Reply To: Medicine Making | Internal Preparations
Hey Aimee, thanks for pointing out Deborah’s question. It must have been overlooked and I’ll answer it today.
For the Elderberry Oxymel and the Deep Roots Vinegar, Seraphina recommends macerating for a minimum of 10 days, and up to 30 days in a cool, dark place, like a pantry. You don’t need to store in the fridge for the maceration period.
If working with dried plant material, I’d say you could leave the plant material inside. With fresh, it would be better to remove it but maybe you can find an interesting use for it!
For storage, generally, any time you’re adding extra water, such as with fresh plant material, it’s best to store it in the fridge after maceration. When working with dried plant matter, there is less chance of it going off but to be safe, you can store all vinegar and oxymels in the fridge. Because both honey and vinegar act as preservatives, these preparations can last quite a long time but would be best consumed within 8 months to 1 year of making them.
I hope all of this helps!