Wild harvested Usnea
I collected this wild foraged usnea in the mountains surrounding my home, near a beautiful crystal clear river.
I gathered from fallen branches only, so we can ensure continued growth on the living branches/trees!
Usnea is best used made into a skin salve, or as a dual extraction tincture.
See my YouTube video for more information about the medicinal benefits of usnea!
How to make a Dual Extraction Tincture with Usnea:
A dual extraction includes an alcohol extract (tincture) and hot water extract (decoction).
Start by filling a jar with usnea. Top it with 100 proof or higher alcohol. Cap tightly and let this sit for 6-8 weeks and then strain out the usnea.
(Save the usnea that you just strained, or you can use fresh usnea for the next step, it's up to you).
Measure the amount of tincture you now have. Let's pretend you have 20 ounces of tincture.
You're going to double that amount in water, and add it to a pot along with the usnea. (So in this case you'd be using 40 ounces of water). Bring to a boil and then allow to simmer for several hours or until the liquid has been reduced by half (you should be back at 20 ounces of water).
Allow to cool, then strain out the usnea from the hot water extract you just made.
Combine your 20 ounces of tincture with 20 ounces of hot water extract.
You now have a dual extracted tincture!