
They’re a quart so 32 oz. I haven’t measured, although I should, but you’ll get a few ounces off of this. It really depends on how much you add in. Since its powerful stuff you don’t need a whole lot.
Adl says
What else can be used in place of the alcohol? Can I use vegetable glycerin, or apple cider vinegar? Is alcohol better?
Logan Christopher says
There’s other comments here on this topic so be sure to read those. Short answer is yes you can use other things though the effects will be slightly different. Can’t say for sure what glycerin or vinegar draws out that is the same or different than alcohol.
Markus says
This question goes back to a post from last year (March) when Bogdan said to use agar to rectify the alcohol. My question is how much agar to use to what amount of alcohol?
Simon Samaniego III says
I’m still hazy on how much to put in a mason jar for my tincture. Logan demonstrates in the YouTube video the entire 50 gram bag, wow! I bought the 250 gram Megadose Pine Pollen. So I have to figure out how much 50 grams from that container will be? Any suggestions on the best way to measure that out?
Logan Christopher says
A scale! But you don’t have to be accurate and use 50 grams. In the mason jar just cover whatever amount of pollen you put in it with enough alcohol so that it is one or two finger widths above the pollen line.
Michael Foster says
It is approximately 1 cup. of pollen.
admin says
I’m not sure why yours is floating. Maybe its because of the cell wall, or it could be because its a different pine species with different components inside.
Cooling down the extraction would just slow the process down.
Rick says
Has anyone tried preparing pine pollen in a ferment like ginger beer plant or sugar kefir?
I am drinking my first batch now. It was done in GBP. It tastes great. I wonder if the nutrients are any more available this way.
Logan Christopher says
We haven’t tried that but it sounds great, and I could see it improving the nutrition and making it more bio-available in some ways. Care to share your recipe?
Rick says
Well, I wouldn’t call it a “recipe” yet, but I will share what I did.
First, I cultured the ginger beer plant (GBP) as I normally would. I got mine at yemoos.com. I used 1.5L water, 1/2 cup white refined cane sugar, 1tsp unsulfured black strap molasses, 1 unsulfured organic fig, and a pinch of clean sterilized (boiled) powdered egg shell (home made). I added 60ml of GBP culture and covered the jar loosly for 24-36hrs. I then strained it through a plastic (never metal) fine mesh strainer, poured it into a clear flip top glass soda bottle leaving an adiquate air space at the top, added 1 or 2 tsp evaporated cane sugar (depending on how sweet it already was) and 1TBL spoon of pine pollen. I let that sit for a day or more until it carbonated nicely. Then it went into the fridge.
A word of warning, the bottle has to be “burped” once or twice a day so it does not over carbonate and explode. When opening this brew with the pine pollen, it wants to erupt from the bottle like a fountain due to the powdery nature of the pollen releasing the carbonation, so burp it quickly and when opening it to pour, it should be cold, opened over the sink, and allowed to pour/erupt into a glass.
The taste is very pleasant, even delicious.
The same recipe should work for a sugar kefir culture (also from yemoos or try cultures for health), but I havn’t tried it yet. I would love to hear from anyone who tries it.
admin says
Thanks. I’ll try this out (or something similar) soon.
Rick says
Just an update, I have made several batches and it is working very well.
I have also been adding 1 tablespoon full of the pollen left over from making tincture in addition to one tablespoon full of virgin pollen. I can’t bring myself to throw out the material used in my incture.
Rick says
So, its been close to a year. Has anyone else tried this yet?
Gregg willett says
I made a tincture but think I got it to thin because after a week it still has not started to separate. Should I add more pollen and thicken it or just leave it and strain it at the end of two weeks. Will being to thin in the mixture affect the potency?
admin says
If there’s no separation I think that means not enough alcohol. But in any case you certainly can just strain it off and it should be fine.
Brian in Toronto says
Logan, I’m a little confused as to when a tincture is a good idea (e.g., pine pollen) and when there is no real benefit (e.g., your comment above re ingredients in Phoenix Formula being “already extracted”). For example, I’ve read that you should decoct (boil?) or make a tincture from Maral Root powder. However it appears that the Maral Root powder you carry at Lost Empire Herbs can simply be mixed with a liquid (hooray). Does that mean it is already extracted? Is there some guidance you can offer to us newbies?
admin says
Good question Brian. Most herbs cannot be consumed in raw form. Pine pollen is an exception and there are others. Our ashwaghanda is also raw powdered root.
Most of what we sell, like Maral root and everything else at this time, is already extracted, therefore can be consumed straight and mixed into water or any liquid.
Hope that clears it up, but if you have more questions, don’t hesitate to ask.
Amy M says
Can you make pine pollen from the cones of a spruce tree?
Logan Christopher says
Yes. It will be somewhat different but it certainly can be done.
Amy M says
Could you explain how to make it/retrieve it from the cones? Or post a link if I missed it? I have 12 spruce on my property, all 75′ or taller, and I’d like to find a use for the cones. Thank you!
admin says
From what I understand of how other people do it, the whole cone, pollen and all can be submerged in alcohol to create a tincture.
Otherwise, getting a fine mesh screen and shaking the pollen loose over it.
Amy M says
Thank you!