Herb Of The Week - Goldenseal - Salve Recipe

[Guest guest]

A basic goldenseal salve recipe .. I do not take credit for this recipe,

I've just had it here in my files for ages ...

 

Have a great weekend folks

 

*Smile*

Chris (list mom - pooped from the hour and a half workout class I took

this morning which consisted of Kwando, Power Flex and Abs )

 

http://www.alittleolfactory.com

 

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To make your own salve, you need to extract the medicinal properties of

the herbs in olive oil and then add beeswax to harden the oil.

 

This recipe calls for using parts rather than a specific volume of each

herb. This allows you to easily adjust the recipe. If you want to make a

small amount of salve, you can choose one tablespoon as the " part " . If

you want to make a large amount of salve, you can choose 1/2 to 1 cup as

the " part " .

 

The amount of olive oil needed to infuse the herbs is: Enough to

completely cover the herbs, plus an inch of olive oil above the level of

the herbs.

 

 

To determine how much beeswax is needed to harden the salve, you can

approximate the proportions based on the following equivalents: one pint

of oil will need about 1-1/2 ounces of beeswax, or for a smaller recipe,

one ounce of oil will need about 1/2 teaspoon of beeswax. There are

about 5 teaspoons of beeswax in an ounce.

 

 

If you intend to make your salve using freshly collected plants, you

will need to clean them. Do this by shaking them to remove dirt, then

spread the herbs out to allow them to air dry for several hours (until

wilted) to reduce the moisture content. Fresh chickweed, for example,

contains a lot of moisture and this water content could cause your salve

to spoil quickly.

 

 

To make your salve, measure the desired amount of herbs into an enamel

or stainless steel pan, or into a crock pot. Cover the herbs with olive

oil. Use enough oil to cover the herbs plus another inch of oil above

the level of herbs. Heat the herbs and oil over a low heat for several

hours (about 3 hours). If you are using roots, you should heat the oil

longer (about 5 hours). The best way to infuse the herbs is to use a

crock pot because it operates at a controlled low temperature. If you

don't use a crock pot, use a double boiler. After heating, cool your oil

for awhile. Strain the oil using a strainer lined with cheesecloth. When

most of the oil has filtered through the cheesecloth, pick up the

cheesecloth, keeping the herbs inside, and squeeze out as much oil as

possible from the herbs and cloth. Next, add the appropriate amount of

beeswax to the oil and heat it until all the wax is melted. To test the

consistency of the salve, put a few drops in a saucer and then rub an

ice cube on the underside of the saucer. It will cool down the salve

quickly. When the consistency is right, put the salve in little glass

or plastic jars.

 

 

You can add other ingredients to your salve, like cocoa butter,

essential oils, almond oil, etc.

 

 

1 part Goldenseal Root

1 part Comfrey Root

1 part Calendula Petals

1 part Echinacea Root

1 part Myrrh Resin - Powdered

Virgin Olive Oil

Beeswax (Natural Yellow)

Vitamin E

 

This salve is used to prevent infection and aid in the healing of

wounds.