One of my oldest friends in Cooperstown, New York, was Sue King Elkan, who owned a third-generation farm there. After retiring as a children’s therapist, her passion became growing herbs and creating herbal products, including tinctures.
One of her favorite plants was calendula, a flowering herb traditionally used in topical preparations. After completing a weeklong training at the Rosemary Gladstar School of Herbal Medicine in Vermont, Sue returned home and began making herbal products for friends and family.
Among her favorites was a calendula body cream that everyone loved. Sadly, Sue passed away before she could share it more widely. Those of us fortunate enough to use it have since tried to recreate the recipe in her honor. While the process takes time, you’ll gain a valuable new skill along the way.
The first step is making a calendula tincture, an extract created by soaking herbs in a liquid solvent such as alcohol or apple cider vinegar. Most herbalists use 80-proof alcohol or raw organic apple cider vinegar.
Please note: This tincture is intended for external use only and is not presented as a medicinal product. This procedure is adapted from Mountain Rose Herbs, which also offers supplies for herbal processing.
Tools You’ll Need
- 1 gallon Mason jar with metal lid
- 1 liter vodka (80 proof) or organic apple cider vinegar
- Fine-mesh strainer
- Large glass bowl
- Cheesecloth
- Pint and half-pint Mason jars with lids
- High-speed blender
- 1 quart extra-virgin olive oil
- Funnel
- Fresh calendula flowers (enough to fill half of the gallon jar)
Preparing the Flowers
Harvest calendula flowers early in the morning, clipping only the flower buds. Lay the buds on newspaper in a sheltered location. Lightly mist with water to remove dirt, then allow them to dry in the sun for a full day.
Making the Tincture
- Once the buds are completely dry, place them in the gallon jar until it is about half full, arranging them in even layers.
- Pour the vodka or apple cider vinegar over the flowers until they are fully submerged, leaving about 1 inch of liquid at the top of the jar.
- Seal the jar tightly and store it in a cool, dark cupboard.
- Shake the jar daily during the first few weeks. Check the liquid level regularly and add more alcohol or vinegar if needed to keep the flowers submerged.
- Allow the mixture to steep for four to six weeks. When finished, the liquid should be a deep golden color.
- Strain the tincture by pouring it through a cheesecloth-lined strainer into a large glass bowl. Using a funnel, transfer the finished tincture into a clean quart Mason jar.
Making the Body Cream
Additional Tools
- High-speed blender
- Quart jar of prepared tincture
- 1 quart extra-virgin olive oil
Directions
- Pour 2 cups of tincture into the blender.
- Add 2 cups of extra-virgin olive oil.
- Blend on high, pulsing until the mixture resembles mayonnaise.
- Continue blending until it reaches a smooth, body cream-like consistency.
- Spoon the finished cream into small jars. If tincture remains, repeat the process to make another batch.
Share the finished body cream with friends and invite their feedback on its texture, fragrance and overall performance.
Jano Nightingale is a Master Gardener who teaches vegetable gardening classes at the Carlsbad Senior Center. Questions and requests for individual consultations may be sent to [email protected].
