My point of view and yes, your way works fine. I just learned to do it differently from an Amish lady several years ago. Seems like a lot of these videos are coming out now, maybe because it can help people wean themselves off hard drugs. To start with there are several wild lettuces. 3 of them that I know grow in my area in rural Western Kentucky and work about the same; lactuca virosa, lactuca serriola and lactuca biennis (blue wild lettuce). For me, it doesn't work as well for acute pain like a broken leg, sprain or tooth ache. It does work well for long term chronic pain, like where I broke my back several years ago and have had a long day. Always start with small doses and work your way up, just in case it disagrees with you. Since I'm sensitive to alcohol by mouth, I dehydrate it and make tea; seriously nasty tasting; drink fast and chase it with something. 1 tablespoon crushed dry leaves steeped in 4 to 6 ounces steaming water; just like brewing any tea. If it's been 'one of those days' I reach in my jar and grab a fist full and also add in a teaspoon of catnip and a teaspoon of skullcap; I don't drive after that! My husband smoked it in his pipe. It burns hot and fast, so mixing 50/50 with pipe tobacco helps it not overheat your pipe. He had his prescription oxycodone cut off cold turkey after a difficult surgery and wild lettuce was the only thing that took the edge off. The only complaint I've heard is 'It didn't make me high'. I asked is your pain better and they said yes, but I didn't feel anything. You can concentrate it it enough to get a buzz, but it tears my stomach up. You need less and less rather than more. Not addictive and legal. Win, win. Yes; for me and many others, drying does work, but low and slow like hanging it in a pantry let's the leaves suck as much moisture/latex out of the stalk as possible as it tries to stay alive, just like a cut flower pulls moisture. I like my X10 dry reduction; it takes a day or two, depending on amounts and the pan size, but it can evaporate while you're sleeping or gone if you don't mind leaving the stove on; mines electric, so I didn't mind. I have two huge stainless steel pots. I cut fresh wild lettuce and trim it up real good. I put stalks and leaves in there. Cover it with water and turn it on low; heat is the enemy. After a few hours, the stalks have given up their goodie, so take them out. I still use 2 pans, so the water evaporates faster. Stir occasionally. The leaves go to mush. The last hour, I stay right with the pans. When I estimate I only have a 10th of the bulk of the leaves left, I dehydrate the pulp. I mixed it 50/50 with Tommy's regular tobacco for his pain. A three finger pinch of this is enough for a cup of tea or it can be powdered and put in capsules.
Please please make more informative videos with backyard weeds . I’ve looked at other videos for a while now and so far , non compare to yours ; the information you give to us is vast ! God bless
With my weed, I use a hydraulic press. It eliminates all of the process used here. The 'Chips' left over we just throw in our compost. I will try the press on this plant type and see what I get. Be well . Happy Hunting everyone.
I have severe pain from fibromyalga so I just went outside found a bunch & I'm gonna try to fix me some pain meds. Will let u know how it turns out. Thanks again
The extract contains lactucin and lactucopicrin which are componds that act on the central nervous system to produce pain-relieving and sedative effects. Thanks for watching!
Although this video is an excellent one for making the tincture, in case you're unaware, dried Wild Lettuce is also very effective when smoked. I have OA, psoriatic arthritis, fibromyalgia, 7 previously ruptured discs, nerve damage, and a herniated brain stem (Chiari) among a host of other pain related issues. I quit Pain Mgmt, and All pHARMaceuticals, in 2015 and rely solely on spices, herbs and medicinal weeds. When the pain (or cough from bronchitis, allergies, etc) gets too bad, I use dried wild lettuce (semi-powdered burns best) in pre-rolled RAW cones and it's been extremely effective for me. It's excellent for pain and probably the best thing I've ever tried for stopping a cough. Best of health to you!
@@Chelarue Wow! That’s really interesting. I know about smoking Mullen for respiratory issues but haven’t heard about wild lettuce. Very good information. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you. I've not done this in alcohol. I have made oil to apply locally on the body for joint and muscle pain. I slowly heat up the oil several times with the lettuce in it strain chill and use. Now I have learned from you a different way to extract it.
@@kattiaserrano3883 I too have pain in my legs restless and cramps. This oil helps relieve all that plus my husband has arthritis which the oil relieve.
It only took me a minute or two to realize how amazing your channel is, I crushed the subscribe button immediately! Thank you for sharing your knowledge and wisdom!
Intesting. I grew up in Alaska and as a boy we saw a lot of fireweed. Being secluded we had little contact with people. This hampered education. Six years of war messed me up but I think you've helped me às well as those who follow your podcast. Good life to you. 😊
Thank you so much for sharing. I always thought I had an odd childhood growing up but now I look back fondly at the simplicity of the times and how natural it felt simply trying to survive. Marilyn and I are trying to keep some of our families’ “old ways” alive and share some of what we do in our videos. Thank you for watching!
Hello--thank you for the great video! You have a wonderful way of presenting your information and don't drag things out too far, so I'm subbing. I have severe osteoarthritis in my hips and knees, and the powers that be are making it ever increasingly difficult for me to get the pain meds I sometimes CANNOT do without. So, I've decided to skirt that issue and make some of this to help myself. Your video is the best one I've seen so far, and I'll be using your method.
@@KeepingItRielwithMarilynSteve Well that sucks. Tylenol or Naproxen has never done much of anything for me. I was hopeful for a while because I have used most every alternative you can think of for pain meds but luckily I do have a fairly high tolerance for pain after 20+ surgeries and joint replacements. For now I will probably have to stick to 1 or 2 oxycodone a day. :(
I thought it was very good video and very easily understood step-by-step instructions. I'm not sure why anybody would think it was complicated other than just getting bored by the many steps that it does take to do it properly. It is a long process but that's what makes medicine
Thank you so much for your kind comment. The way we do it is a little time consuming but if it worked for granny, it’s good enough for me! Thanks for watching!
So true. The whole process is not hard. The effort is in the beginning when picking and prepping the material used. Once it's in the pots it's random stirring and straining. Mostly, it's just waiting. And, other tasks, even Netflix bingeing, while waiting for it to cook down. Silly people.
It's half more fun again preparing what you need. It can be meditative. My friend is growing some wild lettuce in a small pot at present. She first told me about wild lettuce. Mother Nature is fascinating
@@carolynellis387 Foraging and herbology seem to be more popular lately. With the lack of trust in big pharma and self reliance on an upswing, more and more people are rediscovering the old methods.
When finished with the alcohol soak and water simmer, you can squeeze more fluid from the herb pulp with an electric or manual wheat grass juicer. The waste pulp is very dry.
@@1rmoreynd That sounds like a good tip. Someone earlier commented on using an oil press. I’d love to hear how some of these other methods work. Thank you for sharing!
I thought we were supposed to harvest as soon as it starts to flower- before flowers emerge. There are so many different techniques! Thank you for sharing!
Lactucarium is present in the plant throughout its life cycle but is more potent toward the end during its flowering. I suggest harvesting when you can depending on your needs and the quantity you have available. It is best when it is flowering but if you can’t wait… get it when you can.
Thanks so much for the lesson. How long did it take in the crock before it got tarry? I dry my forage harvest hanging upside down from string. It dries in my airconditioned home within a week. I just finished up two half gallon jars filled as you showed on the video today except using Everclear. I love the crockpot idea, and i'll probably use that this time, tho I only have high low and warm, so I'll put some water in there and test the temp of each before using the crock. I also have a double boiler I can use, but you have to really keep an eye on those. I've heard Lactuca Virosa wild letuce is the most potent, but I think it depends on the varieties that grow in any particular area. For the commenter who said "it's no better than Tylenol" there are so many variations and ways of preparation, different varieties of wild lettuce and (most importantly) time of harvest that that isn't a universal statement, and I don't give it much credence. I've always read that harvesting right as it has the tiny yellow flowers makes the most potent bc the plant is sending all its energy to the top. I think potency depends on so many different conditions. That person may have allowed it to get to boiling, or harvested at the wrong time. This is more an art than a science, but you're video was quite thorough and gave this forager a couple new tricks. Thank you!
