Friday, November 26, 2010

Extract Essential Oils From Comfrey Plants







Comfrey, also known as knitbone, is a plant with great healing properties. In fact, you can place a leaf of comfrey over an injury just like a bandage to aid in healing.


Comfrey has been cultivated since about 400 BCE and is used the world over. It is also sometimes called bruisewort because warm, smashed leaves are known to reduce swelling and bruising when applied as a compress. You can grow comfrey in your garden and dry the leaves for future use.


Instructions


Making Comfrey Oil


1. Put the pint of oil in the upper part of the double boiler. Fill the bottom part of the double boiler with water.


2. Add the dried comfrey leaves to the oil.


3. Simmer the oil and leaves over boiling water for three hours. Add water to the bottom of the double boiler as needed to replace the water that evaporates.


4. Strain the leaves and oil through two or three layers of cheesecloth into bottles.


5. Seal the bottles and store in a cool dry place. The oil will keep for about a year.

Tags: double boiler, part double, part double boiler