When you grow too much comfrey, it's also great to cut and put in the garden around your plants, or soak it in water for a couple weeks and water your plants with it, the plants love all those nutrients. My tomatoes and peppers always thrive when I water them with comfrey tea
I'm sure that video would help some people. I also add other nutrients to my comfrey tea as well, such as bone meal and fish oil, it's made a huge difference in my soil, which used to be predominately clay.
I enjoyed your video on comfrey. I turned 80 this week and i retired from the Y in Estes Park Colorado and my life long dream is to have a working herb garden to make my own med.,etc. My family has been real supporting. I would like to get some good comfrey Roots to plant this spring. I bought five acreas and love to garden and raise my own eggs and meats. Lol
I'm very hard of hearing and I have my phone on max. It's my only connection to the internet. I live in an area where there is no internet. Even hughes net (very expensive) goes in and out frequently. So this is my only connection to your you tube videos. I would greatly appreciated it if you would put the recipe in the comments, because for me you talk very fast. I missed some of the ingredients because of my hearing. You have a wonderful informative chanel and I have subscribed. Thank you for all your wonderful work. Bless you and your family ❤
I love comfrey! I make a comfrey salve for my mom who has chronic pain from a car accident years ago and my dad who has arthritis in his back from an accident he had when he worked in construction years ago. They use it all the time and it works for their pain better than pain meds! I broke my leg (fibula) 3 weeks ago yesterday. I started using my comfrey salve about 5 days after breaking my leg, it’s in a boot not a cast, so I was able to take the boot off to apply the salve. I am 53, so I thought it would take all of the 6 weeks to start moving around kind of normal. Well, Almost all pain, swelling and bruising is gone and I am walking like normal. I almost feel like I could take the boot off and walk without it…I won’t, but I feel like I could! I am also drinking a tea that has horsetail and other herbs…I haven’t tried comfrey internally yet. But I do believe Comfrey is a miracle plant and I will always have it on hand!
WOW! What a great testimonial for comfrey! I'm so glad you shared your story, and I'm also very sorry about your broken leg and hope it heals super quickly! It sounds like with the comfrey, it will--- On internal use....yes, please do be very cautious, but I did suggest to my stepmom when she broke her collar bone to drink one or two cups of comfrey tea a day for two weeks to speed the tissue cell regeneration. I'm not sure if she did this or not, but she healed quickly too! **In case the Powers that Be are not a fan of this conversation, I just want to mention that allantoin is the chemical in comfrey that is so powerful for tissue regeneration.
@@HeidiVillegas thank you so much! I might give it a try! Comfrey is probably no worse for my liver than the ibuprofen i took for the first week after breaking my leg.
Another Win Heidi, honestly these classes are invaluable. So useful and full of ideas for health and wellness. Thank you again for pointing out another herbal gift from God.❤
Thank you so much, Helena! I try my best not to babble....LOL But sometimes...? I'm doing better. My husband edits the videos, and when I get long-winded, he sure lets me know!🤣
Hey, there! So glad you're here! Be sure to click the link so I can send along your FREE Fall Diffuser Blends (essential oils): healingharvesthomestead.lpages.co/opt-in-fall-diffuser-blends-to-eo-reference-guide/ OR if you're not watching this in the Fall, you will love my 24 page guide, "How to Relax Using Herbs & Oils" : healingharvesthomestead.lpages.co/how-to-relax-using-herbs-opt-in/ ALSO---there is a GREAT question by @tparris9299 below (and thank you for addressing the "comfrey elephant in the room"), and you may want to read it and the answer.
This article was very informative , thanks, can l get the recipe please as l was unable to keep apace and what would be the procedure? Thanks for your response. Doris
Glad it was helpful! If you go to the community tab, I wonder if you can share a picture? Or if you send it to me, I'd love to post when you finish! That's awesome!🥰
What a GREAT teaching video. I made a salve that really helped my dad's arthritis and also used in on my knee that was seriously injured and very painful. It made the difference between walking with a stiff and painful knee and not walking at all. QUESTION: does the initial high grain alcohol infusion reduce the salves longevity? Hmm, or maybe it lengthens it.
