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Herbal extract
 
 
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Herbal extract is a liquid solution of herb
Herb

A herb is a plant that is valued for qualities such as medicinal properties, flavor, scent, or the like....
s and alcohol
Alcohol

In chemistry, an alcohol is any organic compound in which a hydroxyl Functional group is bound to a carbon atom of an alkyl or substituted alkyl group....
. The dried or fresh herbs are combined with alcohol, then the solid matter is removed leaving only the oils of the herbs mixed with the alcohol. This process is called extraction
Liquid-liquid extraction

Liquid-liquid extraction, also known as solvent extraction and partitioning, is a method to separate compounds based on their relative solubility in two different miscible liquids, usually Water and an solvent....
, hence the name, herbal extract. For example an extract made from peppermint
Peppermint

Peppermint is a Hybrid Mentha, a cross between the watermint and spearmint . The plant, indigenous to Europe, is now widespread in cultivation throughout all regions of the world....
 and alcohol would be called "peppermint extract
Peppermint extract

Peppermint extract is an herbal extract of peppermint made from the essential oils of peppermint leaves. It is commonly used in cooking, as a dietary supplement, and as an herbal or alternative medicine....
."

Most commercially sold extracts have a herb to alcohol ratio
Ratio

A ratio is an expression which compares quantities relative to each other. The most common examples involve two quantities, but in theory any number of quantities can be compared....
 printed on the label
Label

A label is a piece of paper, polymer, cloth, metal, or other material affixed to a Packaging and labelling or article, on which is printinged a legend, information concerning the product, addresses, etc....
.






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Herbal extract is a liquid solution of herb
Herb

A herb is a plant that is valued for qualities such as medicinal properties, flavor, scent, or the like....
s and alcohol
Alcohol

In chemistry, an alcohol is any organic compound in which a hydroxyl Functional group is bound to a carbon atom of an alkyl or substituted alkyl group....
. The dried or fresh herbs are combined with alcohol, then the solid matter is removed leaving only the oils of the herbs mixed with the alcohol. This process is called extraction
Liquid-liquid extraction

Liquid-liquid extraction, also known as solvent extraction and partitioning, is a method to separate compounds based on their relative solubility in two different miscible liquids, usually Water and an solvent....
, hence the name, herbal extract. For example an extract made from peppermint
Peppermint

Peppermint is a Hybrid Mentha, a cross between the watermint and spearmint . The plant, indigenous to Europe, is now widespread in cultivation throughout all regions of the world....
 and alcohol would be called "peppermint extract
Peppermint extract

Peppermint extract is an herbal extract of peppermint made from the essential oils of peppermint leaves. It is commonly used in cooking, as a dietary supplement, and as an herbal or alternative medicine....
."

Most commercially sold extracts have a herb to alcohol ratio
Ratio

A ratio is an expression which compares quantities relative to each other. The most common examples involve two quantities, but in theory any number of quantities can be compared....
 printed on the label
Label

A label is a piece of paper, polymer, cloth, metal, or other material affixed to a Packaging and labelling or article, on which is printinged a legend, information concerning the product, addresses, etc....
. When dry herbs were used to make the extract the ratio is commonly 1 part dried plant to 4 parts liquid, (alcohol and water). When fresh herbs are used the most common ratio is 1:1. This does not indicate the amount of that herb in the bottle, rather the ratio used in making the extract. Example: Dry herb strength: 1:4 means that the mixture used to produce the extract was 4 parts liquid, (alcohol and water) and one part dried plant. This is not the same as an ingredients list which is also present on most commercial extracts.

Herbal extracts are sold as dietary supplements and alternative medicine
Alternative medicine

The term alternative medicine, as used in the modern western world, encompasses any healing practice "that does not fall within the realm of conventional medicine"....
 and commonly used for flavor
Flavor

Flavor or flavour is the sensory impression of a food or other chemical substance, and is determined mainly by the chemical senses of taste and olfaction....
ing in baking
Baking

Baking is the technique of prolonged cooking of food by dry heat acting by Heat convection, and not by Thermal radiation, normally in an oven, but also in hot ashes, or on hot stones....
 and other cooking much like vanilla extract
Vanilla extract

Vanilla extract is a solution containing the flavor compound vanillin. Pure vanilla extract is made by extracting from vanilla in an alcoholic solution....
.

Herbal extracts are often referred to as tinctures
Tincture

In medicine, a tincture is an alcoholic extract or solution of a non-Volatility substance; . To qualify as a tincture, the alcoholic extract is to have an ethanol percentage of at least 40-60% ....
 by herbalists and alternative medicine practitioners.

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