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How To Make a Powerful Calendula Extract to Keep in Your Medicine Cabinet

Beautiful to look at in full bloom, the sunny orange calendula – also known as marigold – has a wealth of herbal uses that are worth learning about.

With both antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties, the fresh petals can be infused in boiling water, then cooled to clean minor wounds and treat conditions such as mouth ulcers or sore gums. Gargling with the infusion can soothe a sore throat and rolling a ball of petals between your fingers and applying directly to insect bites or nettle stings can be really effective in numbing the discomfort.

Dried Petals

It’s worth, however, gathering the petals and drying them in the sun, or in an airy, warm place to harness even more of the properties of these brilliantly colored flowers.  Making your own calendula tincture or resinous extract is straightforward and rewarding.  Easily stored, it’s a powerhouse addition to your herbal medicine cabinet.

You’ll need:

Around 50g dried calendula petals

Grain alcohol to cover – between 500 – 700 ml (the key ingredient, it works better than oil)

Method

  1. Pack the calendula (not too tightly) into a suitable, clean container and pour over the alcohol. Stir gently and keep out of direct sunlight for two weeks, mixing and pressing with the spoon gently every two or three days.
  2. Strain the liquid through a muslin cloth into a wide, clean dish, squeezing the contents to extract as much of the calendula essence as possible.
  3. Cover with foil or a cloth, ensuring that the cloth does not touch the contents of the dish. Now leave until the alcohol starts to evaporate.  The rate at which the liquid which start to reduce will vary according to temperature and humidity, but will take around 1 – 2 weeks on average.
  4. Keep checking – if you want to strain and bottle the tincture then do so while the extract is still liquid and not too viscous.
  5. If you prefer to make a stickier resinous extract, then wait until all of the alcohol has evaporated, and you are left with a glossy residue, which you can then spoon into a cosmetic-type jar.

Storage and Shelf Life

Both will have a long shelf life of 2 – 3 years if kept in brown/green glass or opaque containers and stored out of direct sunlight. Never take or administer any medicines or treatment without the approval of a health-care advisor, but traditional remedies include diluting drops of the tincture in water to treat ear infections, low fever or other ailments.

People report dabbing the resin directly onto minor wounds for pain relief and healing, using the tincture as an immune system booster and to support healthy liver function. There are so many uses for calendula extract and it’s worth doing some in-depth research to learn more about the potency and potential of this remarkable plant.

You may also like: 

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Multipurpose Calendula Elixir

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Why the clickbait (“ But 99% percent of recipes are still missing a key ingredient that makes this one of the most potent natural medicines you can stockpile at home:”) in Nicole‘a email linking your this post?
It really cheapens you’re entire image.

I don’t think she’s concerned with her image.
It’s proper to put the important part of your message in the title.
Please if I can urge you to not post comments that are unkind and completely opinion based.
Blessings,
Trish

Bless your kind sweet ❤️

What’s missing?

Hi Margaret,

Most recipes don’t have high proof grain alcohol. This is great to extract everything you need from the plant.

God bless!

How many spelling mistakes and grammar mistakes can you legitimately have in your derogatory comment about being cheap can you have? That is until your message is completely meaningless……

Let’s all ask Jim.

I appreciate this article as I had forgotten about calendula. I had used it as a salve years ago. I didn’t mind the language at all and, in fact, it did grab my attention–and I’m glad it did.

I may be a bit confused, though. I’m not sure exactly sure either what she meant or what exactly is the key ingredient most recipes miss. If you could clarify? (Thanks.)

I have found from other recipes they are using the dried flowers in oil, this recipe calls for soaking them in alcohol. I wonder if that is what she is referring to?

Hi Sherri,

You are absolutely right! Great comment.

God bless!

Hi Vikk,

Most recipes we found online don’t have high proof grain alcohol. This is great for extraction.

God bless!

Am I right in assuming that the key ingredient is the high proof grain alcohol, which would strip everything essential from the plant? In the past I have infused oil’s. This makes a lot of sense.

Hi Kim,

Yes, you are correct! Thank you for your comment.

God bless!

The email says, “But 99% percent of recipes are still missing a key ingredient that makes this one of the most potent natural medicines you can stockpile at home.” What is it??? Why is it not in the article?!

Hi Eadie,

You are right, we should have been more specific. Most recipes we found don’t have high proof grain alcohol they have infused oils. We will clarify in the article.

God bless!

I would think that the alcohol is the key ingredient. Doesn’t the flower still contain its own oil that would be released when soaking in the alcohol? Just a though.

Hi Dee,

Thank you so much for your comment. Yes, the key ingredient in alcohol.

God bless!

Lost herbs can I get the clarifying in email

The extra ingredient is brains. You need them “in”your head to compete this one.

I got the video but there is no click now button at all

I don’t know where to get high-proof grain alcohol. Can I use vodka?

Everclear

Hey Patrick, oh is that what it is, okay thank you. I know what Everclear is. Lol I have never heard it called high grain before but my cousins used to make Jello shots with Everclear in Texas.😊

Thank you for asking this question, I have the same issue unless I look on Amazon to see if they have the High Grain Alcohol. When you use Vodka it will say 40% but it actually means 80 proof. Thought you may want to know that also.

Yes. I use 100 proof vodka.

Hello, I have the stained mixture setting in a bowl covered with foil in a dark closet, its been there for over two weeks now and I have yet to get any real evaporation. It is still about the same volume as it was, can this take longer based off of where I have it stored? Just wondering what I need to do to speed up the process? Any thoughts? Thanks so much! 🙏

Hi Sherri, it can’t evaporate if it’s covered.

Hi GiGi, it states in bullet #3 to cover it;

“Cover with foil or a cloth, ensuring that the cloth does not touch the contents of the dish. Now leave until the alcohol starts to evaporate. The rate at which the liquid which start to reduce will vary according to temperature and humidity, but will take around 1 – 2 weeks on average”
This is why I asked.
But I will try that instead, does make sense that it wouldn’t evaporate, but I was just following what the instructions were.

Hey Patrick, oh is that what it is, okay thank you. I know what Everclear is. Lol I have never heard it called high grain before but my cousins used to make Jello shots with Everclear in Texas.😊

@Patrick, oh is that what it is, okay thank you. I know what Everclear is. Lol I have never heard it called high grain before but my cousins used to make Jello shots with Everclear in Texas.😊

50, 50 mix of everclear and 100 proof vodka makes almost 75 percent grain alcohol. Should be more than strong enough macerate out the active/medicinal constituents in calendula. I find that the calendula infused oil is sufficient for what I use it for… salves, lip balm, minor cuts, bug bites, scrapes and all around skin softening. Great after shave oil. Just add favorite essential oil and it will fix many a minor problem. I once fixed a hemroid with the salve made from the infused oil. The infused oil salve makes great Christmas gifts.

When you said “the sunny orange calendula – also known as marigold”, shouldn’t that actually have said ‘pot marigold’, since marigolds are actually a different flower altogether?

Jim, Calendula is a different flower from the garden marigolds everyone grows in flower beds. Pot marigold is also a different flower. The garden marigolds are excellent for keeping pests, 6 legged kind, out of the garden and the chickens love them. When the hens eat them they make deep orange gold yokes. Pot marigolds have other uses. If I remembered all I know about the three flowers I’d be happy to share it here. But, since I don’t remember at past midnight you can look all of them up and learn the difference on the web. It is very interesting their many uses.

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