It took about 24 hours (give or take) to condense in the crockpots. Everclear is an excellent choice if available and yes, you are absolutely correct about potency. There are so many variables that I tell most people to compared it to about 1000mg of Tylenol or 500mg of Naproxen because most batches, if not done at the right time or done the right way, will not meet their full potential. Thank you so much for your comment and thanks for watching!
@@KeepingItRielwithMarilynSteveI'm totally disabled...would it be possible to purchase this??? The labor this requires, I'm not able to do. If you or someone you know sells this. I would be grateful. I'm hoping w/this product maybe I'll be pain free enough to do this. But I would ay least like to try it To see if it can help w/this awful pain. Please help... I'm kind of desperate. With gratitude.
Sorry but we do not sell our tinctures. I believe that there are companies that sell it, possibly in pill form, but I have no experience or knowledge about those companies and wouldn't be able to recommend one over another. Look up "medicinal wild lettuce" in Google and several companies pop up. Do your research and be safe.
You are very welcome! The stove is a Milly made by Nordica and we love it. It is our heat source and cook oven from October- April. Thanks so much for watching!
I have lots of tall blue lettuce (lactuca biennis) growing in my backyard. I discovered what it was only a couple years ago when I decided to let one grow out of curiosity. Normally I would just cut them with my string trimmer. It got to around 13 feet tall before it died when winter hit. I'm in South Louisiana.
This is the best video I've found concerning wild lettuce. Weeding my garden I've seen what I thought was it and this year while weeding I let what I think it is and was going to refer to a book I have but now no need to and saved this video.
Very well done and informative. I have tons of wild lettuce here. Hope to build my playlist on my processing in the near future. Preparing to dehydrate a bunch very soon for tincture making later. I did the tar method once. Liked it but find tincture dropper bottles work best for me. Subscribed.😊
You are very welcome! It's so wonderful to know that you are able to be, even a little bit more, self-reliant when it comes to basic medicines. Thank you for watching!
You can get and effect from It Just by the contact with the skin during the harvest and even the smell during the extraction, it's not Always pleasant.. here in Italy we have the lactuca serriola variety most off all, coffee and tea can reduce the effect of lactuca
I have never been affected during harvest or extraction but if used topically as a poultice for scratches and cuts, it seems to reduce the sting while creating a temporary “liquid bandage”. Thank you for the tip about coffee and tea and thanks for watching!
@@myaccount2825 Thank you! We love our quiet property . We’ve surrounded our home with finch houses because we enjoy their songs. Thank you for watching!
Thank you for your video. So helpful. We live in Arkansas and have what I thought was wild lettuce, but the leave do not have the prickly hairs on the underside of the leaves. Everything else qualifies with the identification of wild lettuce. I was going to harvest today and follow your steps of making a tincture, but want to be sure of the identification. Do some wild lettuce leaves NOT have the hair on the underside. The samples I took today are mature, not young plants. Thank you so very much. Mary
The midrib on the underside of the mature leaves should show some sign of “hairs” which are sometimes soft and in some species thorn-like. Not all wild lettuce is like the “prickly lettuce” varieties found in the south. Also, I can only speak for the varieties in the USA and mainly my area (North East USA).
Thank you. I went by another video and then was suppose to dehydrate to a fruit roll up thing. We'll all day yesterday I tried getting it to a portable stage. I've looked for this plant for a year! I have to tell you, I started out excited but it's the end of a 5 day waiting period and now I'm so discouraged. I can't seem to get it right. I found your video and even though it isn't what I was going for at least I can reach a finished product before I go away tomorrow! Thank you
Low and high are good enough. I filled my crock with water, set it on low and used a thermometer after 30 minutes to see its max temperature. I did the same with high and noted the max temperature. As long as your crock temperature doesn’t exceed 110 F, it should work fine. Thank you for watching!
You did a great job of explaining in detail. But I missed how long to simmer for the last step, so I wouldn’t know what it looks like when I know it’s ready. Thank you.
@@nitabaker9851 The length of time is dependent on how you simmer it down in that last stage. You want to evaporate as much liquid out as you can watching it very closely when there’s very little liquid left. It should condense down to a thick tar-like consistency. Some people use it in this form. I added water (preferably liquor) to thin it enough for dropper bottles. I hope this helps and thank you for watching!
Thank you for your sweet comment! We love living a simple life and sharing what we know. If there is anything you would like to see, let us know and we’ll share if we can. Thanks again!
I love the wood cook stove in background.you don't see many of those around anymore it's good to see someone still has one in the house. I grew up burning wood for heat and made many pot of beans on a wood stove
@@Mike-nk3su We love that stove too. We put our old one in our outdoor summer kitchen so as not to heat the house up. In the winter though, the Nordica cook stove is how we heat the whole cabin. We have to process a lot of cordwood but it’s worth it. Free heat and the stove / oven are always going. Thank you for watching!
Sow thistle is our colloquial name. Years ago I saw similarities with poppy and began to experiment. But then gave all my lab equipment away to another plant medicine chemist. Yours looks like a tried and true process. Cool slow cooker battery. With a distiller 50% of the ethanol could be recovered., the temperature would get to 80C [176F] .
I'm not too into the alchemy of the process. Maybe just a little 😊 For me, it's more like any other recipe passed on from prior generations. You know, "gamma's secret recipe". We just aren't keeping them secret. 😁
I have the purple stemmed hairy bottom leaf vein kind. I made a half gallon of tincture that’s ready to be sqeezed and bottled tomorrow. This is my first batch and excited to try it out. Also dehydrated some leaves for tea. Now on to my next batch from my backyard, same blue flower variety. Thanks for all your info.
@@ildiko1vt It’s always good to know what plants are common in your area that can be used for either food or medicine or in this case, both. Thank you for watching!
This is so encouraging. I was just telling a friend about wild lettuce and wondering if I could find out how to make a pain salve. I’m only part way through watching but I’m really happy to be learning.
@@ElizabethKirkChandani hahaha… isn’t it awesome! We bought two of them for the holidays. We set hot buffets for when the kids / grandkids all visit. They also come in handy for bulk slow cooking and tincture making 🤣😂 Thanks for watching!
It sucks that the stems aren't worth using to make the extract. It seems that 90% of the medicinal value (latex) is in the stem, while the leaves seem to have very little in comparison. I've tried the dried resin directly from the stem and compared that to extracts that I purchased and the resin from the stems... and the resin form the stems is several times stronger. Also, if you damage the stem and then damage a leaf, there always appears to be a lot more resin coming from the stem, despite the leaf having significantly more surface area damage and capillary type "bleeding". When I harvested lettuce that bolted, the thick spine of the leaves closes to the stems were very bitter while the leafy parts farther out were barely bitter at all... and the stems were the most bitter by far.
Good comment. You CAN extract from the stems, they are much easier to deal with earlier in the season, they’re just more time consuming depending on your processing method. Thank you for your comment.
@@KeepingItRielwithMarilynSteve Any quit tips on methods to process the stems? I was wondering if using something like rollers and/or a hammer to break the cells of the stem open... but I'm still not how they would be processed after that, because they'll probably just bind up any blender you try to use.
@@deucedeuce1572 I've seen people use bone scissors. I used my regular kitchen scissors chopped into small pieces and put it into my blender with alcohol 🐝🌻
@@reginawhite1235 Cool. Thanks. I have some good scissors that might work (the one's they used to use to cut casts off people). Will definitely give it a try. Want to do it separately though, so I can compare yield and quality to the leaves.
Thank you so much! That is an awesome compliment. As far as writing a book goes… maybe some day but in the meantime, be sure to check out our web page. Under “Blogs” we have some recipes, basic articles and a growing section on foraging. It’s all free and we don’t have any of those annoying ads 😂 - Again, thanks for watching!
