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California Poppy Tea & Tincture Recipes

Learn how to brew a relaxing cup of California poppy tea or create a tincture that can be taken directly or added to your choice of drink.
Prep Time 5 minutes
Calories
Author Heather Dessinger

Ingredients

Tea Recipe

Tincture Recipe

Instructions

Tea Instructions

  • Pour 1 cup of boiling water over the herb, cover and infused for 10 minutes.
  • Strain out the California poppy and sweeten to taste if desired.
    Suggested servings for adults and children: For adults, Medical Herbalism suggests one cup at night using the recipe above to promote restful sleep.
    In Making Plant Medicine, Richo Cech recommends cutting his basic tea formula in half for children. His formula isn’t as standardized as the one above due to the variations in size and quality of different herbs, but if I am reading his recommendations correctly an adult serving would be 1-2 grams by weight per cup of water, and a child’s serving would be 1/2-1 gram per cup of water.

Tincture Instructions

  • Pour the alcohol over the herbs, then cover the jar with a lid and shake it well. If desired, write the start date on the jar using a sticky note, label, or piece of tape – it makes keeping track of how long it’s been steeping easier.
  • Place the jar in a dark, room temperature area. (I keep mine in a kitchen cabinet.) Let the mixture steep for 3-4 weeks. Shake occasionally.
  • When the tincture is ready, use a mesh colander or cheesecloth to filter out the herbs. Pour the tincture in a clean jar or dropper bottle and store it in a cool, dark area.
    Suggested Servings: When using a tincture made with 60% alcohol, The Modern Herbal Dispensatory suggests, “0.5-2 ml (0.1-0.4 tsp.) in 2 ounces of water or chamomile tea as needed.”
    When using a tincture made with 25% alcohol, Medical Herbalism suggests “1 to 4 ml at night” for children’s sleep support.