How to Make Herbal-Infused Oils

Making herbal-infused oils is a great way to add properties of an herb to an oil, such as for their color, their medicinal properties, or for their scents. Herbal oils can be used on their own, or they can be used in various body products. There are numerous ways to prepare herbal-infused oils, and individuals each have their own ways and opinions on how to make herbal oils. Keep in mind that herbal-infused oils are not the same as essential oils, and cannot be used interchangeably. When making an herbal oil, it is best to use a stable oil that will not go rancid quickly, and the ideal choice is usually cold pressed extra virgin olive oil. If you are making an herbal oil with an oil that is less stable, such as almond oil, then the infused oil will need to be used more quickly. Here, I will introduce you to a few different methods on how to make herbal-infused oils. Enjoy!

Herbal-Infused Oils with Dried Herbs (1)

Making herbal oils with dried herbs is a great way to begin learning how to make herbal-infused oils. Because dry herbs contain little or no water, they are much less susceptible to spoilage as compared to infused oils made with fresh herbs.

1. Add 1 oz. of herb by weight to a clean and completely dry glass jar with a tight lid.
2. Pour 4 fl. oz. of oil over the herbs in the jar. If infusing a fluffy and voluminous herb, such as chamomile or calendula, add 5-6 fl. oz. of oil instead of the 4 fl. oz.
3. Stir the contents of the jar well until the herbs are completely saturated with the oil, then tightly cover the lid. Label the jar with the date and contents.
4. Try to shake the jar daily, as the agitation helps to maximize the release of the herbal properties into the oil. Placing the jar in the oven with the pilot light on can be helpful, as the warmth helps to encourage the extraction process. Steep the oils for 6 weeks or longer.
5. After steeping the oil, strain the oil by placing a strainer lined with a thin cloth, such as cheesecloth, over a bowl, and pour the contents of the jar into the cloth-lined strainer.
6. Gather the ends of the cloth together and squeeze out any remaining oil from the herbs. The more you squeeze, the more oil you will get. However, even after thoroughly squeezing out the oil, expect a loss of ~20-30% of the oil, because some oil is absorbed by the plant material.
7. Store the oil in a clean and dry glass jar with a tight lid. Store the jar in a cool, dark, and dry place. Depending on the oil used, herbal-infused oils may last for several months, and sometimes years.

Alkanet root-infused extra-virgin olive oil, made with dried alkanet root. I can't wait to make some lip balms with this red-tinted oil! Annatto seeds can also be used to infuse oils, giving them a yellow-orange shade.

Herbal-Infused Oils with Fresh Herbs (1)

More care needs to be taken when making herbal-infused oils with fresh herbs, because the water content of fresh herbs makes these infused oils more susceptible to spoilage. Rotten smells are a sign that the oil has gone bad, and if this happens, the entire contents need to be thrown out and you will need to start over. If the infused oil grows mold but the oil still smells good, you can attempt to save the oil by removing the moldy part, and adding more oil to keep the herbs submerged. Thus, it is sometimes easier to make herbal-infused oils with dried herbs rather than fresh herbs, because spoilage is much less likely. However, keep in mind that St. John's Wort oil needs to be prepared with the fresh plant, in order to obtain its healing properties. For plants that have a high moisture content or protein content, it may be easier to dry them for a few days before using them to make an infused oil, or to make these infused-oils using a heat method.

Directions for Making Herbal-Infused Oils with Fresh Herbs, Without Heat (1)

1. Fill a clean and completely dry glass jar with fresh herbs, loosely packing them in.
2. Pour oil over the herbs until all of the herbs are submerged, so that none of the plant material is exposed to the air.
3. Cap and label the jar with the date and contents.
4. Place the jar in a bowl, just in case oil seeps over the edges of the jar.
5. Try to shake the jar daily, as the agitation helps to maximize the release of the herbal properties into the oil. Placing the jar in the oven with the pilot light on can be helpful, as the warmth encourages the extraction process. Steep the oils for 6 weeks or longer.
6. After steeping the oil, strain the oil by placing a strainer lined with a thin cloth, such as cheesecloth, over a bowl, and pour the contents of the jar into the cloth-lined strainer.
7. Gather the ends of the cloth together and squeeze out any remaining oil from the herbs. The more you squeeze, the more oil you will get.
8. Let the strained oil sit for a few days, which allows the water from the fresh herbs to collect at the bottom of the jar.
9. Pour off the oil into a clean and dry jar with a tight-fitting lid, and discard the liquid that has collected at the bottom. If the water isn't separated out, the oil may spoil.
10. Store the oil in a cool, dark, and dry place. Depending on the oil used, herbal-infused oils may last for several months, and sometimes years.