This is worderful. I did subscribe. So can you cover the comfrey infused alcohol in a glass jar with a lid, and then after you strain it, can you use that leftover used comfrey debris in the garden, etc. Thank you anyone.
I have lots of comfrey too. What would consider to be the best time of year to harvest. Before blooming, I assume from looking at your dried plants. I regularly cut mine down in late July(I'm in Western Canada) and use it as a mulch to feed my plants, then it bounces back before freeze up really well. I made some salve a couple weeks ago but didn't know about the alcohol soak so I'd like to make another batch that's stronger. My first batch was shared in with my daughter and she's using on bandaid reaction on her daughter's knees so I'm not upset that my first batch was weaker. It's really helping the healing process from the nasty inflammation on her knees. My plants are just about to finish flowering and we are in a heat wave so I'm not really sure I'd get the best salve from the plants right now.
Hello Heidi I’m just learning thank you for these beautiful videos. You say you use equal amounts, I’m just trying to understand thank you. 240 drops total Peppermint 40 Lavender 30 Eucalyptus 30 Ginger 30 German Chamomile 30 That’s 160 Copaiba Black pepper Rosemary ctype camphor That’s 80 drops left which on gets 20 drops. I want to make it right sorry.
I'm SO happy for you! Yes, this is such a wonderful formula. Visit my website for more: www.healingharvesthomestead.com and be sure to get on my newsletter list because I teach things there that aren't found anywhere else!
Thank you for the video! I love watching and learning. Question for you - If I am not going to make the salve for a couple of weeks, how long do you recommend I let the comfrey infuse in the olive oil? And would I still need to use heat?
Thank you so much, Heidi. I am new to herbalism. I had never heard anyone suggest soaking the herb in alcohol to increase the extraction that would happen in the oil. Next time you do a salve video, will you please show us how firm / soft your finished salve is? I haven't made my first salve yet, and I've wondered how much beeswax to use. Also, I was wondering...if I used coconut oil to infuse my comfrey into, would I even need beeswax? My thinking is that coconut oil is solid at room temperature. Is there a reason that this wouldn't work?
Hi! Yes, I can talk about the art of salve making, for sure! I typically use 1 cup of infused oil to 1/4 cup of beeswax. That is Rosemary Gladstar's original ratio, and I just always used it for most things because it's a really nice consistency---not loose, but not too hard, either. I wouldn't use coconut oil for a couple of reasons: 1) Some people are actually allergic to it on their skin (like me); 2) Although it is firm at some room temperatures, with heat above about 76 degrees, it melts. I would probably still add some organic beeswax to it (my opinion)
@@HeidiVillegas Thank you for your reply. None of my family members are allergic to coconut oil, but I didn't realize it had such a low melting point. I just bought a couple of Rosemary Gladstar's books, but I haven't gotten to the "making salve" section yet!
I love watching your videos. I am a visual learner so they help. This is my first time trying to make a salve. When you put in the crockpot did you put the lid on it? And would a bowl covered work as well, I don’t have a glass half gallon jar. Thank you!
Hello Heidi or someone else... I know there are differences in the wild medicinal plants and the ones you grow in your garden,what are your opinion about that? Seldom any talks about that?😊 The wild ones chose their place to live and their medicinal potency are greater. Am I right or wrong? 🧙☘️
Hello, Heidi! I had made a small amount of goldenrod infused oil. Can I use that infused oil in addition to more fresh olive oil to infuse the Comfrey? Would that add to the healing quality? Thanks again, you are such a good teacher
Hi, and thank you so much! What I suggest is to infuse the comfrey separately in the olive oil. Then when it's done, combine the two infused oils in the ratio you'd like. Good luck with this!