I had 2 plants growing last year, entangled in my clematis, so I just let it grow, about 8 feet tall! I cut back a lot of the side shoots, let the tops go to seed. Yes, the birds enjoyed some but this year I have little plants all over. I cut some into my salads, the young tender greens are nice, not even bitter yet.
i have many here as weeds in zone 9b, and they get 7 feet tall and green with a little water or else they are short and unhealthy looking without human watering as it is like a dry desert with no rains in summer. i pick some big ones and it is very easy to snap them by hand in 4-inch pieces to put in a strainer to wash them, then im lazy so i toss them whole in a hot water at 60 degC (thanks for your tip of cooking them at below 70 or 80 degC) and then eat the softened leaves and drink the broth as a tea. the rest is compost, and i have to remember to dig a large hole to toss all my green waste into to slowly compost. PS: 60degC didn't soften the leaves much, so I may have to raise temp (in the past, i always do boiling water, which works for softening, but it makes the tea a lot more bitter and possibly destroys some of the beneficial chemicals, so i may need to test 70, 80, and 90degC instead)
@@joelschmierer3544 Awesome! I like to hear how others use the plants they forage. And composting is a good tip too. Thank you for watching and sharing!
Thank you for the lesson. I live near the presidential range and probably have the same varieties as you. I have very serious pain issues and am hoping I can use this to get myself off the pharmaceuticals.
The equivalent of 1 tsp. of liquid medicine freeze dried and powdered is far too small an amount for me to accurately measure out a dosage and encapsulate so I’m still experimenting with the process. I’ll play more with it this year but it may not be worth the effort. Thanks for watching and for the question.
Thank you for this! I just harvested a bunch of Lactuca Canadensis, and was just planning on the regular Everclear tincture method, but this looks like an interesting, quicker (overall), and more efficient process.
Such a nice, in depth video. You people are blessed to have all sorts of medicinal plants & many being legal too. Where I live most are banned & none of the medicinal plants grow due to high temperature. I have a question please.... Since I buy dry herbs online, can I use those dried herbs in this fashion to make it more potent? Or is there any other way to increase the potency of the tinctures I make like passion flower, St. John's wort, valerian root, blue lotus & skullcap? Caring for my adult spastic child totally dependant on me has given lots of health issues, Chronic pain , depression & anxiety. Been dealing with 3 slip discs since 15 year & currently arthritis & fibromyalgia. Sometimes it feels enough is enough.😥😭 Would really appreciate yours as well as others reading my comment to please give suggestion, thanks in advance.
I’m unfamiliar with purchasing tinctures online or at shops so I can’t vouch or recommend specific companies that sell it. If you google search for “wild lettuce tincture”, several companies are shown. You might also be able to find a local shop that sells all natural foods and medicine. I searched on Amazon and found this wild lettuce tincture that looks pretty good (my affiliate link: amzn.to/3V8UDAW) Either way, please do your research and know what you’re ingesting. Take care, feel better and thank you for watching.
Lovely and detailed demonstration. I am into herbal remedies and want to know all about what nature gives us to heal our bodies. I have recently harvested some rosehips when I pruned my rose. Would love to know how to use them if you can share your experience and knowledge. With gratitude 🙏 ❤Eva from Melbourne Australia
@@yangjunhua9469 Rose hips are great for your circulatory system. They contain bioflavonoids that readily release when steeped, making rose hips an excellent inclusion for teas. The flavor is nice and the benefits are a plus. Vitamin C, antioxidants and just about everything blood related. Thanks for watching!
Hello Steve, from Ballarat Victoria Australia. Accidently stumbled on a website about wild lettuce twelve months ago or more. Like your video it was power packed with great INFP thank you so much. I am getting more patient with my potions lol. But I think you have covered everything from A to Z. But I do save the leaves for my stews and occasionally mix them up with my steamed vegetables, not too much as they do have a distinct stronger flavour. Again thank you for sharing.
It does have a strong (slightly bitter) lettuce flavor but does taste more mild in the spring - early summer. Thanks for watching and for the great comment.
@@shirleypitcaithly1191 well… I’m no scientist but I can tell you the recipe I use works. You can physically feel the effects easily within 15 minutes. Like most homemade medicines, remember to dehydrate at temperatures lower than 110F or 43.3C to not harm medicinal effects. That what I was taught. Thanks for a great question!
Great video lesson! Been wondering how to do that. I have a lettuce THIS year that is 14 feet tall!! I think your parrot(?) was pretty cute too!~~ Thanks!
Thank you for watching and yes, the wild lettuce can grow VERY tall. Our beautiful girl thinks she’s part of the show and you can hear her (or the others) in many of our videos 😁😂🤣
I have several tall blue plants growing in my backyard as well as I’ve been finding it on my brother’s property as well. I have fibromyalgia as well as arthritis and compression fractures in my spine. I’m hoping that I can make some of this medicine to help with the pain.
@@timothyrones108 Yes you can but… you really don’t want to get the plant above 110 deg. fahrenheit. Most ovens don’t go that low so you might have to get creative by leaving your door open a bit. I would recommend placing the plant in paper bags, or on a screen (window screen or similar) and allow them to dry in a dry dark place with good airflow. It’s a little slower but will give you better results. Thank you for watching!
Just like when you steep tea, the process works more thoroughly if you use dried leaves. Fresh leaves don't brew or release the compounds we want as easily. Thanks for watching!
You’re very welcome and I love my stove too. It’s a Milly made by Nordica. It heats the whole house in winter and the oven has very even heat. Not to mention, it’s Avery pretty stove. 😍
Thank you for such a detailed lesson on how use this. I'm going to try to grow this in my garden this year and hopefully I'll be able to follow your process.
@@KeepingItRielwithMarilynSteveit does. I’m on Hydrocodone. I want off badly. Then my antidepressant and blood pressure. I have to take a potassium supplement. Not found anything for that. lol
Yeah, I've been seeing about that for 6 years.Those plants grow everywhere. How do you make it as a paste? Do you grind the leaves down?Everybody does it differently.Good video thanks for the insight😅
Once the alcohol extracts the compounds we need, the leaf material is strained out and the liquid is condensed into a “paste”. We’re surrounded by food and medicine. Once you learn to recognize all those common (and not so common) plants, it adds peace of mind and the ability to be more self reliant. Thank you for watching!
...and if you have enough of them, those sassafras trees right there can add fragrance & flavor to it. The leaves make nice tea. Blender? Choppers work better for woody stalks and you can get all of it. As for roots and crushing them? I never bothered. It wasn't lettuce I processed, but it was similar in consistency.
Sassafras is like a weed in our woods. It's literally everywhere. Growing up, i used to help my grandma make sassafras root beer and birch beer (both alcohol free) all the time. I haven't done that in a while though so I may have to do that as a project for the grandkids. Thanks for the comment and the nostalgia!
OUTSTANDING video! Clear information from ID to processing and a safe starting place to use at our discretion, if at all... better than I thought I would find. Thanks for sharing, I subscribed ✌️
The equivalent of 1 tsp. of liquid medicine freeze dried and powdered is far too small an amount for me to accurately measure out a dosage and encapsulate so I’m still experimenting with the process. I’ll play more with it this year but it may not be worth the effort. Thanks for watching and for the question.
It seems like adding water would dilute a the 90 proof alcohol and heating it would dissipate the alcohol. Does anyone know? I'm used to using Everclear for making tinctures I believe the higher proof makes them shelf stable for longer. If anyone has more knowledge about my statement I'd be happy to learn. Excellent video btw and thank you.
Everclear is an excellent option for tinctures as it has a very high percentage of alcohol and very little flavor. The purer the alcohol (drinking alcohol), the more shelf stable your end product will be. When condensing, the heat does evaporate all of the alcohol from the tincture leaving a tar-like finished product. I added a little water to mine at the end to make it easier to use and not taste like alcohol but if I added alcohol at the end, it would have worked just as well with my dropper bottle and would last MUCH longer without refrigeration. Thank you for watching and for your comment!
I’ve tried small amounts by breaking leaves and ingesting the sap right from the plant but it had zero effect. It would have to be a large enough amount that you could condense it into a concentration. It’s not worth the effort for me but I do use the sap topically on cuts and scrapes. It takes the sting out, it’s antiseptic, disinfectant and dries to form a “liquid bandage”.
If you condense it to a tar consistency and store it correctly it should last about a year. If you add water (like I did in the video) and refrigerate, it should last about 6 months. If you add alcohol instead of water and store in glass, it should last indefinitely but I’m sure potency will diminish over time.
