Artemisia absinthium 1:1 extract: wormwood by the drop
Wormwood is a grey green herb from the daisy family that has turned up in herbals since Roman times. Most people know it through absinthe, the drink it lends both its name and its backbone of flavour to. That flavour comes from bitter compounds such as absinthin and anabsinthin, which make wormwood one of the most bitter plants growing in Europe. The English name points to another old use, since the herb was once given to expel intestinal worms. Its essential oil contains thujone, the compound that fuelled a century of argument about absinthe.
This bottle holds 10 ml of liquid 1:1 extract. The ratio describes concentration: roughly one gram of plant material has been processed into every millilitre of liquid. In a 2.5:1 extract that same millilitre carries two and a half grams. A 1:1 extract therefore stays close to the herb itself, and you taste exactly that. A tincture is above all convenient: no leaf to weigh out, nothing to steep, and every dose identical to the last.
Using the extract
Shake the bottle before use. Take a few drops in a glass of water or juice, or straight under the tongue. Start modestly, because the bitterness is sharp and lingers for a while. Preparations of wormwood naturally contain thujone, so it makes sense to be sparing and deliberate with them.
Storage and good to know
Keep the bottle cool, dry and dark, and out of reach of young children. If you take medication, are pregnant or are breastfeeding, speak to your doctor first. The same category at Avalon Magic Plants holds dozens of other 1:1 extracts, among them nettle, chamomile, peppermint, ginger and dandelion.
