A few weeks ago the chickweed started growing in abundance. We went out to one of the farmers hoop houses where it needed to be weeded and harvested this special medicinal plant used externally for skin irritations and bites. Great to eat as a salad green too full of nutrients.
Making sure to rise the plant material off in cool water. After washing, it is important to let everything wilt and slightly dry before infusing in oil or else it is prone to mold
There are two approaches to infusing olive oil with your medicinal plants. One is the slow method using the sun filling a mason jar with equal parts plant material to oil. The other is by slow cooking on low heat in a double stainless steel pot for 3 hours.
After the oil has been well infused, it is time to strain with cheese cloth.
Once the oil is strained, reheat on low and begin to add 1/4 part beeswax shavings
Pour into jars and add a preservative like vitamin e oil to keep the shelf life longer.
