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Calendula Oil

Ingredients

  • Day 1: Pick the flowers, let dry spread out on paper for 3-4 days
  • (or until really dry). If you use them straight from your garden
  • your oil will rot into a smelly mess about one times in four.

Instructions

Day 4 (or whenever, if you use dried flowers): Cram as much flowers into a glass jar as will fit. Cover with a good cold pressed oil (olive oil is okay but it does have a strong odor) (currently I use sesame oil, but really any cold pressed edible oil works) (why cold pressed? You can be certain that a rancid cold pressed oil smells rancid. You can't be certain of the rancidity of cheaper oils.), close lid, put jar onto flat dish in sunny window (it will leak oil). Day 5: press out bubbles, add oil from dish to jar, add more oil if needed. Day 6-8: Repeat day 5 if needed. Week 3-4: pour flowers and oil into a cheese cloth, wring all the oil out of the mess. Pour into bottle, put cap on tightly, label. Keep in a dark cupboard. Depending on the age of your oil this will keep for 2-3 years. If you make it into a salve (put 5 parts herb oil into the top bowl of a waterbath, add water underneath, heat gently, add 1 part beeswax, stir until melted, pour into small jars, let cool, close lids, label) it'll keep for about 2-3 years longer, due to the beeswax.

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