Saturday, July 10, 2010

mullein oil

We are blessed to have a vast amount of edible and medicinal herbs that grow all around us. On a recent walk up the steep mountain behind our house, Blair came across several mullein plants, just about to flower. So, after this recon mission, he took the boys back up to collect the flowers, and some leaves as well.

Mullein flowers are best made into an oil, which can then knock an ear infection into next week. The oil, when heated and even mixed with a little garlic oil will reduce inflammation, stop pain and kill bacterial infections. My children have never actually had an ear infection. Which seems crazy, I know. And I also know that I'm totally jinxing myself by saying that. But I won't be caught this winter with sick kids and ear infections just to say, "Oh no! I wish I had harvested all those sweet beautiful mullein flowers and made that perfect oil!" Not me. Not this year. We're on it.


Step one: hike.


This is the gorgeous view from the top, with the farm fields visible in the bottom right.

Step two: locate flowering mullein plants.

Step three: harvest the flowers.

Step four: allow all the excess moisture to evaporate. (Sorry, no photo for this step.)

Step five: pour in jar and cover with organic olive oil.


Set to soak.



This is two weeks later.


Plenty to use, share with friends, and perhaps even sell.
Be well!

2 comments:

  1. love it! I have a mullein flower infusion in the fridge waiting to have garlic added to it, just haven't done the garlic oil yet.
    missing you

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  2. perfect! i am planning aydin's grade 2 year & we are starting with an herb block.

    i have been wanting to get more herbal for year's now, but when you don't "know"...the world of herbs can seem extremely daunting/overwhelming...as far as where to start, etc...

    i found "a kid's herb book" & have been using that as a basis for our block, starting, of course, with our local & "in season" herbs for august. :) one of our projects is...ta-da mullein oil!

    however, susie wilson (author) says that there are a variety of causes of earaches & suggest combining the mullein with both garlic & st. john's wort to cure alsmot any/all of them.

    but as you noted (knock on wood!) our children have rarely had ear infections, thankfully!

    never huyts to be prepared though, right??

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