Don't Leaf Me Alone

The “healing leaf", as John’s mom called it, is growing strong in this neck of the woods. Actually it grows just about everywhere man has put his foot. The plantain is a major ingredient in the salves I make.

Primarily plantain is used for all disorders of the respiratory organs. It is used for those with weak kidneys as well as treating eczema, liver and bladder disorders and the list goes on.
I have concentrated on the skin healing abilities of course and have used it for over 30 years now. And in the last few years I have been making salves and selling them and getting good reports.

Yesterday I went out and picked some to make my oil infusion today. If the plant is clean I don’t bother washing it, but these leaves had sand on them from one of the areas on our property. I gently washed them then put them in the salad spinner to get the left over sand and most of the water off.

I then lay them out on a cotton towel and let them dry overnight to get rid of a good amount of water. I will chop them up, put them in a quart jar and pour olive oil over them, making sure to get the air bubbles out and the plant under the oil. Then I let it sit for about 4-6 weeks, strain the herb off and bottle it. I keep it in the fridge until I am ready to combine it with other herbs to make my salves.

People have used my salve for babies butts to a regular skin care routine at night. Or it's used on cuts, scrapes, etc. I make no claims. But......they do.

A Sappy Story

Once upon a time a friend gave me some pine salve to try. She said her daughter used it to help clear up the skin problem she had. Well ever since I set my eyes and nose on it I have wanted to make some.

I came across some places that had information on it and took what was worth keeping. So now I will attempt to concoct my own version of it.

First you start with a glob of pitch from a pine tree. As I looked expectantly to the tree in our yard I envisioned myself scaling the sappy thing in search for that pungent treasure.

In the meantime I had to get the doggy do up and out of the ways of unsuspecting shoes. As I attacked it with my shovel, I noticed it was a bit different looking. What had my dog been eating? I pocked it. It had a bit of a spring. I, well, smelled it and to my surprise it was a big chunk of pine pus.

One website suggested you infuse it in olive oil for a few weeks in a very warm location. Another said to put it in a crock pot with the oil on low for a few hours. I voted for that method and it is infusing as I write this.

I will strain it to get the needles etc. out and then will use it for the oil part of a salve recipe. I’m customizing the recipe and will be on the look out for a few good guinea pigs including myself, to test it out on.

Pine has drawing powers similar to plantain. As one person put it, it is a powerful counter-irritant which means that it stimulates local blood flow and aggravates the local immune response into revving up. As a result it may cause a temporary increase in discomfort or
inflammation in the area in order to speed healing.

The immediate bonus is that it makes my kitchen smell real nice when I open the lid to check on it.

Eye Cream Fixins

Fresh horsetail drying

Let's continue the eye cream conversation. The recipe called for fresh horsetail. I am sure you will recognize it now. I harvested it in a more swampy area. Drying overnight gets rid of some of the water content before I infuse it.
Same with the violet leaves and flowers also pictured.

So tomorrow I will add this all to olive oil and infuse for about five hours in a little crock-pot.

More to follow on the progression of the eye cream.