Thank you for this video, Heidi. Concerning salves, I was wondering what you would suggest for inflamed skin (psoriasis, for example). Particularly for men. I was thinking frankincense, myrrh and/or sandalwood herbal infused oils. Are essential oils safe as an addendum to the infused oils for these conditions? I know we shouldn't be picky about scent for therapeutic purposes, but I don't think that men like to be smelling of roses :)
Those are all wonderful essential oils. Here's an article with a recipe that may help, too, for an anti-itch balm: healingharvesthomestead.com/home/2018/5/16/how-to-make-an-herbal-anti-itch-salve-or-balm-great-for-bug-bites-dry-itchy-skin-allergic-reactions-more
Hello Heidi - Im doing the DTD course and see that the Video for the Comfrey is not available yet. I have the E-Book, just want to know if you will have a follow up video - Would love to see it for sure!
YES! The masterclass inside the Tribe is where we'll be going deep into comfrey phytochemistry in a live chat, and I think it's this coming week on Thursday. I'll be digging into the chemistry around the PA's and specifically, the PA in comfrey because there are many different kinds.
I use only olive oil, local unprocessed beeswax and finely powdered, dehydrated, fresh comfrey leaf and everyone I've gifted it to report amazing pain relief. Don't be discouraged if your budget doesn't allow for the essential oils, the comfrey is the only healing, pain relieving ingredient needed.
This is 100% correct. The essential oils DO add additional anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and warming/cooling properties to the salve, though, which boosts its effectiveness significantly. :-)
I would love to get your book on comfrey and understand that I would need to take one of your courses first . But I have no time nor inclination to to become a "master herbalist". So , I would like to know the shortest course I would need to take in order to get this book . Thanks for your help .
Hi, Terry! I do not make the promise of becoming a "master herbalist" in any of my courses because to be honest....There's NO such thing. Any herbalist worth his or her salt knows this because we're never done learning. Also---herbalism is "illegal" in our country as a legitimate health practice. I suggest buying some books if you're not willing to invest in your overall herbal education. There are some really great ones out there, and you can find out my favorite ones here: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-TPj2gfvEhSc.html
Hi, Karen! This is a great question for our Confident Herbalist Tribe community! You can find out more here: healingharvesthomestead.lpages.co/kaj-confident-herbalist-tribe-sp/
Hi. When making the infused oil, what do you do with the infused alcohol? Understood that once infused in alcohol you take it out and into the oil. Am I right ? Thank you for the recipie
Here are two off the top of my head: Aromatics International (extremely trustworthy): afflink: bit.ly/AromaInt and Rocky Mountain Oils: bit.ly/2s3NOGf And I have a coupon code for Rocky Mountain Oils I shared last week in my newsletter. I think it's HHH10 off the top of my head.
How do you get rid of the alcohol smell that you put on the comfrey at the start? I have tried the alcohol method to increase the extraction. But I can always smell the alcohol after the oil is added
That's the downside of using alcohol in oil infusions and to be honest, the main reason why I rarely do..... You really can't get rid of it, unfortunately, especially if you have a good sniffer,...
I don't have any comfrey plants! Planning on planting them next year. I couldn't find any seeds for them. Hopefully I can order them earlier this year so I can get them
The best way to start your comfrey in the garden is from root starts. This is very easy to do, and the plants do well this way. Seed starting comfrey is a little tricky. I got mine from a friend who divided one of her plants for me and also ordered more from Richo Cech's company, Strictly Medicinals.
Is it possible for me to for me to get a copy of your comfrey infused book With all the information you gave as l was unable to get all . How would l be able to get a Copy of the Book on comfrey? This article was very informative. Thank you. Doris
Hi, Doris! Unfortunately, the only way to get the herbal masterclass books is to join our Confident Herbalist Tribe and dig into learning about the plants in our herbal village.
is comfrey salve ok to use on my kids? I assume majority of herbs ok to use topically and on kids but curious....I dont plan to use essential oils with it!
