Comfrey Infused Oil Recipe
How to use comfrey leaves to make a medicinal infused oil for sprains, bruises, and healing minor wounds. You begin by steeping dried comfrey leaves in a carrier oil then strain it out after
Servings 3 cups
Cost $10
Ingredients
- 1 bottle sweet almond oil
- 2 cups dried Comfrey (Symphytum officinale) leaves approximate amount
Instructions
Harvest and Prep the Comfrey Leaves
- Although you can sometimes purchase herb-infused oils, they're actually very easy to make yourself. This is a folk-method of making comfrey-infused oil and its strength will vary depending on a number of factors. The time of year it is, when the plant material was picked, at what life-stage the leaves and plant are, how the leaves were dried, and how old the herbs and oil are.
- If you grow or can forage comfrey yourself, pick the leaves when they're at their best on a bright, dry morning. Leaves should be young and lush and it's best to pick them before the plant flowers.
- Dry the comfrey leaves completely. The stems are fleshy and wet so begin by pulling the leaves off and drying on a screen or in a food dehydrator. Alternatively, you can use needle and thread to string the leaves up like medicinal bunting. Air drying takes up to a week.
Make the Infused Oil
- To start the comfrey0infused oil, fill a jar half to 2/3 full with dried* comfrey leaves. Tear or shred them to increase the surface area.
- Fill the rest of the jar with a liquid oil of your choice, such as olive oil or sweet almond oil**.
- Wait a minute or so, and top up the jars with more oil if the level goes down. Make sure that the herbs are completely submerged.
- Place the jar(s) in a dark place for four to six weeks. Give the jar a shake every week or so or whenever you remember.
- After the time has passed, strain the leaves out of the oil by pouring it through a cheesecloth-lined sieve/strainer. Capture the oil in a bowl below, and wring as much oil out of the cheesecloth as possible. The comfrey-infused oil will be a deep golden color.
- Discard the comfrey leaf and store the infused oil in a jar in a dark, room-temperature place. You can use the same jar used for infusing or specialist dark jars that herbalists use****.
- The oil has a shelf-life of one year or the best-by date of the original bottle of oil you used. Whichever is closer.
Notes
* It is best to use dried herbs when making infused oils. The tiniest amount of water from fresh leaves creates a habitat for microbes to grow, and it can also cause oils to go rancid quicker than they usually would.
** Other good choices are cold-pressed sunflower oil, rice bran oil, apricot kernel oil, and grapeseed oil.
**** Dark jars come in brown and blue and protect the oil from UV light. Light causes oils to oxidize and go rancid.