• Post Reply Bookmark Topic Watch Topic
  • New Topic
permaculture forums growies critters building homesteading energy monies kitchen purity ungarbage community wilderness fiber arts art permaculture artisans regional education skip experiences global resources cider press projects digital market permies.com pie forums private forums all forums
this forum made possible by our volunteer staff, including ...
master stewards:
  • Nancy Reading
  • Carla Burke
  • r ranson
  • John F Dean
  • paul wheaton
  • Pearl Sutton
stewards:
  • Jay Angler
  • Liv Smith
  • Leigh Tate
master gardeners:
  • Christopher Weeks
  • Timothy Norton
gardeners:
  • thomas rubino
  • Jeremy VanGelder
  • Maieshe Ljin

Guidelines for herbal root infusions in oil for Japanese knotweed

 
gardener
Posts: 372
188
personal care foraging urban books food preservation cooking fiber arts medical herbs ungarbage
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
I am looking for some good information on how to effectively make an oil infusion. I am familiar with alcohol based tinctures and other glycerin or water based extractions but have never done an oil decoction? Infusion? I'm not even sure of the correct term.

Links to good information or books with instruction on this topic would be very helpful and appreciated!

Edited the subject to add that I want to do this with Japanese knotweed (not bindweed), because I know that gets some people's hearts aflutter  
 
Rusticator
Posts: 8577
Location: Missouri Ozarks
4545
6
personal care gear foraging hunting rabbit chicken cooking food preservation fiber arts medical herbs homestead
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
Wulp. First, you'll want to let them wilt (or better yet, dehydrate them). This takes out most of the moisture, giving a longer shelf life and greater strength. I typically use the folk method:
Fill the super clean, preferably sterilized jar of your choice to half, with the dry herbs. Then stir in your oil of choice - a medium or light olive or sweet almond are most commonly used, but you're not limited to those. I often use clean beef tallow, because it's closest to the natural oils in human skin. If you're trying to go vegan, but still want that higher absorption, macadamia oil is amazing, but it does have a shorter shelf life than the others. Stir gently but thoroughly, to ensure there are no air bubbles, and top it off with more oil, if needed.

There are a few possibilities, for the rest of the process. I use the sous vide, for a long, low-temp, to speed up the infusion process, so instead of weeks, in the sun, it only takes a few hours or a day, at most. Some set it out in the sun. Some do a heated infusion, on the stove, placing a diffuser under the pot, or a steamer or cloth inside the pot, to prevent the jar breaking, the bring the water to a low simmer for 30 - 90 minutes. But, be aware that the higher the heat, the more the oil will degrade, reducing its shelf life. I can set the sous vide at 125 - 135, and hold it steady, until I am satisfied with the depth of color. On the stove top, this is much more difficult, without accidental over heating. And, I'm never ok with waiting weeks and weeks.

The deeper the color you get, the stronger the infusion & (in most cases) the more effective your remedies will be.
 
Mercy Pergande
gardener
Posts: 372
188
personal care foraging urban books food preservation cooking fiber arts medical herbs ungarbage
  • Likes 2
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
YAY!!! Thank you- that was exactly the information I was looking for. Very. very helpful.
I have a dehydrator. Would a temp of ~120 be ok for drying out a root w/o "cooking" it too much?
I'm making note of a couple of dense stands of knotweed on the riverbank nearby to dig up later. Missed the young shoots this year!
 
Carla Burke
Rusticator
Posts: 8577
Location: Missouri Ozarks
4545
6
personal care gear foraging hunting rabbit chicken cooking food preservation fiber arts medical herbs homestead
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
I think it would be perfect. You'll do great!
gift
 
The Humble Soapnut - A Guide to the Laundry Detergent that Grows on Trees ebook by Kathryn Ossing
will be released to subscribers in: soon!
reply
    Bookmark Topic Watch Topic
  • New Topic