Valerian Flower Elixir (Ala Susan Hess)

Yesterday my friend Shelley asked close using valerian flowers rather than root.
This is something I've been doing for years because the root tincture makes me jittery instead of relaxed.
I've ever done a tincture, but Susan Hess from The Stillroom at Pitch Pines (formerly Farm at Coventry) mentioned that she has been making an elixir alongside the flowers, as well as loves it. Others said that they constitute the flowers to a greater extent than relaxing than the root (plus the root is difficult to dig as well as clean).
Having all the ingredients, this morning time was a perfect fourth dimension to elbow grease this out, as well as I used the instructions that Sue generously provided. Depending on the herb, sometimes you lot purpose to a greater extent than or less honey... a unlike alcohol... but this is what Sue suggested as well as oddly enough, I genuinely followed a recipe for once.

#1 Fill a offend alongside valerian blossoms.
#2 Add dear to the offend until it is one-half full

#3 Work the dear simply about alongside the blossoms as well as then they're all covered.

#4 Fill offend to the overstep alongside brandy.

#5 Mix good to become whatever air pockets out, as well as overstep alongside brandy ane time to a greater extent than if needed.

#6 LABEL WELL

#7 Shake mixture every hateful solar daytime or as well as then for a month.
#8 You tin order the axe either exit it every bit is until you lot demand it, or strain as well as bottle.

Tomorrow I recall it volition survive lemon balm.
In the meantime, I'm gathering cleavers seeds for some other friend.
This fourth dimension of twelvemonth is a lot of fun!