Our comfrey plant has been going NUTS over the last few seasons and I’ve been despairing what to do with it. I decided to dry the leaves and use them for cooking and tea-making, but my daughter decided she wanted to give making comfrey oil a go.
Comfrey is a useful plant used for centuries to heal wounds and broken bones – hence its other name: knitbone.
Leaves or roots applied as a wash, poultice or ointment are used for bruising, sciatica, boils, rheumatism, neuralgia, varicose veins, bed sores, wounds, ulcers, insect bites, tumours, muscular pain, pulled tendons, gangrene, shingles and dermatological conditions.
Internally comfrey leaf tea has been used to help with indigestion, stomach and bowel problems, excessive menstrual flow, hoarseness, periodontal diseases, bleeding gums, thyroid disorders, diarrhea, gastrointestinal ulcers, hernia, glandular fever, coughs, lung conditions, hemorrhaging, cancer, catarrh, anemia, sinusitis, lupus, lowering blood pressure, hiatus hernia, blood purifier, to ease inflammation of the joints and mucus membranes.
Method:
After cutting the flowering stalks of comfrey (use gloves because the plant has fine hairs all over it and can be a bit scratchy), cut them into smaller pieces.
Next fill your sterilised jars with (as Susun Weed says) enough comfrey to make a bed for a fairy. So don’t stuff it in but fill the jar to the point where pressing on the plant material is bouncy.
Finally fill your jars with pure olive oil, or extra virgin olive oil. We used both in this to see if there was a noticeable difference between the resulting oils. The oil should completely cover the plant material.
Use a chopstick to press on the plant material to get as many of the air bubbles out as possible.
Cap tightly and your oil is ready in six weeks.
In a day or two after first bottling, check the level of oil to ensure the plant material is fully covered. Top up if necessary.
In six weeks you strain the plant material out of the oil, label with the date and it can be used as is on bruises, cuts, rubbed into sprains etc. Put the plant material into your compost. Plants just LOVE comfrey mulch!
My daughter wants to take some and make an ointment out of it so I’ll let you know how she goes with phase 2!
By the way, here’s how my leaves looked dried and the resultant tea!
© Earth Goddess Wisdom – www.earthgoddesswisdom.com
Resources:
Herbs Are Special – Comfrey
How to Grow and Care for Comfrey – Happy DIY Home