Yes, it's fine topically for kids, especially the older and heavier they are. I wouldn't use it long term. Essential oils are also fine, depending on the dilution and the child. :-) Just be sure they're high quality, and I've vetted a list of companies you can trust here (and I'm not an affiliate for most of them). Scroll about halfway down the page for the list: healingharvesthomestead.com/valuable-resources
Hello Heidi. My comfrey (broad leaf) tuns brownish when I dry it. Does this have an affect on potency? Also I see you just take the leaf and stip it, wow mine stings like nettle, is that normal?
I have been letting some comfrey sit in olive oil for about a year. Do you think it's still ok to make salve out of it? I did it before finding your video.
I have a question since castor oil has a lot of healing properties as well does anyone ever mix castor oil with the olive oil for salves? Or would that mess up the salve or not harden up right?
You can certainly give it a try, but the shea butter is soft, and you won't get a firm product. Have you considered subbing the beeswax with carnauba wax? It's a plant based wax, and you don't need quite as much of it as the beeswax. Any oil will be fine to sub for the olive oil.
Absolutely! The comfrey will still release constituents into the herbal oil...it just won't have quite as much strength, but if the comfrey is freshly dried or of high quality from a good herb supplier, it will still be effective
Comfrey may be helpful, especially in conjunction with calendula and plantain. Here's a recipe, too: healingharvesthomestead.com/home/2018/5/16/how-to-make-an-herbal-anti-itch-salve-or-balm-great-for-bug-bites-dry-itchy-skin-allergic-reactions-more ***You can find hundreds of articles/recipes and videos in the SEARCH index on my website: healingharvesthomestead.com/
I want to make the comfrey salve and I purchased high proof alcohol, I think that I purchased the wrong kind I got the 200 proof denatured alcohol, can I use this ok? I know that it’s not fit to drink, but the description says it can be used for cosmetic.
Well, for the salve, you're just going to use a lipid oil, like olive oil, as your solvent. For the soaking (alcohol intermediary) part, any edible alcohol is fine, but NO to the denatured. This is ok for perfumes and what not. If the label says it's ok for cosmetic use, then it's probably ok to use, but do some more research on this, ok? I'm not honestly sure....
Can you describe again how you did the beginning with the alcohol please. You put comfry with alcohol in a crockpot for a couple days then mixed in OO and cooked that for a couple days?
No, I added a bit of alcohol to the dried, crumbled leaves. Then I let that sit, covered, for a day. Then I put the slightly rehydrated leaves into the jar with the oil. :-)
I didn't strain it off as I didn't use that much--a tablespoon or so. If there's a lot of liquid...you might drain, but then you're losing important constituents.
No, a lipid oil won't act the same in the salve as the beeswax. It may firm it a little in colder temps, as coconut oil is solid under a certain temperature, but beeswax, being a wax, is much better for the firmness.
No, it's not really an alcohol extract in the true sense. It's simply using alcohol as an intermediary solvent (small amount) to jump start and increase the plant's ability to release constituents into the oil.🥰
Hi, Sherry! I get my essential oils from: (afflinks) Rocky Mountain: bit.ly/2s3NOGf Aromatics International: bit.ly/AromaInt Amrita Aromatherapy: bit.ly/AMRITAEOs Plant Therapy: bit.ly/34cqzYU Florihana, Pompeii Street Organics, and By Faith Aromatherapy. I'm very careful about where I purchase my essential oils.
You could omit the alcohol either way, and it would still be lovely. The alcohol just helps give it a little head start if you're doing the fast method. :-)
Questions Heidi, using the alcohol in comfrey method. After 3 days in the crockpot, is all of the alcohol evaporated from the oil? What heat level should I have my crockpot running on during the oil extraction process of 8 hours to 3 days? I absolutely love your videos. Very thorough and informative. Keep up the excellent work.
Hi--- Well, herbs can support healthy hormones, but they are not full of testosterone, per se. I do have a great tea for men's health on my website you can take a look at: healingharvesthomestead.com/home/2016/11/19/herbal-tea-for-men-how-to-make-manly-man-herbal-tea-ed-reproductive-support Do some research on saw palmetto. It's gentle and very supportive.