I've always thought the three crock pot set up was awesome but I have never found a need to get one. Perhaps as I get more into herbal remedies. For now, my old crock pot will have to do. LOL
We actually bought two of them for family get-togethers. We usually have some sort of buffet for the holidays and they work much better than traditional chafing dishes with liquid fuel. For condensing down a tincture, I would normally use a standard 6-quart crock-pot but because we were experimenting with different methods in this video, the triple crock-pots worked out best for us. Thank you for watching!
As I said in the video starting at 8:52 - I stripped the leaves and flower heads from the stems so they could be dehydrated or freeze dried. There is no need to wash them as they will be precessed with a strong alcohol but if you desire you can rinse them in the sink before dehydrating. Thank you for watching!
It does grow wild in New Mexico and may be referred to there as "prickly lettuce". If you find it in the wild you can seed save to grow yourself. I'm not familiar with the seeds being sold on line from a reputable source.
Thank you so very much for the help of the medication side.Ireally will try it. Its stand in.my farden,BUT get confused with the leaves.I know now the Dendilion plant. The others are here,but not witch is witch. So help me showing the put in your video. Thanks alot for sharing it with us,. I'm full of ESTEOPEROSIS. Will it help for that too.
@@CynthiaOpperman I’m glad the video helped. As far as osteoporosis goes, wild lettuce tincture may help with pain but will not help with the disease itself (brittle bones). Thank you so much for sharing!
I had a little “mishap” and fell off my Belgian draft horse when she spooked. I ended up with 2 vertebrae fractures and have quite a bit of pain. I’m going to try some of this and see if it helps. Also, is there a way to use our bolted lettuce that we planted in the garden?
@@myaccount2825 Ouch!!! That’s a big horse to fall from. If the bolted lettuce is typical domesticated lettuce (Iceberg, Romaine, Arugula…), unfortunately no it will not work. The medicine is only found in wild lettuce (Lactuca virosa). I hope it works for your pain and that you get well soon.
A typical liquid dose for me is 1tsp. but I recommend starting with ¼ tsp. and adjusting based on potency and the tolerance of the individual. The equivalent of 1 tsp. of liquid freeze dried and powdered is far too small an amount for me to accurately measure out a dosage so I’m still experimenting with the process. I’ll play more with it this year but it may not be worth the effort. Thanks for watching and for the question.
My point of view and yes, your way works fine. I just learned to do it differently from an Amish lady several years ago. Seems like a lot of these videos are coming out now, maybe because it can help people wean themselves off hard drugs.
To start with there are several wild lettuces. 3 of them that I know grow in my area in rural Western Kentucky and work about the same; lactuca virosa, lactuca serriola and lactuca biennis (blue wild lettuce). For me, it doesn't work as well for acute pain like a broken leg, sprain or tooth ache. It does work well for long term chronic pain, like where I broke my back several years ago and have had a long day.
Always start with small doses and work your way up, just in case it disagrees with you. Since I'm sensitive to alcohol by mouth, I dehydrate it and make tea; seriously nasty tasting; drink fast and chase it with something. 1 tablespoon crushed dry leaves steeped in 4 to 6 ounces steaming water; just like brewing any tea. If it's been 'one of those days' I reach in my jar and grab a fist full and also add in a teaspoon of catnip and a teaspoon of skullcap; I don't drive after that!
My husband smoked it in his pipe. It burns hot and fast, so mixing 50/50 with pipe tobacco helps it not overheat your pipe. He had his prescription oxycodone cut off cold turkey after a difficult surgery and wild lettuce was the only thing that took the edge off.
The only complaint I've heard is 'It didn't make me high'. I asked is your pain better and they said yes, but I didn't feel anything. You can concentrate it it enough to get a buzz, but it tears my stomach up.
You need less and less rather than more. Not addictive and legal. Win, win.
Yes; for me and many others, drying does work, but low and slow like hanging it in a pantry let's the leaves suck as much moisture/latex out of the stalk as possible as it tries to stay alive, just like a cut flower pulls moisture.
I like my X10 dry reduction; it takes a day or two, depending on amounts and the pan size, but it can evaporate while you're sleeping or gone if you don't mind leaving the stove on; mines electric, so I didn't mind. I have two huge stainless steel pots. I cut fresh wild lettuce and trim it up real good. I put stalks and leaves in there. Cover it with water and turn it on low; heat is the enemy. After a few hours, the stalks have given up their goodie, so take them out. I still use 2 pans, so the water evaporates faster. Stir occasionally. The leaves go to mush. The last hour, I stay right with the pans. When I estimate I only have a 10th of the bulk of the leaves left, I dehydrate the pulp. I mixed it 50/50 with Tommy's regular tobacco for his pain. A three finger pinch of this is enough for a cup of tea or it can be powdered and put in capsules.
Wow! Great info and thank you so much for sharing.
I feed my rabbits wild lettuce. They love it and are very chilled afterwards. 🎉
Good tip. Knowing what plants feed our livestock and pets is a game changer. Especially with the price of things these days. Thank you for sharing.
I’ve read it’s toxic to rabbits so I don’t feed it to mine. Glad to hear you are not seeing harmful side effects.
@@MuliebritySmith I don’t keep rabbits myself but the wild rabbits seem to like it.
Hahaha
I love the detailed comparison. Thank you so much! Ah and ignore the negative comments , they are just unhappy people .
Thank you so much! I don’t mind the negative comments. Everyone is entitled to their opinion… even if they’re wrong. Hahaha😂
I am glad , I just didn’t want you to become disappointed and not teach us in detail . Thanks again!
Please please make more informative videos with backyard weeds . I’ve looked at other videos for a while now and so far , non compare to yours ; the information you give to us is vast ! God bless
@@bonnegomez422 We have a foraging playlist that we will continue to add to. Thank you so very much!
Oh, I thought it was Lactucarium😊
With my weed, I use a hydraulic press. It eliminates all of the process used here. The 'Chips' left over we just throw in our compost. I will try the press on this plant type and see what I get. Be well . Happy Hunting everyone.
I’d love to hear how your press works with wild lettuce. Thanks for watching!
I will save you comment and let you know first I have to go forage for this plant.
@@jamesmcdermott5048 Good luck!
Wow! Sounds like I need to get one of those! Wish you could say.
I never even thought about using a press for herbs 😱 but will you get the same extraction of medicine that you do with an alcohol tincture?
That is the hugest wild lettuce plant I’ve ever seen! Wow!!
@@Mrs.LadeyBug They do get pretty big around here if you let them go 😊
Thank you for watching!
I have severe pain from fibromyalga so I just went outside found a bunch & I'm gonna try to fix me some pain meds. Will let u know how it turns out. Thanks again
Good luck! I hope it helps with your pain. Thank you for sharing.
The extract contains lactucin and lactucopicrin which are componds that act on the central nervous system to produce pain-relieving and sedative effects. Thanks for watching!
same here (FMS). I will try it out. Good luck.
Although this video is an excellent one for making the tincture, in case you're unaware, dried Wild Lettuce is also very effective when smoked. I have OA, psoriatic arthritis, fibromyalgia, 7 previously ruptured discs, nerve damage, and a herniated brain stem (Chiari) among a host of other pain related issues. I quit Pain Mgmt, and All pHARMaceuticals, in 2015 and rely solely on spices, herbs and medicinal weeds. When the pain (or cough from bronchitis, allergies, etc) gets too bad, I use dried wild lettuce (semi-powdered burns best) in pre-rolled RAW cones and it's been extremely effective for me. It's excellent for pain and probably the best thing I've ever tried for stopping a cough. Best of health to you!
@@Chelarue Wow! That’s really interesting. I know about smoking Mullen for respiratory issues but haven’t heard about wild lettuce. Very good information. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you. I've not done this in alcohol. I have made oil to apply locally on the body for joint and muscle pain. I slowly heat up the oil several times with the lettuce in it strain chill and use. Now I have learned from you a different way to extract it.
I didn’t know you could use it topically, so thank you for sharing and thank you for watching!
@@KeepingItRielwithMarilynSteve we have to help each other i believe. Thank you
Hi Katherine. How you made it. I have pain in my legs..inhave a beautiful plant in my house..
thank you
From Virginia
@@kattiaserrano3883 I too have pain in my legs restless and cramps. This oil helps relieve all that plus my husband has arthritis which the oil relieve.
