Plantain: How to Make Your Own Natural First Aid Salve & Oil
Plantain: How to Make Your Own Natural First Aid Salve & Oil
Salves & Oil Application
If you read the blog post from last week, called, “Plantain: Natural First Aid from the Wild,” we went over what the herbal plant plantain is, its benefits, some of my experiences and how to use the fresh plant. But what if it is the middle of winter, or you are in an airport, in a mall, on a beach and there is no fresh plantain to be found? Collecting herbs in the warmer months will come in handy at this point. I collect leaves throughout the summer and fall months and air dry them. Once fully dried, they can be stored in mason jars or Ziploc bags in a cool dry location for creating salves or oils in those fall and winter months when the harvest season slows down. You can crush the leaves into smaller flakes to save space, plus, when making salves, the smaller herb pieces create more surface area for the oil to extract the properties from. My kitchen, purse, day bag and first aid kit are never void of a jar or tin of salve. In fact, those that know me, tend to tease me as a jar is always with me!
Plantain Salve or Oil Recipe
All medicinal herbal salves are created using a two-part method. First the infused oil must be made, and then the salve can be created. I am going to use the long infusion method (4-6 weeks) for this tutorial, but you can use other extraction methods like the crockpot approach. I prefer Kami McBride’s extraction method using an alcohol extraction and a blender for a more potent and quicker turnaround for my oil infusions (I needed that salve 5 days ago scenario). However, when I want to set it and forget it (until I have time), I use the long infusion method.
Equipment
- Mason jar with lid
- Mesh kitchen strainer
- Coffee filters or large reusable coffee filter (my preference)
- Large glass measuring cup
- Double boiler or makeshift double boiler using two pots with a canning ring between the two
Ingredients
- Fully dried plantain
- Carrier oil-use oils with a longer shelf life like olive, grapeseed, almond, jojoba, or fractionated coconut oil. They all have longer shelf lives of approximately 2 years and you can use a combination of oils as well
- Beeswax
- Optional: Essential oils – lavender, frankincense, or other healing oils
Oil Infusion Method
Fill any size mason jar 1/3rd to half full of plantain leaves
Pour oil over plantain and make sure the herb is fully covered (I fill the jar ¾ full of oil)
Place a lid on the jar and shake
Set the jar in a sunny window or in a place where you will remember to shake the jar daily (if you forget, it's okay, just try to shake it as often as you can).
Mark the jar with the date, and ingredients (trust me, you will forget!), and allow to infuse for 4-6 weeks
Once the Oil Has Been Infused
Strain the oil using a fine metal mesh strainer over top of a bowl or glass measuring cup. Leave it on the counter for several hours, then gently press or squeeze the herbs to extract the oil into your bowl through the strainer
Once strained, strain the oil through the coffee filter (this will remove most of the smaller particles in your oil)
At this point, you can pour some of this wonderfully infused medicinal oil into a glass bottle to use, or to make salves
Store in a cool dry location and label your bottle with the date and ingredients
Salve Recipe
2 ounces beeswax
1 cup of infused oil
Melt the beeswax in the upper pot of your double boiler. Once melted, pour in the oil (kids love the science experiment aspect of this step), and stir until everything liquifies. Remove from the heat and add in your choice of essential oils. Finally, pour the salve mixture into tins, mason jars or glass containers. Allow to sit at room temperature on the counter for a few hours until hardened. Now you have plantain on the go for your burns, cuts, scrapes, bruises, infections, lip balm, and more.
TIPS
If you want to make a smaller or larger batch, increase/decrease your ratio of beeswax to oil
If you want to save on the number of jars or tins you use, fill a few small tins or jars for everyday use, then pour the rest of the salve mixture into a larger jar. When your smaller tins or jars are empty, spoon out the salve mixture from the larger jar and reheat at a very low temperature, refill tins. If you use this method, add your essential oils into each tin/small jar rather than the whole batch. Heating the essential oils will destroy its beneficial properties.
This oil and salve method can be used for any herb that you would like to make. Some of my favourites are calendula, comfrey, balm of Gilead and lavender.
Lastly, if you have a wood cookstove like we do, the double boiler method is not necessary. I place my beeswax and oil in a designated glass measuring cup and place it on the coolest section of the stove top or in the hottest side of my warming oven and let it sit until everything liquifies. Our family has had a HECO wood cookstove for 4 years and absolutely love it! We are very excited and pleased to announce that you can get your own HECO wood cookstove in Canada from us here at Good2GoCo.
Making your own natural remedies isn’t difficult, in fact, it is very satisfying, and believe that everyone should know how to identify and use basic plants that exist all around us. Gather some informative herbal books, take some herbal courses, and educate yourself. Rather than reaching for the pharmacy or drugstore, reach into your own herbal apothecary, not only for yourself, but for others. Until next time, keep working towards being sustainable, and never stop learning the old ways!
May God bless you and your families,
Good2GoCo Family
*The information on this blog is for general informational purposes only. No information on the Good2GoCo blog is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Seek the advice of your physician or other qualified provider with any questions you may have regarding medical conditions and treatment.*