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Newsletter>
Sunshine Infusions
August 10, 2007
Dear Friends,
Now is the time to make some wonderful medicinal oil
infusions by taking advantage of the heat of the sun. You
can leave these infusions as oils or use them for making
balms and salves. The process couldn't be any easier...
You will need a glass mason jar, which you should sterilize
first to reduce the risk of bacteria growing. Fill the jar
at least half way with dried or fresh plant material. If
you are using fresh, I suggest really crushing up the
leaves or smashing the roots. Now, simply fill the jar
with your choice of oil. I personally like olive oil, for
it has many benefits. Almond, safflower, grapeseed, or
sesame would all work well, too, among others. Screw a lid
on the jar tightly and let it sit in direct sunshine for
three to four days.
That is really all there is to it. When the oil is rich
and dark, it will have absorbed many of the healing
properties of the herbs. Now, you just need to strain the
herbs out through a sheet of cheesecloth. Squeeze it good.
The left over oil is your infusion. Throw the digested
herbs into the compost pile.
I also like to make sunshine teas, which are also herbal
infusions. For these, I fill a muslin bag with my choice
of herbs, fill a jar with pure water, put the lid on the
jar, and let it sit in the sun for 4 to 6 hours. I like to
sweeten these infusions with a bit of honey and sometimes I
will add a splash of lemon juice. This is my favorite way
to use herbs medicinally. You can make infusions in the
winter, but I just don't think they match up with the
sunshine infusions of the summer months. Maybe it is just
that I get so much pleasure out of making them this time of
year...
We sell herbal blends on the Family Apothecary page at
www.fromfieldsandgardens.com. These blends are ready for
you to make your own herbal medicinals. You will also
recieve a beeswax tart with certain blends meant
specifically for making oil infusions. With the beeswax,
you will be able to create your own balms and salves!
Making your own medicinal healing products at home is a fun
hobby that will bring you much pleasure and satisfaction.
The finished products will be of much higher quality than
anything you could buy from the store because you are
controlling what goes into them! When you purchase our
blends, the hard part of choosing the correct herbs to use
in your products is done for you. You are left with the
fun of mixing, blending, and packaging your creations!
I also want to let our customers know that I have decided
to lower our shipping and handling costs to $5.00 flat
rate.
Blessings,
Jennifer Ferris
www.fromfieldsandgardens.com
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