Calendula Infused Oil: Kami McBride Method, Apr. 27-May 4? 2023

LaurieLovesLearning

This is a fast & easy way to make a pretty much no fail, high potency oil. Get your blender out!

https://healingherbaloils.com/video-watch-page-2

JodieDownUnder

@LaurieLovesLearning I saw this from Kami a couple of years ago & now that’s how I do all my infused oils. It definitely works, the difference in the colour of the oils is quite pronounced. It will be one of the methods I’m going to teach in my herbal workshop next week.

heirlooms777

Thank you, @LaurieLovesLearning , this is really informative. I will start making these right away. We have some amazing talks on making infusions with vinegars and/or honeys, and oils is just one more step. I like her idea of using the dried herbs for calendula flowers in oil, would you suggest fresh herbs for making vinegars, honeys, etc, for helping absorb calcium, and things like that?

LaurieLovesLearning

@heirlooms777 I've used dried roots in a vinegar, but I've only done one type of herbal vinegar. Other than that, I can't really give any answer to that part of your question.

I've only used dried herbs in the past for honeys. Fresh material contains too much water and the honey will turn rancid. You never want to add water to honey for this reason. The flavors also intensify if you are using dried, so that would tell me that it will also be more potent.

I know @Torey has made honey with onion & such...these are with fresh material. If you do any with fresh material, make sure it is refrigerated afterward and use it up in good time.

You would have to do your own research on each type of herb you wish to use and which type of menstrum (carrier) would bring out the qualities you are desiring.

@Torey I think you might have a general post on this somewhere (vinegars extract vitamins & minerals, honeys extract ___, alcohol extracts ____). I'm just not sure how to find that post. I think this could be helpful to many here.

water2world

@LaurieLovesLearning Thanks for posting this. I took her tea class a long time ago and I think I would really enjoy this one!

Linda Bittle

https://community.thegrownetwork.com/discussion/comment/921700#Comment_921700

I did the tea class, too, and her kitchen spices one a long time ago.

water2world

@Linda Bittle We must be on a similar path--I also took the kitchen spices one!

heirlooms777

@Torey the great, what are your thoughts?

heirlooms777

Okay….. it’s time to start doing this! Who is game with me?

Torey

@heirlooms777 Kami McBride is a well respected herbalist, if you are thinking of taking her course. I have a lot of her recipes.

As to the question about which is the best way to extract the different components. Vinegar is the best option for minerals although the long steeping time of nourishing herbal infusions will extract all of the water soluble ones. Vinegar will also extract antioxidants and other components. Alcohol is required to dissolve the alkaloids (such as the berberine in barberry or Oregon grape root). High proof alcohol, honey and oil are often used to extract resins and volatile oils. Some volatile oils are extracted by steam distillation to obtain essential oils but there are others that will easily release those oils in water (peppermint).

Combination extracts are often used. When you are using anything less than 100% alcohol you are using a watered down version hence the reason that some recipes for tinctures will specify higher or lower percentage of alcohol based on the amount of alcohol soluble components vs. water soluble components. Willow bark is one (surprisingly enough) that you can tincture in a 25% alcohol because more of its components are water soluble. An oxymel is a honey-vinegar preparation. Even a salad dressing can be thought of as a combination extract, such as a raspberry vinegar with all the minerals and antioxidants combined with a herbal infused oil and a touch of onion or garlic infused honey.

jowitt.europe

@LaurieLovesLearning thank you for sharing. I like this combination of using alcohol and oil to extract the most from the plant. And the other positive thing is that one has it in a few days. I always make calendula oil, but, so far, I did not use alcohol.

LaurieLovesLearning

@jowitt.europe I did this for a diaper salve. It worked very well. I also liked the speed with which it was completed.

Torey

This is a link to a discussion with all of the menstruums listed, which properties or constituents that they extract and how to combine different extracts.

https://community.thegrownetwork.com/discussion/849281/herbal-medicine-making-using-different-menstruums-for-extraction

heirlooms777

@Torey Okay, this is too amazing, you are going to have to stop flooring me with all this information; I absolutely love this. Do you teach classes? Or could we start a Skype something for newbies like me? I’ve only healed with food before, herbs take it up to a whole new level! What do you think, @torey, @Marjory Wildcraft , @LaurieLovesLearning , I’m thinking whatever you like, but maybe a little weekly group online, like an online call? —Christina

heirlooms777

Joke of the day, Dr Patrick Jones’s herb making classes:

”But I don't want to hear any of people that have taken this course telling me when the apocalypse comes that everything would have been okay if you just had your dandelion tincture. Just yank the little rascals out of the dirt.”