Making Herbal-Infused Oils with Heat

Making herbal-infused oils with heat is an excellent method for infusing herbs that contain a lot of moisture or protein. Heating the oil helps to evaporate water from the fresh herbs, which discourages spoilage of the oil. Making herbal oils with heat can also be used for dried herbs to speed up the infusion process, and sometimes yields a more potent oil.

Directions 1 (1)

1. Place the herb and oil filled jar (following the proportions in the other directions above), uncovered, on a heat source that doesn't exceed 125 degrees F. Keeping the jar uncovered encourages the water from the herbs to evaporate. The heat source may be, for example, a radiator, warming tray, or whatever will offer consistent, gentle heat. You can also place the jar in a water bath of an electric cooking pot or slow cooker set on low. However, if their lowest heat settings are above 125 degrees F, you may need to turn it on and off throughout the day to adjust the temperature. If you don't have a thermometer to check the temperature, feel the oil to make sure it isn't too hot. Oil at 125 degrees should be cool enough to touch without burning yourself, although if you continue to touch the oil for a few seconds, it should feel a little too hot for comfort.
2. Infuse the herb and oil mixture for 10 days.
3. Strain the oil by placing a strainer lined with a thin cloth, such as cheesecloth, over a bowl, and pour the contents of the jar into the cloth-lined strainer.
4. Gather the ends of the cloth together and squeeze out any remaining oil from the herbs. The more you squeeze, the more oil you will get.
5. If infusing fresh herbs: let the strained oil sit for a few days, which allows the water from the fresh herbs to collect at the bottom of the jar. Pour off the oil into a clean and dry jar with a tight-fitting lid, and discard the liquid that has collected at the bottom. If the water isn't separated out, the oil may spoil.
6. Store the oil in a clean and dry glass jar with a tight lid. Store the jar in a cool, dark, and dry place. Depending on the oil used, herbal-infused oils may last for several months, and sometimes years.

Directions 2 (2)

1. Place the herbs and oil (following the proportions in the other directions above) in a double boiler and bring to a low simmer.
2. Slowly heat for 30-60 min., checking frequently to ensure the oil is not overheating. The lower the heat, the longer the infusion, the better the oil.
3. Strain the oil by placing a strainer lined with a thin cloth, such as cheesecloth, over a bowl, and pour the contents of the jar into the cloth-lined strainer.
4. Gather the ends of the cloth together and squeeze out any remaining oil from the herbs. The more you squeeze, the more oil you will get.
5. If infusing fresh herbs: let the strained oil sit for a few days, which allows the water from the fresh herbs to collect at the bottom of the jar. Pour off the oil into a clean and dry jar with a tight-fitting lid, and discard the liquid that has collected at the bottom. If the water isn't separated out, the oil may spoil.
6. Store the oil in a clean and dry glass jar with a tight lid. Store the jar in a cool, dark, and dry place. Depending on the oil used, herbal-infused oils may last for several months, and sometimes years.

