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Making Infused Oils: The Healing Power of Plants & the Sun
By Bohemian Wytche
It's that time of the year again! The Sun is coming out more often, it's warmer,
and all of the plants are growing! My herbs growing like crazy! My Lemon Balm
and Mint is ready to be harvested and my Comfrey is four feet tall! What am I going to do with all of this bounty? There are lots of things to do with herbs, but one of my favorite things is to make infused oils.
Infused oil is different than an essential oil. Infused oils are made differently. Essential oils require a very large amount of herbs
and require special equipment that can be kind of spendy. Infused oils are made by placing herbs in a jar with oil
and using the sun to solarize it. It is very simple to do and requires no special equipment. Infused oils are not usually made for scent, but rather for the medicinal properties of the herbs. Infused oil can be used in soaps, lotions, massage oils, bath oils,
and salves. Some herbs used in infused oils will have a really nice fragrance, like Cottonwood or St. John's Wort. The Cottonwood oil turns a beautiful amber color
and the St. John's Wort oil turns I very nice reddish color.
There are a couple of different methods used to make infused oil. Both methods are similar, but each has their quirks. One method is to use dried herbs, which is a fairly simple process
and is pretty much foolproof. The other method is to use fresh herbs, but this can be tricky. I use both methods depending on the herb I'm using or the time of year. Either way, you will need a few basic things. To do an infused oil you will need: a quart-canning jar, either extra virgin olive oil or grapeseed oil, cheesecloth, a wire strainer, a funnel, small bottles, herbs dried or fresh, but fresh is more tricky...and the sun.
First you will want to decide what herb you wish to infuse. Here are a few herbs that can be used. Arnica is helpful for bruising. Comfrey helps to assist in tissue regeneration, healing wounds,
and broken bones. Do not use Comfrey on an infected wound as it has the tendency to seal the wound before the infection is gone. Lavender is antibacterial
and anti-fungal. Oregon Grape is anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antiseptic,
and can be used in place of Goldenseal. Plantain is antibacterial
and can be helpful for stings, bites, and cuts. St. John's Wort is helpful for bruises, cramps, spasms,
and sprains. It may cause sun sensitivity so use it with caution. Yarrow can be helpful for cuts, wounds,
and can help to stop the bleeding of a cut or wound.
There are many other kinds of herbs you could use, but it is important to know the properties of the herb you want to use
and what you want to use it for. Get a good herbal book or two and
learn what part of the plant is used and how to best use it. Some of my favorite books are The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Natural Remedies by C. Norman Shealy, Rodale's Illustrated Encyclopedia of herbs by Rodale Books,
and Medicinal Plants of the Pacific West by Michael Moore.
Next, you will need some herbs. Dried herbs, for the dried method, can be purchased at your local health food store or you can harvest your own herbs. If you are harvesting your own herbs it is important to only harvest organic herbs from your yard or from the wild. Do not use wild growing herbs such as Yarrow, St. John's Wort, Mullein, or any other herbs that are growing near roads or in ditches because they could have been sprayed with something. Also, if you are harvesting plants from someone's property make sure you have their permission to do so first.
When you gather your own herbs it can provide an intimate connection with the plants spirit. You want to build a good relationship with the plant. If you honor the plant the plant will honor you. To do this, I always ask permission to harvest the herb
and explain my intent to the plant. I give an offering to the plant, usually tobacco with no alcohol in it,
and express gratitude for the plant's gift. Often times I find myself singing
and chanting while I gather herbs in my yard or in the wild. You want to harvest your herbs after there is no dew on the leaves, but before the heat of the day.
So, now that you have your herbs harvested you'll want to dry them immediately. In most cases, drying the herbs is necessary because of the danger of bacteria forming in the oil when using fresh herbs. There are a few ways to dry herbs, but I have found that hanging them upside down out of direct sunlight seems to work best.
