While waiting

Cajoling Jetta has become a weekly chore.  I have tried new lead ropes, made by DH especially for her in her favorite color.  New bridge washers on her cross ties, so she won’t hurt me herself fighting me as I try to milk her for the first time, etc.  Nothing has worked.  News today from the herd, that they are done calving, got nothing but a blank stare.

So I guess I will get out the ingredients to make calendula salve for her.  This is how my homeopathic doctor makes her salve.

What you need:
♥ dried high resin calendula flowers. Resina is a good variety- but use what you have.
♥ high quality olive oil – organic if possible.
♥ beeswax
♥ short wide jars with lids.  I buy mustard, with salve making in mind.

First plant a high resin calendula for a more potent salve.  Gather flowers and dry completely in cool, dark place.
Store dry flowers in a cool dark place.  At least a week or two before making salve, pack a quart jar tightly with as many calendula petals as possible.  Add olive oil (olive oil doesn’t get rancid, so your infused oil should keep at least a year) until petals are completely saturated.  Let sit at least a week.  Grate 1 ounce of beeswax per 5 ounces of oil.  This is the ratio used for any kind of salve.  Experiment – if it’s too soft, add more beeswax, too firm, re-melt and add more oil.  Some recipes call for heating the oil and petals, but that can destroy some of the medicinal qualities of the herbs.  When melting the wax and combining the oil a low heat is best.

Dried calendula flowers, infused calendula petals, and grated beeswax.

Drain off oil in quantity needed.

1 pint of infused oil.

 

 

 

These petals will sink to the bottom, and you can avoid most of them when pouring this into your pan.  If a few remain, it doesn’t matter, this is for the cow.  You could also strain this through a screen if it concerns you. 

 

 

 

 

Homemade double boiler, with calendula oil and beeswax.

To make a quick double boiler, I put canning rings in the bottom of the pan for a make-shift rack.  This keeps your top pan away from the direct heat. 

While I’m waiting for the beeswax to melt, I wash and dry my containers.  I try to have a variety of sizes on hand, so I not hunting for another jar, when it is time to pour.  I do the same thing when I canning. 

Pour into containers, mess optional! 

There, I did better on the last one.

 

Finished product,  and a small jar for me – I love this old cold cream jar!  (I’m using it for my hands)

 This will save you money – a 2 ounce jar of calendula salve will cost you about $9.95.  I didn’t keep track of the costs on this batch.  But I ended up with about 18 ounces of salve, and I know it didn’t cost $90.00.  My best estimate:  calendula 0, jars 0, organic olive oil $14.00.  Not bad.