Hey there! It's been a couple of weeks since I have posted as winter prep, preparing for the seasonal markets here and a cold bug that made it's way through the house have kept me super busy. All that is done now, so I am back!
We made this great Calendula, Dandelion and Safflower Salve a couple of weeks back.....
It turned out great and it was so easy to make!
This salve is excellent for all kinds of stuff. The dandelion in it makes it good for achy muscles and joints.
Dried dandelions from this summer
safflower petals
Added as well are Safflower and Calendula petals. Their antiseptic and antimicrobial action help speed up healing of wounds, rashes, minor cuts. The Salve can also be used for relief from insect bites, diaper rash, eczema, psoriasis, dermatitis and other skin problems. Invaluable stuff!!
All the flowers I used are from my gardens here this summer. The first step is to dry them if you are using fresh. They are soaked in olive oil to draw out the oils as a base for your salve. Since the water content in the petals can cause the oil to become sludgy, I dehydrated my flowers in the sun the same day they were harvested and I store them in jars.
You can soak your flowers two ways.
1- Fill a glass jar with your dried flowers/petals. Add enough organic olive oil to cover and leave to steep for 6 weeks. This is the prefered method by many as it is a cold extraction.
2- Faster method is to place all of your flowers/petals in a small crockpot. I use a ratio of 1 cup plant matter to 2 cups of oil. I use the warm setting, not low or high and let it go for 4-6 hours.
steeping flowers in oil
Once entirely infused, its time to strain!
I use cheesecloth, you could use a fine mesh strainer as well
At this stage, you need to add your beeswax. The ratio for this salve is 1 cup of infused oil per 1/4 cup (2oz) of beeswax. You can buy it in health food stores or source some locally from a bee keeper. I played with some honey comb that was given to me and tried a simple extraction method in hot water that worked very well.
place comb in 2-3 layers of cheese cloth and tie bundle well
I secured it to the side of the pot and simmered gently until all of the wax had melted out of the bundle
Let the pot cool, undisturbed until the wax hardens on top of the water. Carefully remove the wax disc, and invert onto a plate to dry before weighing.
hardened wax
into the crockpot with the beeswax
At this point you could add essential oil, the recipe I followed recommended 20 drops of lavender EO. I left ours unsented as I enjoy the faint flower and honey scent it naturally carries.
All that is left is to pour it into your prefered containers! I had a couple of boxes of these jars from a barter this summer, so I used those.
I sterilized them in a water bath and made sure they dried completely before pouring the salve into them
remember to work quickly when pouring. This stuff hardens fast! I transfered the hot oil mixture to a glass measuring cup for easy pouring
Thats it! Leave to harden for several hours/overnight. The less they are jiggled during the cooldown period, the smoother the surface of the salve is. This will store for at least one year, if not longer. Use liberally!
cooling salves!
I plan on harvesting more flowers and herbs to make different Salve types next year. You can also play with jojoba and coco oils in your homemade salves to add different healing properties.
Thanks for reading! Take care of you and yours❤