Next, you'll need to decide on what oil you will use. There are many kinds of oils you can use, but it is best to use extra virgin olive oil or grapeseed oil because they are considered stable
and to not go rancid quickly. Olive oil is often most used for medicinal purposes
and is the oil of choice and most preferred by herbalists. When using olive oil you really want to use the extra virgin olive oil, just because it is a higher grade of oil. If you had to use lesser quality of olive oil it would still work though. Olive oil is disinfecting
and has healing properties. It is cheaper than grapeseed oil, but it does have a stronger smell
and you will not be able to smell your herbs very well. Olive oil can also clog pores. Grapeseed oil is anti-bacterial
and will not clog pores. It also has a lighter sent than olive oil.
Make sure you are using a clean
and sterilized jar to make your infused oil. To make sure that my jars are sterilized I put some Everclear in the jar
and swish it around. Then I let the alcohol evaporate out of the jar, which doesn't really take too long, about 30 minutes or so. It takes a little longer
and is an added step, but anything you can do to decrease your chances of bacteria forming in your oil is worth it! This step is even more important if you are using fresh herbs.
The first way to make infused oil is to use dried herbs. Fill your quart jar about ½ to 2/3 full, and then pour in the oil until it covers the herbs
and reaches the top of your jar so that the herbs are completely submerged. Put the lid on, get all of the air bubbles out (there shouldn't be many),
and stick it in a sunny window for two weeks, shaking twice a day. At the end of two weeks, strain out the herbs. Fill another jar with more herbs just like you did before
and pour in the oil from your first batch. Add some extra oil if you need to. Repeat this process for a total of three times to make a triple infused oil. Strain your oil with a wire strainer lined with cheesecloth
and bottle. Don't forget to label the herb and oil used and the date you made it!
Another way to do the dried method when it is winter or it's raining a lot
and there's just not enough sunlight is to use a crockpot. I prefer to use the sun method because it solarizes
and charges the oil, but in a pinch the crockpot will work too. Just place your herbs into the crockpot, cover with oil,
and let sit for two hours. Strain, bottle, and label.
The second way to make an infused oil is to use fresh herbs. Now this is a bit more tricky! The main problem being that because the herbs are fresh, they contain water. Having water in your oil could cause bacteria to grow, which is a very bad thing! I have used this process for St. John's Wort, Cottonwood,
and Plantain with great success. In the book, Medicinal Plants of the Pacific West, Michael Moore actually recommends using this method for St. John's Wort.
First you want to harvest your herbs the same way as we discussed above. Then place them in a paper bag for 24 hours. This allows the bugs to crawl out
and also pulls some of the moisture out of the herbs. After 24 hours you want to chop up the herbs
and then cram them into that jar! Don't just put them in loose. You really have to jam it in there
and pack it tight. It will take a lot of herbs to fill a jar this way! Then pour the oil over the herbs all the way to the top, making sure that the herbs are completely covered. Put the lid on
and bang it on the table to get all the air bubbles to the top and
then let the air out. Do this a couple of times until you get all of the air out. Air in your oil can be just as bad as water. Then sit the jar in a sunny place. Some books I have read suggest setting it in the sun for 2 weeks, some say 6 weeks. You still want to shake it twice a day. Open your jar up every now
and then and see if there is any water floating on top of the oil. If so, just leave the lid off
and let the water evaporate. You may want to cover it with some cheese cloth to keep the bugs out. Using this method you do not have to replace the herbs every 2 weeks. Strain, bottle,
and label.
Once you have your infused oil you can use it in a variety of ways. I will use the oil as is for a massage oil. Lavender infused oil is nice to use in lotions
and soaps. You can also make a salve out of it for medicinal purposes. To make a salve you want to add ¼ cup beeswax to each cup of infused oil. If you wanted to use more than one oil, you would want to use equal amounts of each oil to equal a cup. Heat the oil
and beeswax together over very low heat until the beeswax is completely melted. Remove mixture from heat
and immediately pour into sterile small glass jars or tins, allow to cool before putting lids on,
and label.
Making infused oils can be a wonderful
and fun experience. You get to spend time with the plants, be outdoors in the sunshine,
and make something useful and healing for you, your family, and friends!
©
Copyright June 2005 by Bohemian Wytche
NOTE: For educational purposes only. This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Please seek professional medical treatment if you are sick or being treated for any illness. Please do your own research before using any herb.
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