Solar-Infused Oil for Dry or Fresh Herbs (2)

1. Place the herb and oil filled jar (following the proportions in the other directions above), tightly covered, in a warm and sunny spot.
2. Shaking the jar daily helps to maximize the release of the herbal properties into the oil. Let the oil steep for 2 weeks.
3. Strain the oil by placing a strainer lined with a thin cloth, such as cheesecloth, over a bowl, and pour the contents of the jar into the cloth-lined strainer. Gather the ends of the cloth together and squeeze out any remaining oil from the herbs. The more you squeeze, the more oil you will get.
4. Add a fresh batch of herbs to the oil and infuse for 2 more weeks, following the same directions as described in steps 1-2.
5. Strain the oil again as described in step 3. This will give you a very potent medicinal oil.
6. If infusing fresh herbs: let the strained oil sit for a few days, which allows the water from the fresh herbs to collect at the bottom of the jar. Pour off the oil into a clean and dry jar with a tight-fitting lid, and discard the liquid that has collected at the bottom. If the water isn't separated out, the oil may spoil.
7. Store the oil in a clean and dry glass jar with a tight lid. Store the jar in a cool, dark, and dry place. Depending on the oil used, herbal-infused oils may last for several months, and sometimes years.

Sources:

1. Falconi, Dina. Earthly Bodies and Heavenly Hair. Woodstock, NY: Ceres Press, 1998, p. 221-223.

2. Gladstar, Rosemary. Rosemary Gladstar's Herbal Recipes for Vibrant Health. North Adams, MA: Storey Publishing, 2008, p. 383-384.

Herbal Medicine Box at the Boston University Farmers Market!

I am really excited to be a participating vendor at the Boston University Farmers Market this fall.

The market runs on Thursdays, September 8 - October 27, from 12 - 5 pm, at the George Sherman Union (GSU) Plaza at BU, at 775 Commonwealth Ave., Boston, MA 02215. Although the market runs from 12 - 5 pm, I will be at the market from approximately 12 - 4 pm, because I waitress at night at Taberna de Haro. For more information about the BU Farmers Market and participating vendors, visit their web page and keep updated with their Facebook page.

I will be selling various natural body products, including, but not limited to:

-Moisturizer creams

-Lip balms

-Shampoos

-Body washes

-Facial exfoliating scrubs

-Other rotational items- stay updated on Facebook

Geranium Moisturizing Cream

Items will be subject to availability. If there is anything that you would like to see me sell at the market, let me know, I love hearing suggestions and feedback!

For the latest updates on the products I will be bringing to the market, connect with Herbal Medicine Box on Facebook.

Hope to see you at the farmers market!

Recipe: Homemade Deodorant

I had a great time at my Kitchen Cosmetics Demo a few weeks ago, and so I wanted to share another natural body product recipe with you: homemade deodorant. I first tried out this recipe when I saw it on Alex's blog, Feed Me Like You Mean It, and I'm so glad I did! I've found it more effective than the natural deodorants I've tried in stores, and it's really simple to make. Read Alex's post on homemade deodorant here, and two sources of his inspiration to make it here and here. Below is the recipe including Alex's adaptations and some of my own:

Coconut-oil based deodorant:

• 1/2 cup coconut oil
• 3 tbsp baking soda
• 1.5 tbsp arrowroot powder or cornstarch
• 8-32 drops assorted essential oils (including tea tree)

Directions:

1. If the coconut oil isn't already melted due to warm temperatures (it melts at around 75 degrees F), gently melt the coconut oil in a warm/hot water bath. Pour the coconut oil into an 8-oz glass jar.
2. Add the baking soda, arrowroot powder (or cornstarch), and essential oils, and stir until combined.
3. Once the ingredients are combined, cover and put the jar in the refrigerator so that the deodorant solidifies. I usually keep my deodorant in the refrigerator, so it stays at a solid state. If you leave the deodorant out at room temperature and if it's warm enough, the ingredients will separate, so just mix the ingredients before use. In addition, you can fill an old and empty deodorant container with this deodorant recipe. To use, apply the deodorant onto underarms.

Explanations for the ingredients:

• Coconut oil acts as the base.
• Baking soda cleans and deodorizes.
• Arrowroot powder and cornstarch aid in absorbing moisture and here, perspiration. Arrowroot powder tends to be gentler and smoother on the skin, so that is what I used.
• Essential oils aid with their beneficial properties and pleasant scents. Antibacterial essential oils are especially helpful in deodorant, because it is bacteria that causes body odor. Thus, tea tree essential oil is recommended, because it is one of the strongest essential oils in terms of its antibacterial properties. I used 16 drops juniper essential oil, 12 drops of tea tree essential oil, and 4 drops lemongrass essential oil in this recipe, because tea tree and lemongrass are both antibacterial essential oils. Lavender is another nice essential oil, that is also antibacterial. Choose essential oils according to their properties and your own preferences. To read more about essential oils and the aromatherapy course that I took, read my blog post here.