Could you explain how you do this in more detail, I've been wanting to make a topical oil or salve 😊
It only took me a minute or two to realize how amazing your channel is, I crushed the subscribe button immediately! Thank you for sharing your knowledge and wisdom!
Thank you so much and welcome to our RUclips family!
@@KeepingItRielwithMarilynSteve Hi...do I see Sassafrass?
@@boomer3150 Yep! That stuff grows like a weed in our woods. Good eye and thanks for watching.
@@KeepingItRielwithMarilynSteve 😊😊
Intesting. I grew up in Alaska and as a boy we saw a lot of fireweed. Being secluded we had little contact with people. This hampered education. Six years of war messed me up but I think you've helped me às well as those who follow your podcast. Good life to you. 😊
Thank you so much for sharing. I always thought I had an odd childhood growing up but now I look back fondly at the simplicity of the times and how natural it felt simply trying to survive. Marilyn and I are trying to keep some of our families’ “old ways” alive and share some of what we do in our videos. Thank you for watching!
Deep appreciation for your presentation and knowledge from an Egyptian! 🇪🇬👍
You are very welcome! Thank you so much for watching!
Thank you so very much for this information. It’s very thorough and now I’m confident that I can identify it.
Thank you for watching!
Hello--thank you for the great video! You have a wonderful way of presenting your information and don't drag things out too far, so I'm subbing.
I have severe osteoarthritis in my hips and knees, and the powers that be are making it ever increasingly difficult for me to get the pain meds I sometimes CANNOT do without. So, I've decided to skirt that issue and make some of this to help myself. Your video is the best one I've seen so far, and I'll be using your method.
Thank you. I hope this helps your situation. We’ve switched to many natural remedies and are happy to share them.Thanks for watching!
Did it or has it worked especially compared to oxycodone or Vicodin ?
I would not compare it with either. I would compare it more to an over the counter Tylenol or Naproxen.
@@KeepingItRielwithMarilynSteve Well that sucks. Tylenol or Naproxen has never done much of anything for me. I was hopeful for a while because I have used most every alternative you can think of for pain meds but luckily I do have a fairly high tolerance for pain after 20+ surgeries and joint replacements. For now I will probably have to stick to 1 or 2 oxycodone a day. :(
I use it in place of narcotic pain meds. I replaced percocet 10@@StElmosFire53
I thought it was very good video and very easily understood step-by-step instructions. I'm not sure why anybody would think it was complicated other than just getting bored by the many steps that it does take to do it properly. It is a long process but that's what makes medicine
Thank you so much for your kind comment. The way we do it is a little time consuming but if it worked for granny, it’s good enough for me! Thanks for watching!
So true. The whole process is not hard. The effort is in the beginning when picking and prepping the material used. Once it's in the pots it's random stirring and straining. Mostly, it's just waiting. And, other tasks, even Netflix bingeing, while waiting for it to cook down. Silly people.
@@LoraCreates We agree totally! In today's world of instant gratification patience isn't easily found.
It's half more fun again preparing what you need. It can be meditative. My friend is growing some wild lettuce in a small pot at present. She first told me about wild lettuce. Mother Nature is fascinating
@@carolynellis387 Foraging and herbology seem to be more popular lately. With the lack of trust in big pharma and self reliance on an upswing, more and more people are rediscovering the old methods.
Best wild lettuce video I've seen!
Thank you for watching and taking the time to leave your comment!
When finished with the alcohol soak and water simmer, you can squeeze more fluid from the herb pulp with an electric or manual wheat grass juicer. The waste pulp is very dry.
@@1rmoreynd That sounds like a good tip. Someone earlier commented on using an oil press. I’d love to hear how some of these other methods work. Thank you for sharing!
I thought we were supposed to harvest as soon as it starts to flower- before flowers emerge. There are so many different techniques! Thank you for sharing!
Lactucarium is present in the plant throughout its life cycle but is more potent toward the end during its flowering. I suggest harvesting when you can depending on your needs and the quantity you have available. It is best when it is flowering but if you can’t wait… get it when you can.
Thanks so much for the lesson. How long did it take in the crock before it got tarry? I dry my forage harvest hanging upside down from string. It dries in my airconditioned home within a week. I just finished up two half gallon jars filled as you showed on the video today except using Everclear. I love the crockpot idea, and i'll probably use that this time, tho I only have high low and warm, so I'll put some water in there and test the temp of each before using the crock. I also have a double boiler I can use, but you have to really keep an eye on those. I've heard Lactuca Virosa wild letuce is the most potent, but I think it depends on the varieties that grow in any particular area. For the commenter who said "it's no better than Tylenol" there are so many variations and ways of preparation, different varieties of wild lettuce and (most importantly) time of harvest that that isn't a universal statement, and I don't give it much credence. I've always read that harvesting right as it has the tiny yellow flowers makes the most potent bc the plant is sending all its energy to the top. I think potency depends on so many different conditions. That person may have allowed it to get to boiling, or harvested at the wrong time. This is more an art than a science, but you're video was quite thorough and gave this forager a couple new tricks. Thank you!
It took about 24 hours (give or take) to condense in the crockpots. Everclear is an excellent choice if available and yes, you are absolutely correct about potency. There are so many variables that I tell most people to compared it to about 1000mg of Tylenol or 500mg of Naproxen because most batches, if not done at the right time or done the right way, will not meet their full potential. Thank you so much for your comment and thanks for watching!
@@KeepingItRielwithMarilynSteveI'm totally disabled...would it be possible to purchase this???
The labor this requires, I'm not able to do. If you or someone you know sells this. I would be grateful.
I'm hoping w/this product maybe I'll be pain free enough to do this.
But I would ay least like to try it
To see if it can help w/this awful pain. Please help...
I'm kind of desperate. With gratitude.
Sorry but we do not sell our tinctures. I believe that there are companies that sell it, possibly in pill form, but I have no experience or knowledge about those companies and wouldn't be able to recommend one over another. Look up "medicinal wild lettuce" in Google and several companies pop up. Do your research and be safe.
@IlsaGalvin you can order this tincture online and it's about 30.00
Everclear might be too much alcohol as the plant does have some water soluble properties
Thank you for sharing this! Also, I love that stove with the wall of cast iron in the background.
You are very welcome! The stove is a Milly made by Nordica and we love it. It is our heat source and cook oven from October- April. Thanks so much for watching!
I have lots of tall blue lettuce (lactuca biennis) growing in my backyard. I discovered what it was only a couple years ago when I decided to let one grow out of curiosity. Normally I would just cut them with my string trimmer. It got to around 13 feet tall before it died when winter hit. I'm in South Louisiana.
You grow them big in Louisiana! 😳
You should add some the new leaves to salads, sandwiches… it’s slightly bitter but good. Thanks for commenting.
This is the best video I've found concerning wild lettuce. Weeding my garden I've seen what I thought was it and this year while weeding I let what I think it is and was going to refer to a book I have but now no need to and saved this video.
That's great to hear. Thank you so much for watching and for sharing!
Know 100% what your'e using!
Dandelion is a superfood, pick them and make tea and grind up the roots too....😉👍🏼
Watch our full video on how to use every part of the dandelion including the stem - ruclips.net/video/tKjoRNEVMw8/видео.html
Bunnies love them!
Yes they do 😂🤣
I use this regularly, make cups of tea from the leaves.
But if you do dont over do it like l did first time l used it , it is very strong.😊
Like all medications, moderation is very important. If used too often, you can build a tolerance redering it useless. 😊
Thank you for watching!
Thankyou for an excellent video. I have these in my garden, here in Australia. The prickly lettuce sure can get prickly! 😏👍
Isn’t it awesome that we can share the benefits of a common plant half a world apart. Thank you for watching!
@@KeepingItRielwithMarilynSteve Yep quite cool. And you're welcome.😊❤️🐨
Very well done and informative. I have tons of wild lettuce here. Hope to build my playlist on my processing in the near future. Preparing to dehydrate a bunch very soon for tincture making later. I did the tar method once. Liked it but find tincture dropper bottles work best for me. Subscribed.😊
Thank you! I subscribed to you as well. I can't wait to see what you do in your videos!
