plantain & comfrey

i got a ton of fresh plantain (Plantago major) and comfrey (Symphytum officinale) today from a friend of mine. i am going to make some infused oil from both of them. i have the leaves layed out on paper towels on the counter - they will sit there overnight. i want to let them wilt a little and let some of the moisture dry out before starting the infusion because both plants have a high water content in them - and oil and water don't mix. just trying to lessen the chance of mold growing in my infusion. i did not rinse the leaves to clean them - instead i took a very damp cloth and gently got any dirt or misc bug droppings off the leaves. so tomorrow morning i'll do a rough chop on them - put each one in a glass jar and cover with organic olive oil. i push the plant material down with the end of a wooden spoon to make sure they are all submerged and to get rid of any air bubbles. when infusing oils - i don't cover it with a metal lid -  instead i use cheesecloth or a paper towel over the top and hold in place with a rubber band. this will let any additional moisture evaporate. over the next few weeks, i'll open the jar and make sure that all the leaves are still submerged. after three weeks - i'll strain out the herb - and have infused oil that i will use to make skin cream or salve.

here is plantain leaves and the flower stalks. after the stalk completely dries out - i can spread the seed in my garden and hope that a few of them take so i can have fresh plantain here at home.

and here is the comfrey leaves:

fresh plant oil

i have so much of everything growing here -  i am making an infused skin oil from fresh plant material. i used calendula (Calendula officinalis), rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis), lavender (Lavendula dentata), chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla) and some sage (Salvia officinalis). all fresh from my garden. i did a rough chop on it - put it in a jar and covered with sweet almond oil. some of it was dried and some not so i am going to keep a close eye on this - since i had an experience where mold grew in my oil because of moisture from fresh plant material. oil and water don't mix !

dandelion oil gone bad

... who knew ? just checked my dandelion oil and the flowers have all sunk to the bottom with about 1/2" of oil above it... with... the dreaded... mold. it covers the top layer of flowers  :(  so i did some research and this is what i found out. i let it sit to long. it only needs to sit for 7 days. then - strain it through a metal strainer - do not crush the flowers to get extra oil out of them.

a few other things i found out about making oils:

•  use cold pressed or expeller pressed organic oils
• refridgerate the bulk of it afterwards so they don't go bad  - put in a few drops of essential oil for preservative (like lavender) 5-10 drops for every ounce of infused oil

• do not let the oils sit in the sun while they are infusing - the rise and drop of temperature from day to night might make it develop condensation. condensation = water = mold. water is the enemy when making infused oils. do not rinse plants or flowers before infusing

• cuts herbs into pieces and crush flowers before infusing - EXCEPT for dandelion, honeysuckle or rose petals

• times till infusion is ready:

dandelion or honeysuckle - 7 days

most other plants - 2 weeks

comfrey, plantain, selfheal, st johns wort - 3 weeks

so... luckily there has been a lot of rain lately so lawns are covered. i have a new batch starting today and i am looking forward to my dandelion oil take 2.

more on dandelion

i went out again this morning looking for more dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) flowers. found a few more and started my oil.  just put the flowers in a jar and cover them with oil. i used olive oil this time since i had it around. stir it around for the first few days to make sure no flower parts are exposed. do not cover it with a metal lid - instead use cheesecloth or a paper towel with a rubber band. this will let any moisture evaporate and the oil will not get moldy. let it sit for 4 to 6 weeks - strain the flowers out. i can't wait to try this one out for sore muscles, sinus headache, achy joints and stiff neck.

for quick help for a back or headache - make a tea from the flowers. put flowers in a jar - cover with boiling water - let it steep for 20 minutes - strain and drink. add honey if needed. you can use the strained flowers for a sunburn. just press flowers on skin for relief. or save the dandelion tea in fridge and use it as a skin treatment or tonic - but use it within a few days.

dandelion sap - squeezed straight from the stems  - can help with skin warts, cuts or blisters.

the roots can be made into a tincture. it is a detoxifying herb that supports the liver and strengthens the kidneys. it encourages the steady elimination of toxins from the body - a powerful diuretic that does won't deplete the body of potassium.