Again, there are many reasons to using homemade and natural cosmetics, including not being exposed to various chemicals and toxic substances that may be found in commercial products. To read more about what may be found in your everyday cosmetics, check out The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics and EWG's Skin Deep Cosmetics Database. In this recipe, all of the ingredients are edible (although consuming essential oils should be done with caution, if done at all, as I previously mentioned. If you have any concerns about this, you may want to contact your health care practitioner).

I hope that some of you will try out this homemade deodorant, and please share if you do!

Kitchen Cosmetics Demo 8/6

I am looking forward to my next Kitchen Cosmetics demonstration on Saturday, August 6! I hope to see you there!

When: Saturday, August 6, 2011, from 3:00 - 4:30 pm

Location: Brookline, MA. Close to the Harvard Ave. stop on the B (green) MBTA line. For the address, please e-mail Annabelle at info [at] herbalmedicinebox.com or RSVP through The Urban Homesteaders' League.

Cost: Sliding Scale, $15-$30

Details:

Ever wanted to learn how to make your own body care products? Many commercial body care products may contain ingredients or chemicals linked to toxicities. Your skin is your body's largest organ. If you can't eat it, why put it on your skin?

In this workshop, Annabelle will demonstrate how to make a homemade moisturizer cream, lip balm, and exfoliating scrub, all made with natural ingredients, and many of which can be found in your own kitchen! She will discuss the ingredients used for these products, and how the recipes can be customized to suit individuals' needs.

Everyone will receive a sample made in the demo.

RSVP: by e-mailing Annabelle at info [at] herbalmedicinebox.com or through The Urban Homesteaders' League.

Get Your Farmers Markets On!

The growing season in New England is in full swing! I've written before about farmers markets and The Lexington Farmers Market. If you don't already have a CSA and haven't made it to a farmers market yet, now is the perfect time to stop by!

Shopping at farmers markets helps to support the local community and helps to support the farmers, because you are buying directly from the producer. In addition to more flavorful and fresher produce when you buy fruits and vegetables that are in season, you may also find different varieties of fruits and vegetables at the farmers market that you can't find at the grocery store. By shopping at a farmers market, you can also learn more about the foods and how they are produced, because you can often talk to the farmer or producer. Nowadays, farmers markets contain more than just produce vendors: depending on the farmers market, you may also find fish vendors, meat vendors, baked goods, sauces and salsas, wine vendors, artisans, and more.

I biked from Brookline to The Lexington Farmers Market last week, and couldn't help but purchase some golden raspberries from F. Busa Farm's gorgeous fruit display.

To find a local farmers market near you, check out the Federation of Massachusetts Farmers Markets site, Local Harvest, this interactive Google map at Mass.gov, and Edible Boston's listing of farmers markets. And if you see Flats Mentor Farm at the farmers market, consider stopping by and seeing what they have to offer! Read my article about Flats Mentor Farm for the Lexington Minuteman here. Finally, when cabbage is in season (or you can use other vegetables as well!), how about making some sauerkraut?

Hope you are enjoying this season's bounty!

Fermenting Rice: Amazaké

Ever since I first tried the fermented rice drink, amazaké, from Whole Foods, I've been intrigued at how to make it. It was hard to believe that such a sweet beverage could be made only with rice and a fermentation starter, without any added sweetener! Although amazaké literally means "sweet sake," it contains almost no alcohol because the fermentation process is stopped with the addition of heat. (Or if the fermentation process isn't stopped, then making amazaké can be the first step to making sake, the Japanese rice wine). Amazaké can be made with grains and koji, or it can be made with sake lees, which are byproducts from the sake making process. Like many other fermented foods, amazaké is thought to be very nutritious. For example, it is said to contain B vitamins. And because I love fermentation, I thought that making amazaké would be a great culinary endeavor!

