The day before you plan to make your oil, choose a variety of jars and wash them well. Allow them to air-dry or put in the sun to dry. Oil and water do not mix. The most important part of making an infused oil with fresh plants is to keep water to a minimum.

Fill your jar/s with freshly harvested flowers of mullein or Hypericum, finely cut plantain or comfrey leaves, or the flowers and leaves of meadowsweet, yellow sweet clover, or red clover. Then fill the jar to the top with pure olive oil, almond oil, or any oil of your choice. Cap tightly. Put the jar in a bowl to contain likely leakage. Label the top (not the side) of the jar with the name of the plant, the type of oil, and the date. Your oil is ready to use in 6 weeks.

Many infused leaf oils smell strange. Plantain leaf oil smells like a delicatessen. Comfrey leaf oil can be stinky if left longer than six weeks; in very hot weather, decant it after 4 weeks, don’t wait the full six. Flower oils usually smell delightful. (For lots more info on infused oils, and more choice of plants to infuse in oil, see Breast Cancer? Breast Health! The Wise Woman Way.)