What a great job you did in this video. I am a first time listener and I subscribed.Thank you for the education!
Thank you for joining us Shirley! We are all here to educate each other so that we can each be more and more self sufficient.
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Great, moderate pace, good info. Not complicated.
Thank you so much! I'm glad it was helpful.
Thank you. I've been keeping this plant around the yard, knowing it was edible and medicinal. Now I know how to make the medicine.
You are very welcome! It's so wonderful to know that you are able to be, even a little bit more, self-reliant when it comes to basic medicines. Thank you for watching!
You can get and effect from It Just by the contact with the skin during the harvest and even the smell during the extraction, it's not Always pleasant.. here in Italy we have the lactuca serriola variety most off all, coffee and tea can reduce the effect of lactuca
I have never been affected during harvest or extraction but if used topically as a poultice for scratches and cuts, it seems to reduce the sting while creating a temporary “liquid bandage”. Thank you for the tip about coffee and tea and thanks for watching!
Thanks for your info, cos I would be drinking coffee with this ‼️❤️
@@ReneeHorth I love how everyone can share information and learn from each other.
Well, yr method is rather complicated. Some advice just suggest alcool + glycerine in a jar for 15 days with no exposure to the light
It seems like adding water would invite mold and bacteria im really trying to figure out what benefit the water serves.
Gorgeous property! Those birds are so peaceful sounding. 💞
@@myaccount2825 Thank you! We love our quiet property . We’ve surrounded our home with finch houses because we enjoy their songs. Thank you for watching!
Thank you for your video. So helpful. We live in Arkansas and have what I thought was wild lettuce, but the leave do not have the prickly hairs on the underside of the leaves. Everything else qualifies with the identification of wild lettuce. I was going to harvest today and follow your steps of making a tincture, but want to be sure of the identification. Do some wild lettuce leaves NOT have the hair on the underside. The samples I took today are mature, not young plants. Thank you so very much. Mary
The midrib on the underside of the mature leaves should show some sign of “hairs” which are sometimes soft and in some species thorn-like. Not all wild lettuce is like the “prickly lettuce” varieties found in the south. Also, I can only speak for the varieties in the USA and mainly my area (North East USA).
Thank you. I went by another video and then was suppose to dehydrate to a fruit roll up thing. We'll all day yesterday I tried getting it to a portable stage. I've looked for this plant for a year! I have to tell you, I started out excited but it's the end of a 5 day waiting period and now I'm so discouraged. I can't seem to get it right. I found your video and even though it isn't what I was going for at least I can reach a finished product before I go away tomorrow! Thank you
Good luck and I hope your batch turns out great. Thank you for sharing.
Wow, this is a channel and information I’ve been searching for! Such detailed information and easy to follow! Many thanks, LaVonne.
Thank you so much and thank you for watching!
Thank you so much for showing how you prepare the plant for use. Now, to find a crock pot that has more temperature control than low and high.
Low and high are good enough. I filled my crock with water, set it on low and used a thermometer after 30 minutes to see its max temperature. I did the same with high and noted the max temperature. As long as your crock temperature doesn’t exceed 110 F, it should work fine. Thank you for watching!
You did a great job of explaining in detail. But I missed how long to simmer for the last step, so I wouldn’t know what it looks like when I know it’s ready. Thank you.
@@nitabaker9851 The length of time is dependent on how you simmer it down in that last stage. You want to evaporate as much liquid out as you can watching it very closely when there’s very little liquid left. It should condense down to a thick tar-like consistency. Some people use it in this form. I added water (preferably liquor) to thin it enough for dropper bottles. I hope this helps and thank you for watching!
Valuable information and easy to follow. Thank you! I’d love to know where to find the three electric crockpots in that size. Great tool!
It is an awesome crockpot, especially during the holidays.
Here is my affiliate link to it on Amazon: amzn.to/3S7Yflf
Thank you for watching!
I ran across your channel today and i love it ty for sharing with us
Thank you for your sweet comment! We love living a simple life and sharing what we know. If there is anything you would like to see, let us know and we’ll share if we can. Thanks again!
I love the wood cook stove in background.you don't see many of those around anymore it's good to see someone still has one in the house. I grew up burning wood for heat and made many pot of beans on a wood stove
@@Mike-nk3su We love that stove too. We put our old one in our outdoor summer kitchen so as not to heat the house up. In the winter though, the Nordica cook stove is how we heat the whole cabin. We have to process a lot of cordwood but it’s worth it. Free heat and the stove / oven are always going. Thank you for watching!
Thank you for sharing this video. You demonstrated the process very well. I appreciate all that I learn about nature's medicine. 😊
You are so very welcome! Thank you for watching!
Sow thistle is our colloquial name. Years ago I saw similarities with poppy and began to experiment.
But then gave all my lab equipment away to another plant medicine chemist.
Yours looks like a tried and true process.
Cool slow cooker battery.
With a distiller 50% of the ethanol could be recovered., the temperature would get to 80C [176F] .
I'm not too into the alchemy of the process. Maybe just a little 😊
For me, it's more like any other recipe passed on from prior generations. You know, "gamma's secret recipe". We just aren't keeping them secret. 😁
I have the purple stemmed hairy bottom leaf vein kind. I made a half gallon of tincture that’s ready to be sqeezed and bottled tomorrow. This is my first batch and excited to try it out. Also dehydrated some leaves for tea. Now on to my next batch from my backyard, same blue flower variety. Thanks for all your info.
That's awesome! I hope your tincture works well and thank you for commenting!
I have tons of it growing here in central VT
@@ildiko1vt It’s always good to know what plants are common in your area that can be used for either food or medicine or in this case, both. Thank you for watching!
This is so encouraging. I was just telling a friend about wild lettuce and wondering if I could find out how to make a pain salve. I’m only part way through watching but I’m really happy to be learning.
It's just like any other reciept; Find the one you like and pass it on. Good luck and thank you for watching!
I'm 54 years old, and watching this video May 8, 2024, is the first time seeing a triple crock pot. Wow!
@@ElizabethKirkChandani hahaha… isn’t it awesome! We bought two of them for the holidays. We set hot buffets for when the kids / grandkids all visit. They also come in handy for bulk slow cooking and tincture making 🤣😂
Thanks for watching!
It sucks that the stems aren't worth using to make the extract. It seems that 90% of the medicinal value (latex) is in the stem, while the leaves seem to have very little in comparison. I've tried the dried resin directly from the stem and compared that to extracts that I purchased and the resin from the stems... and the resin form the stems is several times stronger. Also, if you damage the stem and then damage a leaf, there always appears to be a lot more resin coming from the stem, despite the leaf having significantly more surface area damage and capillary type "bleeding". When I harvested lettuce that bolted, the thick spine of the leaves closes to the stems were very bitter while the leafy parts farther out were barely bitter at all... and the stems were the most bitter by far.
Good comment. You CAN extract from the stems, they are much easier to deal with earlier in the season, they’re just more time consuming depending on your processing method. Thank you for your comment.
@@KeepingItRielwithMarilynSteve Any quit tips on methods to process the stems? I was wondering if using something like rollers and/or a hammer to break the cells of the stem open... but I'm still not how they would be processed after that, because they'll probably just bind up any blender you try to use.
@@deucedeuce1572 I've seen people use bone scissors. I used my regular kitchen scissors chopped into small pieces and put it into my blender with alcohol 🐝🌻
@@reginawhite1235 Cool. Thanks. I have some good scissors that might work (the one's they used to use to cut casts off people). Will definitely give it a try. Want to do it separately though, so I can compare yield and quality to the leaves.
@@deucedeuce1572 excellent idea. Plz Share your results if you remember 🐝🌻
Love your videos you guys should write a book I would so buy it
Thank you so much! That is an awesome compliment. As far as writing a book goes… maybe some day but in the meantime, be sure to check out our web page. Under “Blogs” we have some recipes, basic articles and a growing section on foraging. It’s all free and we don’t have any of those annoying ads 😂 - Again, thanks for watching!
It is also a bitter. So it seems to really benefit my digestion .