Here, I am providing a brief recap of the recipe to make amazaké (a combination of the recipe listed in Sandor Katz's book, Wild Fermentation (1), and South River Miso's Amazaké recipe). For a more detailed set of directions, check out South River Miso's Amazaké recipe.

Ingredients:

-Water

-2 cups grain (I used brown rice, but other grains may be substituted, such as millet)

-2 cups koji (I ordered my koji locally from South River Miso. The koji is the fermentation starter, and here it's brown rice inoculated with the spores of the mold Aspergillus oryzae)

Brown rice koji from South River Miso

Directions

1. Cook the grain in 6 cups of water. Please note: do not add salt when cooking the grain.

2. When the grain is finished cooking, remove from heat, uncover the pot, and allow the grain to cool down to about 110-130° F. Don't let the grain get too cool- koji can tolerate temperatures as high as 140° F.

3. Add the koji to the cooked grain and stir well.

Brown rice with koji mixed in

4. Keep the container in a warm place for about 5-8 hours or overnight (at least 90° F or above). The amount of time you ferment the mixture will depend on the desired level of sweetness and the temperature. The higher the temperature, the quicker the fermentation process will take place. Do not let the grain get above 140° F, which can kill the koji. Suggestions for incubation: a rice cooker on keep warm, with a towel on top instead of the hard cover. Or incubate in the oven with a pilot light, in a hot water bath, etc.).

Amazaké after about 5 hours

5. When the amazaké is at your desired level of sweetness, gently boil it with some additional water or heat it up to stop the fermentation process (which will prevent the amazaké from turning into alcohol). Be careful not to burn the amazaké.

6. Amazaké can be stored for several weeks in the refrigerator. Serve the amazaké as is as a pudding, or add water to it and put it in a blender to made a sweet rice drink. You can also seasonings to it, such as honey or spices. Amazaké can also be used as a sweet base for various preparations, such as breads and baked goods. Read more suggestions for what to do with amazaké here.

My amazaké didn't turn out as watery as I thought it would be, so I ended up making sweet rice balls with my amazaké:

Amazaké rice balls, covered with black and white sesame seeds, coconut flakes, and sea salt, with a peanut in the center.

Two comments from my experience:

-I tried freezing some of the rice balls, but they did not taste very good after being kept in the freezer.

-I used a slow cooker to incubate and ferment the amazaké. However, from a quick google search, it seems that slow cooker temperatures, even on low, can reach temperatures to above 140° F. This meant that I was constantly monitoring the amazaké to try and ensure that it didn't get above 140° F (I didn't have a food thermometer, so I was estimating). So, ferment amazaké in a slow cooker at your own risk...

Amazaké is a fun and different way to enjoy your grains. In addition, amazaké is a great way to have a sweet snack that is also healthy, without any additional sugar added.

If you are interested in trying amazaké before you attempt to make it, I have found amazaké at various Whole Foods Markets and at the Harvest Co-Op. At the Harvest Co-Op, I've also found amazaké in various delicious flavors, such as Almond Shake and Go Hazelnuts. You may also find amazaké in your local Asian grocery store. If you have any stories about your experience with amazaké, please share!

Source:

1. Katz, Sandor Ellix. Wild Fermentation. White River Junction, Vermont: Chelsea Green Publishing Company, 2003, p. 118-119.

Aromatherapy Course

This past February, I completed an Aromatherapy Certification Course with Clinical Herbalist, Linda Patterson, at The Boston School of Herbal Studies. This course ran from November-February, one Saturday class a month from 10 am - 5 pm.

In the course, we learned about the different body systems (including the respiratory system, digestive system, olfactory system, and more), their typical ailments, and the essential oils used to treat these ailments and body systems. Throughout the course, we were introduced to 50 essential oils, and techniques used for blending them.

It was pretty amazing to learn what essential oils can do. They can be used to treat numerous ailments, including depression, muscular pains and aches, infections, stress, and more. After taking the class, it was hard not to purchase a variety of essential oils.

