Comfrey Salve
Comfrey salve is easy to make at home, using homegrown herbs or by purchasing dried comfrey. Studies show that comfrey is an effective herbal pain reliever when applied topically.
Servings: 4 tins (2 oz each)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cup fresh comfrey leaves
- or 1 cup dried comfrey leaves
- or 1 cup dried comfrey roots
- Olive Oil to Fill about 10 ounces
- 1- ounce beeswax
Instructions
- Place comfrey in a pint mason jar and cover with a carrier oil (like olive oil). Be sure to cover the herb material by at least an inch, and stir to remove air bubbles.
- For the fast infusion method, which is required for fresh herbs, place the jar in a double boiler or crockpot with water. Turn it on very low, and gently heat the mixture keeping it under 140 degrees. Allow the herbs to infuse in the warm oil for 24 hours before straining. (Can be used with fresh or dried herbs.)
- For the slower infusion method (only with dried herbs), allow the herbs to infuse at room temperature for 2-6 weeks before straining.
- Measure the strained herb-infused oil. You should have roughly 8 ounces of oil. For every 8 ounces of oil, add 1-ounce beeswax (by weight).
- Place the herb-infused oil and beeswax into a heatproof bowl and warm gently over a double boiler. Stir to combine and once melted, remove from heat.
- Pour the comfrey salve into salve tins or small jars and allow the mixture to cool for a few hours before using.
Notes
If using fresh herbs, you must quick infuse the oil because the water in fresh herbs will cause the oil to go rancid if slowly infused for 4-6 weeks. Drying the herbs first is also an option, which will allow you to use the slow infuse method if you wish. This remedy can be made with comfrey leaves or comfrey root, or a combination of the two.
Herbal salves keep 1-2 years in a cool dark place.