Oil infusions are an infusion of medicinal or culinary herbs in a fixed oil menstruum. Medicinal oil infusions facilitating the absorption of the herbal remedies. Oil infusions  are well utilized as food and as medicines.

Oils infusions are made with fixed oils, also called fatty oils because they are  chemically the same as fats. Oils vary greatly in their point of congelation. They are lighter than water and they do not evaporate easily. Oil infusions must be store in a cool and dark location.

Use Olive, Sesame, Almond oils. The herbs that are well prepared as oil infusions : burdock root, calendula, cayenne, comfrey, ginger, plantain, nettle leaf, marshmallow, elder, neem.

Recipe with dried plant

• Prepare the proportion of 1 part powder by weight to 5 parts oil.
• Grind the dried plant to as fine a powder
• Place the powder in a jar that can be capped tightly.
• Add a fixed oil to completely wet the herb.
• Stir the mixture well.
• Let the her settle, then add enough oil to cover the wet herb (¼ inch).
• Check your mixture 24 hours later. If absorption has occured, add enough oil to re-establish the extra measure of oil.
• Cap the jar tightly and place it in the sun for 7 days or more.
• Shake the mixture several times every day.
• Strain the oil from the herb and press the remaining pulp.
• Let the infusion to sit indoors for several days (3 to 5 days).
• Decant and filter.
• Bottle in glass containers. Cap tightly and store.

Recipe for hot infusion

• Grind dried herb to a powder.
• Measure the oil in proportions of 1 part herb powder by weight to 8 parts fixed oil by volume.
• Mix togheter.
• Place in a closed vessel over a water-bath and digest at 140-160 dregres F for 4 hours.
• Remove from heat, allow to cool and leave for 12 hours.
• Pour off the clear oil.
• Bottle, cap tightly and store.

Digestion method

• Grind dried herb to a powder. Place in a jar.
• Add a fixed oil in the proportion of 1 part powder by weight to 5 parts oil.
• Place in a water bath and maintain a consistent temperature of around 100 degrees F.
• Stir the mixture well and cover.
• Let the digestion continue for 10 days and nights. Stir it frequently.
• Let the sediment accumulate for a few days, decant and filter.
• Bottle, cap tightly and store.

Oil with fresh plant

• Chop the freshly plant to a fine pulp.
• Place into a yogurt maker, meat roaster or apparatus with thermostatic control.
• Add a fixed oil of your choice.
• Stir well.
• Set the thermostat at 100 degrees F and cover the mixture. Let the digestion for 10 days and nights at 100 degrees F.
• Strain the oil from the herb and press the remaining pulp. The water fermentation of water in a fatty oil favors fermentation and rancidity.
• Let tour oil infusion sit in a jar for 4-5 days.
• The water and other impurities will settle in a jar to the bottom. Decant and discard the water portion.
• Bottle, cap tightly and store in a cool dark place.

Reference : James Green, The herbal medicine–maker’s handbook: a home manual