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What you’ll need…
2 large handfuls of fresh chickweed
1 1/4 cups olive oil
1 ounce beeswax
30-50 drops lavender essential oil (optional)
Prep the day before:
Chop the fresh chickweed finely and arrange it into a thin layer on a cutting board or cookie sheet.
Allow to wilt for 12-24 hours.
The next day: Measure out 1 1/4 cups olive oil in a measuring cup.
Add the wilted chickweed to the olive oil. You’ll get the best results if there is roughly an equal amount of chickweed to olive oil, meaning that when you combine the two, there isn’t a lot of extra oil compared to chickweed or vice versa.
Place the chickweed and olive oil in a blender or food processor.
Blend for 15-20 seconds or until the chickweed and olive oil are well blended. (This further breaks up the cell walls, helping the extraction process. However, this step can be skipped.)
Place the chickweed and olive oil mixture in the top part of a double boiler, or place a bowl on top of a pan that has 2 inches of water in it (the water should not touch the bottom of the bowl).
Bring the water to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Stir the oil occasionally and continue until the oil is quite warm to the touch.
Turn off the heat and allow the mixture to sit for several hours. Repeat this process (reheating and allowing to cool) several times within a 24- to 48-hour period to fully extract the plant material into the oil.
Throughout this process, do not let the oil get so hot that it smokes or that the plant material begins to “fry” and get crispy – you only need to get the oil warm to extract the goodness in the plant material.
When the chickweed has infused well with the oil, the oil will have taken on green color.
After 24-48 hours, strain off the chickweed through a double layer of cheese cloth.
Measure out 1 cup of the infused oil. (Extra oil can be used as a body moisturizer. If you don’t have a cup of oil, add a little plain olive oil to make up the difference.)
Measure your beeswax by weight. Using a double boiler or in a pan on very low heat, melt the beeswax.
Tip: the smaller your beeswax, the easier it will melt. Once the beeswax is liquid, add the chickweed oil.
Stir well to combine, using as little heat as possible. Add the optional lavender essential oil. Immediately pour into tins or glass jars.
Let the salve cool until it hardens. Label and store in a cool place.
This salve will last for a year, if not longer. Yield: About 8 ounces; this fills 4 (2-ounce) containers very full
Clean-up tip: Use a paper towel to wipe out the pan you used to make the salve while the pan is still warm. Wipe out as much as possible, then wash with hot soapy water.
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