My way is to infuse your herbs in oil for a few weeks. Thrn strain them and go from there.
Step 1. Choose your herbs (ie. Calendula, arnica etc)
Step 2. Put into a large enough jar (i use a qt size amber ball jar)
Step 3. Add your choice of oil (i use extra virgin olive oil, but u can use grapeseed, avocado, sunflower, etc) i use olive bc it has a 2 yr self life, the others dont. Add just enough oil to be about an inch above your herbs.
Step 4. Close your lid and shake vigorously
Make sure all of your herb is submerged in the oil. If not add a bit more oil. Then closed lid and shake
Step 5. Place jar away (i keep mine on a dresser out if the way). Some will say u have to continue to shake it daily. However i have found that once submerged its infusing. Shaking it does nothing. The only one i will tell u to continuously shake is lavender as it has a tendency to mold.
Step 6. Keep your jar closed for 2 weeks (too much air isnt your friend and causes mold).
Step 7. After at least 2 weeks…take your jar and strain your herbs. And use a spoon to press out the oil. Every drop counts lol
Step 8. Discard herb in the trash
Step 9. In a double boiler pot, add just enough water to the bottom pot to just barely touch the top pot. Set to boil, i use med high heat, til it boils then down to med just so the stem doesnt get in my way.
Step 10. Find your tin that u want to put the salve into…add your oil to it first then add it to the pot. This is just a tip so u dont have alot of left over oil and no tins. Add your oil to a bit below the top, remmeber u will be adding beeswax.
Step 11. Add beeswax (i grate mine, but ive seen others who have used pellets)
Now this is the part that is mainly a guessing game. I dont measure anything out. While i can give u a guesstimate tho (for a 1/2 cup of oil it would be 3/4 ounces (21 grams) of beeswax).
I always put down wax paper during this process for easier clean up. Once the beeswax melts its done. Make sure to continuously stir your heated oil pr it could burn. U can even add essential oils to this mix while your primary oil is heated.
Step 12. Add to tin or tins whichever
Step 13. Allow to cool and set up.
Step 14. Once completely cooled (which is approximately 1 hr) test your tin. If your salve is too soft u need more beeswax, if too hard more oil is needed. And u will just need to add your cooled salve back into your double boiler and start again with step 11.
Step 15. Once set up and at the consistency u like add your lid and u are done.
@AileyGrey just bc u mentioned wanting a salve lesson too
Ooo… thank you for sharing! I will have to bookmark this & see if I can get it into my one of my BOS’, with credit of course if you don’t mind I have made them before but they didn’t come out this nicely done!
So many oils to explore! I appreciate the note about the long shelf life of olive oil- that’s an important thing to keep in mind when choosing a base. My mother recently made some salves and I think she used a combination of coconut oil and jojoba oil
The first salve I ever made was with an herbalist in Tuscany and we used a more… er, traditional? (not sure if that’s the word I should use here lol) base for the herbal salves which was pig fat. Felt great on the skin, but ohhhh boy was it stinky went it went bad
I definitely want to try with the olive oil
Thank you so much for this amazing recipe, @Mistress_Of_Herbs- it’s really a blessing!
@Mistress_Of_Herbs thank you! I tend to use Grapeseed Oil, but since we have had the Olive post, I think I am going to use my EVOO for infusions too!
I have a couple of your recipes bookmarked, so I will get them at least in my laptop BOS before I transfer them… still figuring out how I want to separate my written one with the practices I regularly use.
Yall are very welcome. By all means bookmark any recipe i share, save it to your BOS. Im ok with both. Please keep in mind i share things for yall that i think yall will find most beneficial, but if any of u have a question about an oil/herb or if u need something more specific please let me know. I have lots of recipes. Waaaaaayyy more than i have posted. And coming up with recipes is easy for me. I mean i even had a friend ask for a lupus blend. So im not shy, just ask.
Thank you @Mistress_Of_Herbs i really appreciate that… I love working with herbs… For medicinal and magical uses, so i will definitely have a lot of questions in the upcoming months…
Hahah yes i spotted your name when i first joined… I am so glad to chat with you. I have this attraction to herbs… Everything i do has a herb in it… LOL…
I make a few medicines and creams here and there but my mind is hungry for knowledge… Its awesome…
Thank you!
I have made them before but they didn’t come out this nicely done!