Awesome and good to know! I wouldn’t have guessed that based on flavor as it tastes like prune juice to me. Thanks for the info and the comment!
I had 2 plants growing last year, entangled in my clematis, so I just let it grow, about 8 feet tall! I cut back a lot of the side shoots, let the tops go to seed. Yes, the birds enjoyed some but this year I have little plants all over. I cut some into my salads, the young tender greens are nice, not even bitter yet.
@@kleineroteHex That’s awesome! I love wild field greens even after they get a little bitter.
i have many here as weeds in zone 9b, and they get 7 feet tall and green with a little water or else they are short and unhealthy looking without human watering as it is like a dry desert with no rains in summer. i pick some big ones and it is very easy to snap them by hand in 4-inch pieces to put in a strainer to wash them, then im lazy so i toss them whole in a hot water at 60 degC (thanks for your tip of cooking them at below 70 or 80 degC) and then eat the softened leaves and drink the broth as a tea. the rest is compost, and i have to remember to dig a large hole to toss all my green waste into to slowly compost. PS: 60degC didn't soften the leaves much, so I may have to raise temp (in the past, i always do boiling water, which works for softening, but it makes the tea a lot more bitter and possibly destroys some of the beneficial chemicals, so i may need to test 70, 80, and 90degC instead)
@@joelschmierer3544 Awesome! I like to hear how others use the plants they forage. And composting is a good tip too. Thank you for watching and sharing!
Thank you for the lesson. I live near the presidential range and probably have the same varieties as you. I have very serious pain issues and am hoping I can use this to get myself off the pharmaceuticals.
I hope it helps. Thank you for watching!
Freeze dry the final stage for condensing?
The equivalent of 1 tsp. of liquid medicine freeze dried and powdered is far too small an amount for me to accurately measure out a dosage and encapsulate so I’m still experimenting with the process. I’ll play more with it this year but it may not be worth the effort. Thanks for watching and for the question.
What a sweetheart. This is a great video. Thank you!
You're so kind. Thank you for wayching!
Thank you for this! I just harvested a bunch of Lactuca Canadensis, and was just planning on the regular Everclear tincture method, but this looks like an interesting, quicker (overall), and more efficient process.
@@bretta7057 This method condenses it into a much stronger concoction. Thank you for watching and let us know how it turns out.
Such a nice, in depth video. You people are blessed to have all sorts of medicinal plants & many being legal too. Where I live most are banned & none of the medicinal plants grow due to high temperature. I have a question please.... Since I buy dry herbs online, can I use those dried herbs in this fashion to make it more potent? Or is there any other way to increase the potency of the tinctures I make like passion flower, St. John's wort, valerian root, blue lotus & skullcap? Caring for my adult spastic child totally dependant on me has given lots of health issues, Chronic pain , depression & anxiety. Been dealing with 3 slip discs since 15 year & currently arthritis & fibromyalgia. Sometimes it feels enough is enough.😥😭
Would really appreciate yours as well as others reading my comment to please give suggestion, thanks in advance.
I’m unfamiliar with purchasing tinctures online or at shops so I can’t vouch or recommend specific companies that sell it. If you google search for “wild lettuce tincture”, several companies are shown. You might also be able to find a local shop that sells all natural foods and medicine. I searched on Amazon and found this wild lettuce tincture that looks pretty good (my affiliate link: amzn.to/3V8UDAW)
Either way, please do your research and know what you’re ingesting. Take care, feel better and thank you for watching.
Just stumbled upon ur video. This is the clearest, most informative instruction I have seen. Thank you so much...new subscriber!
From northeast SC.
Thank you so much and welcome!
Me toot! New subscriber as well!
@@antso1290 Thanks for watching and welcome to the family!
Lovely and detailed demonstration. I am into herbal remedies and want to know all about what nature gives us to heal our bodies. I have recently harvested some rosehips when I pruned my rose. Would love to know how to use them if you can share your experience and knowledge. With gratitude 🙏 ❤Eva from Melbourne Australia
@@yangjunhua9469 Rose hips are great for your circulatory system. They contain bioflavonoids that readily release when steeped, making rose hips an excellent inclusion for teas. The flavor is nice and the benefits are a plus. Vitamin C, antioxidants and just about everything blood related. Thanks for watching!
Hello Steve, from Ballarat Victoria Australia. Accidently stumbled on a website about wild lettuce twelve months ago or more. Like your video it was power packed with great INFP thank you so much. I am getting more patient with my potions lol. But I think you have covered everything from A to Z. But I do save the leaves for my stews and occasionally mix them up with my steamed vegetables, not too much as they do have a distinct stronger flavour. Again thank you for sharing.
It does have a strong (slightly bitter) lettuce flavor but does taste more mild in the spring - early summer. Thanks for watching and for the great comment.
I was told dehydrating invalidates the white sticky stuff
@@shirleypitcaithly1191 well… I’m no scientist but I can tell you the recipe I use works. You can physically feel the effects easily within 15 minutes. Like most homemade medicines, remember to dehydrate at temperatures lower than 110F or 43.3C to not harm medicinal effects. That what I was taught. Thanks for a great question!
I have a question when the lettuce become old it has a milk can we use it instead of wilde lettuce.
Can u use it after it's been dried?
Great video lesson! Been wondering how to do that. I have a lettuce THIS year that is 14 feet tall!! I think your parrot(?) was pretty cute too!~~ Thanks!
Thank you for watching and yes, the wild lettuce can grow VERY tall. Our beautiful girl thinks she’s part of the show and you can hear her (or the others) in many of our videos 😁😂🤣
Great tutorial! What is the shelf life if stored as an alcohol tincture?
As an alcohol tincture it should hold for about 1 year. Thanks for watching!
Thanks for the great video
Already have some Wild Lettuce dried
Now to turn it into a Tincture
Thanks again from Australia 🇦🇺
@@geg3758 You are very welcome! Thank you for watching!
Thank you for the amazing video. Came across your channel today and subscribed immediattely❤
I’m glad you liked the video. Thanks for becoming part of our RUclips family.
Very informative video! Details with step by step helps lots of people do it correctly, especially newbies like me. Thank you
You’re very welcome! Thanks for watching.
I LOBE IT ❤
Thank you!
I have several tall blue plants growing in my backyard as well as I’ve been finding it on my brother’s property as well. I have fibromyalgia as well as arthritis and compression fractures in my spine. I’m hoping that I can make some of this medicine to help with the pain.
I hope that it helps ease your pain. Thank you for commenting!
Thank you for the information about the wild lettuce pain medicine.
Thank you for watching!
Can you dehydrate in the oven? Great Video!
@@timothyrones108 Yes you can but… you really don’t want to get the plant above 110 deg. fahrenheit. Most ovens don’t go that low so you might have to get creative by leaving your door open a bit. I would recommend placing the plant in paper bags, or on a screen (window screen or similar) and allow them to dry in a dry dark place with good airflow. It’s a little slower but will give you better results. Thank you for watching!
Great video and easy to understand! Thanks! Arkansas here. Hope I find some.
Thank you for watching and good luck with your foraging!
Thank you, sir for your knowledge. 😊 And I absolutely LOVE your stove! ❤
It’s a Milly made by Nordica. We love it too! 😊
Question: why do you dehydrate and then rehydrate?
Just like when you steep tea, the process works more thoroughly if you use dried leaves. Fresh leaves don't brew or release the compounds we want as easily. Thanks for watching!
Greatings from Italy, thank you for instructions.
Ciao! Grazie per aver guardato!
New Subscriber from East Texas! I have been seeking information and resources for Wild Lettuce. Thank you so much
You are more than welcome and welcome to our RUclips family!
thanks for the video! I love your stove!!!!
You’re very welcome and I love my stove too. It’s a Milly made by Nordica. It heats the whole house in winter and the oven has very even heat. Not to mention, it’s Avery pretty stove. 😍
Thank you for such a detailed lesson on how use this. I'm going to try to grow this in my garden this year and hopefully I'll be able to follow your process.
Thank you! You'll have to comment and let us know how you make out :) Thank you for watching!!
Thanks, I made a batch last week and in the process of making another.
Awesome! It feels good to be self sufficient doesn’t it? Thank you for sharing!