If you still have the need, you might want to research Spilanthes. It's a flower they call the Toothache Plant. I don't know, you may be able to find it in a health food store or an herbal practitioner's store. Someone gave me a cutting, and I am trying to get it to root; I haven't tried it yet, but they say that when you chew a blossom, or hold it in your mouth, it works like Ora-Jel. If mine makes it, I plan to tincture the flowers next year.
just received the bakers creek seed catalog. In the back of the catalog there is a plant, they call the toothache plant. The flowers are a small yellow flower that has a numbing affect when you chew it. I'm going to order these seeds for my herbal garden.
I don't actually sell it....although if I can find someone to come help me in the shop, I may be able to do this one day! I mainly teach online herbalism courses and help people become more self-sufficient with their health. :-)
Be careful with comfrey tincture---This formulation is for a salve, which is very different. The tincture will have high levels of PA's, and some herbalists/scientists believe these are dangerous for our livers. Others disagree, but you need to know about the plants! The mint in alcohol will be delicious!
Oh, my goodness! I use mine for: pain, sprains or broken bones, inflammation, varicose veins (do NOT massage varicose veins that are distended---smooth, light upward motions only), and any kind of tissue healing, including scars. :-)
I don't like putting powdered herbs directly in salves because they settle during the cooling process, and they also create kind of a rough texture experience. You CAN use comfrey powder to make infused oil, but be sure you're using VERY fresh powder.
I was a bit confused when you added the crumbled comfrey to 1/8 c of alcohol and allowed it to sit. You then poured 1/4 of a gallon of the mixture into a half gallon jar and topped off with olive oil. What was the additional liquid? I watched that part several times and was quite confused 🥴How did 1/8 c alcohol and comfrey become 1/4 gallon? I’m obviously missing something 😂
i watched it with captions over and over and I had the same reaction. Clearly says 2 cups crumbled comfrey with 1/8 (or so) of 150 Proof Alcohol. Then it went to that small amount in a half gallon jar with oil. There is something off with that in my opinion but what do I know. I'm learning and need help. I want to succeed at this and simply don't have excess funds to put towards the schools. If anyone figures it out, please let me know!
She said let the comfrey absorb the alcohol for 8+ hours, then put the moistened herbs into the half gallon jar and add the oil to it then continue with the process.
You're using a very small portion of alcohol at the beginning to break down the cell membranes of the comfrey. When you add it to the infused oil portioN, which is a much higher oil ratio, the small amount of alcohol serves (to an extent) to slow down the natural oxidation of the oil while giving you a powerfu infused oil, since the plant could actually break down better. It's called the Alcohol Intermediary Method.
Wwould greatly appreciated it if you would put the recipe in the comments, because for me you talk very fast. I missed some of the ingredients. Just would be easier when you go so fast.
I'm so sorry! I provide text in all my courses in my school, and there are hundreds of articles and recipes on my website www.healingharvesthomestead.com (FREE). And my free newsletter is another great place for information. I'm a one-woman show when it comes to RU-vid, so time is really an issue. I apologize. Thank you for being here, too!
I think I remember keeping this one super simple, with the same number of drops for all the oils....but if I'm remembering wrong, maybe someone can correct me? :-)
@@JamesWayne-kn1yg Oh, for heaven's sake. She said during the video that she had 240 drops of essential oils in the bowl. Then she said she had used 30 drops of one of the oils. Then she counted and said she had used 8 oils. If she now answers the question with the fact that she used the same number of drops for each oil, then yes. She answered the question. Be nice.
Yep! That's it, and only a tiny bit of alcohol is needed. The alcohol goes to work breaking down the plant's cell walls, helping you get a stronger oil infusion, which you want with this herb.
Well, I'm glad you knew what I meant!🥰 God bless you too. Thank you for the comment, and I hope it causes some additional views trying to hear me say that!😂❤️
