as sunflower, safflower, palm or grapeseed oil – my favourite is sunflower oil because it is the cheapest and most readily available. Who would have thought the same stuff you fry your chips in would turn out to be the best for making luxurious creams and bath products? For very dry skin, however, heavier oils such as olive, avocado or wheatgerm are excellent, though a little more pricey. If it’s for internal use, choose an oil you like to cook with – for example, sunflower, sesame, groundnut, walnut or olive oil. Oils can go rancid if stored badly, so check it’s okay (just taste a little) before you use it.
Quick solution! If you need an infused oil for a recipe and don’t have 2 weeks to spare, try this fast maceration instead. Put the plant material in a glass bowl, cover with oil, then place above a pan of boiling water and cook, covered, for 20 minutes to 1 hour, or until the oil has taken on the colour and flavour of the herbs. Strain and bottle.
Storage Infused oils will last for 6 months to 1 year if stored in a cool, dark place.
Vinegars
You can infuse vinegars with fresh plant material in exactly the same way as oils. They are very palatable as cordials sweetened with honey, and as daily tonics taken by the spoonful. They work well in compresses, as gargles and mouthwashes, to add shine to hair in rinses or just poured into the bath to soothe skin. They also add an extra depth of flavour in cooking and salad dressings.
To make an infused vinegar: three-quarters fill a clean Kilner jar with plant material, crushing lightly to help release the essential compounds. Pour over cider or white wine vinegar to cover (don’t use malt), making sure the plants are completely submerged.
Storage Seal, and leave in a warm, sunny spot for 2 weeks, shaking the bottle every couple of days, and pushing down any uncovered plant material. When ready, strain and pour into a sterilized bottle.
Tinctures
When you use alcohol to extract the active ingredients from plants, it’s called a tincture. Alcohol is more effective than oil and vinegar at extraction from tough plant material such as roots and resins. It’s also a good preservative, so tinctures last longer than other preparations, and as they are more concentrated, you use less. These recipes mostly specify vodka because it is colourless and almost tasteless, which allows the flavour of the plants to come through. But whisky, brandy, gin or rum are just as effective – any distilled alcohol can be used as long as it is at least 80% proof (ie 40% alcohol). If made with concentrations below that, tinctures will deteriorate more quickly.
Tinctures are very handy – they’re easy to store, and give you concentrated plant goodness whenever you need it. They’re usually taken a teaspoonful a day when required, and they work fast, being absorbed quickly into the bloodstream. If you don’t want to take alcoholic tinctures, an alternative is a glycerite.
To make a tincture: three-quarters fill a small Kilner or glass jar with plant material, then cover with the alcohol of your choice, making sure all the plants are completely submerged. Seal, and leave in a dark place at room temperature for between 8 days to 1 month (the length of time depends on the ‘toughness’ of the plant material – resins and roots take longer than flowers and leaves). Shake the bottle occasionally, making sure all plant material remains covered. When ready, strain into small, dark glass bottles.
Storage Using amber, black or blue glass will help preserve the tincture longer. Kept in a cool, dark place, tinctures will last for 2 years (and sometimes longer).
Glycerites
If you don’t want to use alcohol, you can extract the active constituents in plants with glycerine instead. Glycerine is a pure substance, like sugar or salt, which tastes sweet and syrupy, so it is often used in children’s remedies as a cordial to which you add water. It’s also soothing and emollient, and is good for skin preparations and sore throat and cough preparations, as well as for calming the digestive system. Glycerine is not as efficient as alcohol at extracting essential plant compounds, so the end result is less concentrated and has a shorter shelf life.
To make a basic glycerite: three-quarters fill a Kilner or other glass jar with plant material (leaves and flowers are best), crushing lightly to help release the essential compounds. Pour glycerine over to cover, making sure all the plants are completely submerged. Seal, and leave on a warm, bright windowsill for 2 weeks to infuse, shaking every couple of days. Strain into bottles.
Storage Glycerites will keep for up to 1 year.
Gels
Gels are used medicinally as jellies and in skin preparations – they have good astringent or skin-tightening properties – and also in many cosmetics including hair and aftershave gels and face masks. The gel-like consistency is achieved by adding gelatine, or other clear thickener such as xanthan gum, to the recipe at the appropriate time, then whisking with or without heat until the mixture thickens and a gel is formed. I usually use powdered vegetable gelatine, which dissolves easily and has good thickening properties – you can buy it from the baking section of most supermarkets.
To make a simple face mask gel: in a pan, pour 100ml of a plant-based infusion of your choice. Dissolve a sachet of vegetable gelatine into the infusion (usually one 6g sachet per 100ml liquid, but it depends on the brand you buy – I always make it 3 times stronger than advised on the packet). Stir to dissolve, then heat gently for a couple of minutes, whisking vigorously until you get a smooth gel. If you like, whisk in a few drops of an essential oil of your choice for its medicinal properties or scent.
Storage Gelatine-based remedies don’t keep well. Store in the refrigerator and use within 2 days if taking internally. Cosmetic and hair gels will keep in the refrigerator for up to 4 weeks.
Ointments, salves & balms
Ointments, salves and medicinal balms are all oil and wax preparations, made to various consistencies. An ointment is thinner than a salve, and is usually applied over large areas of the body to soothe skin, or to rub into the chest as an expectorant. Salves and medicinal balms are thicker and waxier, and tend to be used on specific areas such as joints (or lips!). All are easy to make, by heating an emulsifier such as beeswax or emulsifying wax with an infused oil – you simply add more emulsifier to make a thicker salve or less for a thinner ointment.
To make a basic ointment: in a glass bowl, put 300ml of an infused oil with 25g beeswax. (Use granules, or break solid wax into small pieces – you can even use 100% beeswax candles.) Stand the bowl over a pan of simmeringwater, and stir gently until all the wax has melted. Pour while still warm into wide-mouthed salve jars – the ointment thickens as it cools.
Getting the right consistency: To check if the ointment is the consistency you want, drop a little into a glass of iced water – if it turns into a ball, it’ll be a thick balm; if it disperses on the surface, you’ll have the consistency of a thinner ointment. To make the mixture thicker, add an extra ½ teaspoon of beeswax at a time; to make it thinner, add 1 extra teaspoon of infused oil at a time. Heat again and re-test until you’re happy with it.
Storage Ointments, salves and balms will keep for 1 year.
Creams
Creams are an excellent way to apply plants’ active compounds to skin, being quickly absorbed and moisturizing. They’re also great fun to make, and much more cost-effective than buying in a shop. A cream is basically a mixture of water and oil, held together with an emulsifier. I tend to use a combination of beeswax and emulsifying wax. It’s true that creams are just a little trickier to make than salves, but if you follow a few simple rules, you’ll soon pick up the knack.
To make a basic cream: put 40ml infused oil in a glass bowl with 6 teaspoons