Making Herb Infused Oil

I am a clinical herbalist (as well as soap and toiletry maker).  I wanted to share a recipe for making superior, therapeutic quality herb infused oil.  You can use this oil as is or in what ever recipe.  This method works especially well with resiny herbs such as calendula or St. johnwort.   Some active constituents in herbs are not very easily extracted in oil but come out just fine in alcohol.  This way you get both!

 I was taught this recipe by the first herbalist I apprenticed with years ago and have also seen basically the same in James Green's Herbal Medicine Maker's Handbook.  Here goes:

1 part herb by weight (for example 1 0z)

1 part grain alcohol (everclear) by volume( 1 fl oz in this case)

Mix the two together in a glass jar and let sit covered for 24 hour, shaking every once in a while

The next day mix the wet herbs with 5-6 parts of oil, about 5-6 fl oz in this case (for medicinal salves we usually use extra virgin olive, but what ever you want to use is fine)

Pour this into a blender and blend the whole thing on high speed until the sides of the blender feel warm.

Strain the oil through cheesecloth, pressing to get most of the oil out.  Pour the oil in a pot and over very low heat, warm it until all the alcohol is evaporated. ( you can check by holding a match close to the surface of the oil.  If it catches fire there is still alcohol there...careful!)

Now you can bottle the oil or used it right away.

Tanya

Titania's Forest Natural Skincare

http://www.soapnuts.com/hb.html