@@KeepingItRielwithMarilynSteveit does. I’m on Hydrocodone. I want off badly. Then my antidepressant and blood pressure. I have to take a potassium supplement. Not found anything for that. lol
You did an exceptional job explaining how to make it God bless
@@davidHarris-ry4nf Thank you so much for commenting and for watching!
Yeah, I've been seeing about that for 6 years.Those plants grow everywhere. How do you make it as a paste?
Do you grind the leaves down?Everybody does it differently.Good video thanks for the insight😅
Once the alcohol extracts the compounds we need, the leaf material is strained out and the liquid is condensed into a “paste”.
We’re surrounded by food and medicine. Once you learn to recognize all those common (and not so common) plants, it adds peace of mind and the ability to be more self reliant. Thank you for watching!
Thank y’all so very much! We need this knowledge! It’s imperative!
Definitely 👍 The more everyone shares their knowledge the stronger the community 😊 Thank you for watching!
Beautiful home
@@debranewby7279 Thank so much! We love it. 😊
I was wondering if i can just tincture the plant material material instead of cooking it down, and i love your videos will be watching them
Absolutely! It won’t be as strong as a condensed version but will still have the same medicinal properties. Dosages will also be larger.
@@KeepingItRielwithMarilynSteve Do you feel any kind off sedating feeling from the lettuce or is it painkiller only...cheers
@@jshaw4757 It will make you lightheaded and woozy as a side effect. It can be used as a sleep aid but is not a sedative at all. Thanks for watching!
Thank you for sharing just found 1 in my yard was trying to figure out if it was Wild lettuce
Awesome! Thanks for watching!
...and if you have enough of them, those sassafras trees right there can add fragrance & flavor to it. The leaves make nice tea. Blender? Choppers work better for woody stalks and you can get all of it. As for roots and crushing them? I never bothered. It wasn't lettuce I processed, but it was similar in consistency.
Sassafras is like a weed in our woods. It's literally everywhere. Growing up, i used to help my grandma make sassafras root beer and birch beer (both alcohol free) all the time. I haven't done that in a while though so I may have to do that as a project for the grandkids. Thanks for the comment and the nostalgia!
OUTSTANDING video!
Clear information from ID to processing and a safe starting place to use at our discretion, if at all... better than I thought I would find. Thanks for sharing, I subscribed ✌️
We're glad you enjoyed the video! Thank you for watching and welcome to our RUclips family!
how did the freeze dried powder work out
The equivalent of 1 tsp. of liquid medicine freeze dried and powdered is far too small an amount for me to accurately measure out a dosage and encapsulate so I’m still experimenting with the process. I’ll play more with it this year but it may not be worth the effort. Thanks for watching and for the question.
It seems like adding water would dilute a the 90 proof alcohol and heating it would dissipate the alcohol.
Does anyone know?
I'm used to using Everclear for making tinctures I believe the higher proof makes them shelf stable for longer.
If anyone has more knowledge about my statement I'd be happy to learn.
Excellent video btw and thank you.
Everclear is an excellent option for tinctures as it has a very high percentage of alcohol and very little flavor. The purer the alcohol (drinking alcohol), the more shelf stable your end product will be.
When condensing, the heat does evaporate all of the alcohol from the tincture leaving a tar-like finished product. I added a little water to mine at the end to make it easier to use and not taste like alcohol but if I added alcohol at the end, it would have worked just as well with my dropper bottle and would last MUCH longer without refrigeration. Thank you for watching and for your comment!
Very interesting video. Thanks. 🎉
You are very welcome 🤗 Thank you for watching!
Can you use the sap straight from the plant?
I’ve tried small amounts by breaking leaves and ingesting the sap right from the plant but it had zero effect. It would have to be a large enough amount that you could condense it into a concentration. It’s not worth the effort for me but I do use the sap topically on cuts and scrapes. It takes the sting out, it’s antiseptic, disinfectant and dries to form a “liquid bandage”.
Thank you for all the information. It is clear and concise and very much appreciated.
Love your stove! What is it called? Who makes it?
Thank you very much! Our kitchen stove is a Milly made by Nordica and sold by @grillsnovens - www.woodcookstove.com/
For what can you use the lettuce plant for please 🙏
Young wild lettuce leaves can be eaten as food and mature wild lettuce can be made into a medicine for pain.
What's the self life on the fiinish product
If you condense it to a tar consistency and store it correctly it should last about a year. If you add water (like I did in the video) and refrigerate, it should last about 6 months. If you add alcohol instead of water and store in glass, it should last indefinitely but I’m sure potency will diminish over time.
As a general rule easily 1-2 years
But it's very common to last much longer if preserved with alcohol
@@wizzel101 Thank you!
I've always thought the three crock pot set up was awesome but I have never found a need to get one. Perhaps as I get more into herbal remedies. For now, my old crock pot will have to do. LOL
We actually bought two of them for family get-togethers. We usually have some sort of buffet for the holidays and they work much better than traditional chafing dishes with liquid fuel. For condensing down a tincture, I would normally use a standard 6-quart crock-pot but because we were experimenting with different methods in this video, the triple crock-pots worked out best for us. Thank you for watching!
What was done before dehydrates?
As I said in the video starting at 8:52 - I stripped the leaves and flower heads from the stems so they could be dehydrated or freeze dried. There is no need to wash them as they will be precessed with a strong alcohol but if you desire you can rinse them in the sink before dehydrating. Thank you for watching!
Wow you really do a great video….thanks a bunch great great job- hopper from Louisiana
Thank you so very much and thank you for commenting! ❤️
Awesome video! Very informative. I’m going to check out your foraging website and attempt this myself. Thank you
You are very welcome! Thank you for watching!
Can you buy seeds and grow in backyard doese it grow in new mexico
It does grow wild in New Mexico and may be referred to there as "prickly lettuce". If you find it in the wild you can seed save to grow yourself. I'm not familiar with the seeds being sold on line from a reputable source.
@@SPotter1973 I believe Opium poppies are illegal to grow in the USA…
@@SPotter1973 That’s interesting. I never heard about using the seeds before. I’ll have to check that out. Thank you for the comment!
Can you mix it with honey for a syrup dosage?
Yes you can. The flavor of the medicine (in my opinion) is like a strong prune juice, so honey would make it quite pleasant. Thank you for watching!
Thank you so very much for the help of the medication side.Ireally will try it. Its stand in.my farden,BUT get confused with the leaves.I know now the Dendilion plant. The others are here,but not witch is witch. So help me showing the put in your video. Thanks alot for sharing it with us,. I'm full of ESTEOPEROSIS. Will it help for that too.
@@CynthiaOpperman I’m glad the video helped. As far as osteoporosis goes, wild lettuce tincture may help with pain but will not help with the disease itself (brittle bones). Thank you so much for sharing!
Thanx from Texas have alot of wild lettece
What is the variety most prevelant in Texas? Is it called prickly lettuce?
Thank you for watching!
I had a little “mishap” and fell off my Belgian draft horse when she spooked. I ended up with 2 vertebrae fractures and have quite a bit of pain. I’m going to try some of this and see if it helps.
Also, is there a way to use our bolted lettuce that we planted in the garden?
@@myaccount2825 Ouch!!! That’s a big horse to fall from. If the bolted lettuce is typical domesticated lettuce (Iceberg, Romaine, Arugula…), unfortunately no it will not work. The medicine is only found in wild lettuce (Lactuca virosa). I hope it works for your pain and that you get well soon.
Outstanding
@@navagatingthroughthebeasts2908 Thank you so much for watching!
Can we get an update on the freeze dried wild lettuce experiment?? Please and thank you!
A typical liquid dose for me is 1tsp. but I recommend starting with ¼ tsp. and adjusting based on potency and the tolerance of the individual. The equivalent of 1 tsp. of liquid freeze dried and powdered is far too small an amount for me to accurately measure out a dosage so I’m still experimenting with the process. I’ll play more with it this year but it may not be worth the effort. Thanks for watching and for the question.
Thank You so much you two ‼️❤️
Thanks for watching! ❤️
Thanks for the great video!❤
@@roseamberzine5846 you’re welcome and thank you for watching!