Comfrey is a medicinal herb you can create an extract from by collecting the liquid in the leaves.
Comfrey, an ornamental herb, is also a traditional herbal medicine. Used since medieval times as a healing agent, many herbalists still rely on this herb for a variety of uses and create salves or tinctures from it. A broad-leafed plant with bristly leaves and small flowers that range from white to purple, comfrey is readily available perennial. Creating your own comfrey extract is a simple process.
Instructions
1. Collect the comfrey early in the day, just after the dew dries but before the heat of the day. This is the time when the plants leaves are at their peak. Choose leaves that are fully formed and mature but are not aged or damaged. Just matured leaves are the best choice as they contain the highest amounts of the plant properties you are looking for and have not begun to deteriorate yet.
2. Clip enough leaves from the plants with your shears to make your extract. For a very small amount of extract you can collect 1 oz. of leaves. It is best to create a larger batch if you will utilize the extract, but not too much so that it will go unused and spoil. You can also purchase dried comfrey leaves to make the extract as a secondary method, although fresh is preferable. You can dry your comfrey leaves at the end of the season before winter and store them for this purpose.
3. Chop the leaves with the knife. A fine chop is best to allow the liquid to penetrate the leaves and release all the components from the plant.
4. Place your comfrey in the glass jar. For this recipe the example will be 1 ounce of fresh comfrey or 1/2 oz. dried, in a quart jar. A canning jar or a carefully washed spaghetti sauce jar works well. The jar should be cleaned, dried and sterilized with boiling water before use for a pure extract.
5. Cover the macerated leaves with 1 pint of extracting liquid. For a pure extract for tinctures, poultices, teas or creams, use grain alcohol or vodka. For creating a salve, use good quality olive oil. The difference is in the end product you are creating.
6. Place plastic wrap over the top of the jar, then put the lid on carefully. The plastic will keep any liquid from seeping out and protect the extract from coming in contact with the metal lid of the jar and any possible contamination. Shake the jar vigorously, and place on a shelf in a cool, dry, dark area. Do not expose the jar to light, as this will deteriorate the leaves and cause spoilage before the extract is finished.
7. Leave the mixture in the jar for two to four weeks, shaking it to activate the mixture every two or three days. You can leave it as long as up to six weeks. The longer it steeps, the more extracts from the plant you will get, but too long and it will become rancid.
8. Drain the mixture from your jar into a strainer lined with cheesecloth. Two layers works best to filter the extract from any pieces of debris or sediment. Strain the liquid into a dark-colored bottle. The extract should not be exposed to light as the properties deteriorate with sun exposure, so an amber or brown bottle is the best choice. You can use a small bottle with a dropper-type cap for dispensing, or a larger bottle if you have prepared a bulk extract. Be sure to squeeze every last little bit of liquid from the mass of leaves from your extracting jar as the liquid in these contains the highest amounts of the elements you are looking for.
9. Cap your bottles of extract and label with the name of the herb and the date. Either formula works directly for tinctures or poultices. The alcohol extract can be used for teas and other recipes, the oil-based extract can be used with other ingredients to make a solid salve or creams as well.
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