Every essential oil has different properties, and it's fun and interesting to learn about, to experiment with, and to combine different oils. Essential oils can be expensive, though, and if you did have to narrow down the ones you were buying, these are the recommended top two: Tea Tree, the "king" of essential oils, and Lavender, the "queen" of essential oils. Tea tree essential oil is primarily known for its antimicrobial, antifungal, and antiviral properties, which also make it a great natural preservative in homemade body care products. It is also a powerful antiseptic, and has many other uses. Lavender essential oil is very calming, has an enjoyable floral fragrance, and is cytophylactic, encouraging the growth of skin cells, among other numerous benefits. For a book on the properties of different essential oils, The Directory of Essential Oils by Wanda Sellar is one recommended read.

Where to purchase essential oils? Throughout the course, Linda persistently reminded us about the importance of using practitioner grade essential oil whenever possible, meaning that the essential oils in the bottle contain only the oil from the first distillation of the plant, ensuring that the oil is of the highest quality and integrity. (As opposed to the same plant material being distilled twice, ensure that there are no other preservatives or other ingredients put into the oil, etc.). To guarantee that your essential oils are of good quality, you may need to do a little research. Currently, I purchase essential oils from Aromatherapy International, because this company has essential oils of high quality and there is a distributor of this line in Boston. Other recommended companies to purchase essential oils from include Floracopeia (they are expensive but their essential oils smell AMAZING) and Fragrant Earth.

Essential oils can be applied using various methods. A single essential oil diluted in a carrier oil or a blend of 3-5 essential oils diluted in a carrier oil can be applied topically. Carrier oils can be any type of oil, such as almond oil, apricot kernel oil, extra virgin olive oil, etc. Typically (but there are some exceptions) it is not recommended to apply essential oils topically by themselves without a fat or some type of carrier oil, because essential oils are very strong. In our class, we diluted 15 drops of essential oil in 1 oz of carrier oil. In addition, we learned never to take essential oils internally (again, essential oils are STRONG). However, this opinion differs depending on who you talk to.

Another way that essential oils can be enjoyed is by diffusers and nebulizers. In order to preserve the quality of the essential oils, especially if you are using them for medicinal purposes, it is important not to add heat to them (this rules out most diffusers, such as candle diffusers). Nebulizers technically are not supposed to use heat when diffusing the scent of an essential oil across a room. For example, a picture of a glass nebulizer can be found here. The downside to this nebulizer is that it requires a lot of essential oil when using it, and it is very hard to clean. The other nebulizer that was recommended to us in the course was the Heavenly Scent Diffuser/Nebulizer:

Heavenly Scent Diffuser/Nebulizer

Add some water to the nebulizer and 5-7 drops of essential oils, plug it in, and you can enjoy the scent for 50 min. - 9 hours, depending on what timer settings you choose. The downside is that the diffuser does use specially designed plastic cups to put the essential oils in for use. However, they last for quite awhile and shouldn't need to be replaced often. The upside is that the nebulizer does not require much essential oil for use, is easy to clean, has a convenient timer, and produces a lovely mist! To diffuse the essential oils, this nebulizer uses a fan that breaks down the molecules of the essential oils, and releases them into the air. The Heavenly Scent Diffuser can be purchased from Aromatherapy International. Something to remember if purchasing a nebulizer other than the ones mentioned here is that not all nebulizers sold are actually nebulizers. Again, technically, nebulizers aren't supposed to use heat to break down the essential oils, whereas diffusers can use heat. Many nebulizers sold on the market may use heat, even if they are called nebulizers. So if you are considering purchasing a nebulizer, make sure that you are in fact paying for a nebulizer, and not a diffuser!

Finally, in our last aromatherapy class, we made several natural body products, and applied our essential oil blending techniques to use in the products. Items we made included body powders, bath salts, and a moisturizer cream.

I thoroughly enjoyed the Aromatherapy Certification Course, and would highly recommend it to others. For myself, I've found it important to learn more about my health and ways to take care of myself using natural methods. If you have any questions about the course, please let me know! And to learn more about The Boston School of Herbal Studies and the classes that they offer, check out their website and join their mailing list!