Making a basic herbal infusion, is really that, the basic starting place for many future remedies.
I like to make my infusions using the folk method, so I will walk you through that process, but I will also walk through the portions method I often use as well. There numerous ways you can try and make your infusion, and you will find the way that you love that works great for you.
First step is of course to choose what kind of infusion you want to make. Sometimes I will mix my herbs if I know I want to make a specific salve or cream. For example this one, is a mixture of my Miracle Salve that I have been making for over 20 years now. It does vary a little bit if I don’t have a current herb on hand, but the few that are constants, calendula, comfrey, lavender, St. John’s Wort. The others are a little of this and that extra.
I would not suggest you do that method if you are planning on making remedies to sell, because your ingredients should be the same each time, the same proportions each time, and the same method for consistency. Personally my Miracle Salve has been from Northern Canada all the way across the globe to South Africa, and I have never sold it. It is my gift of giving back to nature and society. I have literally made gallons and gallons of it, just like this large gallon jar you see here.
Anyways, I sidetracked there, and now let’s get back to making a basic herbal oil infusion.
Place the herb you want to use into a clean jar. Cover it completely, and about 1 or 2 inches above the herb. If you are using dried herbs, only fill the jar about half way full with the herbs and completely the rest of the way with your oil of choice, as the herbs will expand and soak up much of the oil. If you are using fresh herbs, chop them up fine, fill about 3/4 of the jar with the herbs, and top it off with oil. This is the folk method, because you are not measuring, just packing it in the jar.
This jar of plantain oil, is actually being double infused. I used my Levo oil infuser machine, but I wanted it to be more green color and more potent, so I added the plantain infused oil from my machine, to my jar of oil infusing, and I think it is going to be sooo amazing, with its healing and drawing powers.
If using fresh herbs, it is always a good idea to let them dry a bit / wilt a bit, before you pack them into the jar. Less moisture will help them not to spoil in the oil.
The method I usually use when adding several herbs to one oil is pretty simple. It would look like the gallon jar I have brewing for my Miracle Salve, I use parts.
For example:
- 2 parts calendula
- 2 parts St. John’s Wort
- 2 parts Plantain
- 1 part Comfrey
- 1 part Lavender
- 1/2 part Chamomile
Or something like this. Your part could be 1 cup, or 1/2 cup, or whatever you designate it to be, and then you will use that to measure out the following ingredients.
If you have a kitchen scale, you can measure out the herbs by weight, especially if you are following a recipe that uses weight measurements.
Either way, just make sure to jot down your recipes in your ongoing recipe / materia medica book, or whatever you are using. That way you will know if you need to adjust it or use the same one over and over.
Once the jar is full with your goodness, place the cap on and label it. Put it on the cupboard, or on a shelf for 4 to 6 weeks, shaking or rolling it around once a day or so. When time is up and you just can’t stand it any more… lol … Have a clean jar or bowl, depending on how big your infusion is, place a strainer over it, and a cheese cloth in the strainer, and pour your infusion into it. Once it is all poured in, wrap the infusion in the cloth and squeeze as much of the extra oil out as you can. Compost the left over herbs. Pour the oil into a clean jar, lid, and label. Voila! You now have a beautiful oil that is ready to use in a salve or oil combination.
There is another way to make an infusion if you don’t want to wait that 4 to 6 weeks, because let’s face it, sometimes we need it right away. In a crockpot, place a cloth on the bottom, or a couple of jar rings, and fill about 2 or 3 inches with water, depending on how big your crockpot is. You will then take your jar of herbs and oils, and place it in the water, making sure it doesn’t rest directly on the bottom of the crock. Turn your crock onto low, and allow it to cook for 24 to 48 hours. Shake several times during those hours. If your water runs low, add more.
When it is ready, remove from the crock, and let it cool. Then strain the same as above.
That is all there is to it! The most basic of herbal remedies is now ready to use in so many different forms!