OIL INFUSIONS          

Instructions/Things You'll Need:

• fresh rosemary, lavender or other herbs
• Olive oil
• Clean jar with a tightly sealed lid
• jar label

1. Gather the herbs you wish to infuse. If harvesting them straight from your garden, be sure they are clean and dry to the touch (not covered in the morning dew, which can make them turn moldy). You can also used dried herbs.
2. Fill a clean jar with the plant material you've collected. In the picture above, individual rosemary and lavender leaves were used. Some prefer to chop their plant materials (leaves, flowers or roots). Label the jar with both the contents and the date.
3. Add olive oil or another carrier oil (depending on the intended use - sweet almond, jojoba, grapeseed oil or any other plant-derived oil can be used. Be sure to fill the jar completely with oil, covering the top of the herbs or flowers, then seal tightly.
   Infused herbal oils made with olive oil are commonly used in both cooking or food preparation, as well as topical applications for the skin, hair and nails.
4. Set your jar on a shelf, window sill or counter that is NOT in direct sunlight. Once a day, gently turn the jar upside down for a few seconds, and then return it to a right side up position. Repeat this process for a minimum of two weeks. (Some feel up to six weeks is appropriate for infusion - you'll need to experiment to find the time frame that feels right for you.)
5. Strain your oil using a cheesecloth or by adding a paper coffee filter to the mesh type strainer. Be sure to transfer only to clean and moisture free containers.
6. See below for an alternative to the process of making Oil Infusions
   
   You can now use your infused herbal oil in a variety of ways - a massage oil for cuticles or itchy scalp, bath oil, or even added to pasta or salad. The list of applications is quite extensive!

Fresh Plants That Can Be Used to Make Infused Oils

Arnica flowers (Arnica montana)
Burdock seeds (Arctium lappa)
Calendula flowers (Calendula off.)
Comfrey leaves or roots (Symphytum uplandica)
Dandelion flowers (Taraxacum off.)
Plantain leaves (Plantago majus)
Poke roots (Phytolacca americana)
Spruce needles
St. Joan's wort flowers (Hypericum perforatum)
Yarrow blossoms (Achillea millefolium)
Yellow dock roots (Rumex crispus)

You can use infused herbal oils as liniments, to heal and ease the pain of wounds, bruises, scrapes, sprains, burns, rashes, sore muscles, insect bites, and aching joints. Infused oils can be used in ointments, salves, and lip balms. They can also be used after bathing, to moisturize. In cooking, infused oils make stunning salad dressings. Herbal infused oils can nourish the scalp and hair.

BASIC HERBAL PESTO

Stays good for up to two years in a cool refrigerator; up to five years in the freezer.

Start with half a cup of extra virgin olive oil.

• Add 2-4 coarsely chopped cloves of garlic.
• Add a good sprinkle of sea salt.
• Add a large handful of prepared herb leaves and blend.
• Continue adding leaves and oil as needed. Perhaps more garlic and salt? Blend.
• When all is blended to a fare thee well, pack your pesto into a skinny jar.
• Leave some space between the pesto and the top of the jar and fill this with olive oil.
• Cap, label, and refrigerate.

GREEN HERBS FOR PESTO

Basil (Ocimum basilicum)
Catnip (Nepeta cataria)
Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale)
Garlic mustard (Alliaria officinalis)
Sheep sorrel (Rumex acetosella)
Violet (Viola species)
Yellow dock (Rumex crispus)