What to do with all Those Herbs you Grew This Summer 

Herbal Vinegars

Herbal vinegar, as well as  oils, are the most accessible and most beautiful items to make.  Use a cider or wine vinegar.  Slightly bruise your herbs and place them in the bottle you are going to use.  Heat your vinegar just a bit and pour over the herbs.  You can leave it as is or strain it and pour it into another bottle with a sprig of herb as decoration.  label and decorate your jar.  some people like to use a cork with their bottle and dip it in wax as a sealant.  It’s quite eye-catching and pretty.

Southwest vinegar

1 gallon of red wine vinegar

6 stalks of rosemary

6 stalks of oregano

24 garlic cloves

24 jalapenos

6 long green chiles

1/2 cup whole cumin

1/2 cup whole coriander

1/2 cup whole black peppercorns

You can make this in one container or split the ingredients up into several containers. ( Please note that my recipes might require you to adjust to the amount and sizes of bottles you are using)  Fill each jar with several sprigs of each herb and all the rest of the ingredients.  Make sure that the garlic is peeled.  It might be nice to let some of the chiles turn slightly red and orange for color.  Pour the heated vinegar over the herbs and cork the bottles.  When it is cooled, decorate each bottle, label and set in a sunny window for at least two weeks.  If you have made this in one large container, then divide it up after two weeks and follow with decorating and labeling. 

Did you know that people used to make medicines this way?  A vinegar tincture is more fragile than an alcohol tincture, but you might want to try it.  Use one oz. of herb to 1 part vinegar.  Let set up for two weeks—strain and store in the refrigerator.  You can add honey to make it more palatable.  An herbal vinegar will last anywhere from 6 weeks to 6 months.  Before you use it check to make sure it smells good and hasnʼt gone rancid.

Mullein ear oil

Use equal parts oil to equal parts fresh mullein flowers. Collect the flowers early in the morning and use tweezers to pull the buds out of the stalks. You can also use the leaves and the flowers together, but the pure flowers make the best ear oil. Cover the flowers with oil and let them set up for two weeks. Strain and store in the refrigerator.       

 Ear oil should be dropped into the ear with a dropper a few drops at a time.  Let it stay in the ear for a few minutes and then turn your head and let it drain out.  Oil should never be allowed to stay in the ear for long periods.  Remember that the oil is only a conductor of the medicinal properties and not the medicine itself.  

Another way to make a medicinal oil is to cook it in the crock pot at a low heat for 6 to 8 hours.  At the end of that time strain and either use as is or add 1 oz melted bees wax  to 6 to 8 oz of oil and heat until wax is melted.  Pour into containers and store as salve. 

Rose Beads

Take  3 cups of dried rose petals and cover with rose water.  Cook at a very low heat for about an hour.  Let the mixture cool, and then repeat 2 or 3 more times.  You may want to add a few drops of rose essential oil, but it's optional.  Roll the mixture into beads.  and then roll in powdered herbs such as cinnamon, nutmeg, or cloves.  If you are going to string them, make sure you string them when they are wet, or take a medium-sizedwire and poke holes through them to string later.  You can even dry them on this wire. 

Nifty ideas

Shape a heart and decorate it with ribbons for your love.

String a necklace using other beads as well.

Make a rosary (originally, rosaries were made with 165 rose bea

Moisturizing cream

Use rose petals, lavender flowers, or whatever other herbs you love, and cook them in oil in a crock pot on low for several hours.

 Strain. 

Add 2 tsp.  Melted beeswax is added to each cup of hot oil and 2 TBS of cold water.

 Put into blender and hit high for a few minutes.  This can go fast so there is no set time.  When the mixture is thick ( make it as thick or thin as you like, either a lotion or a cream, depending on the amount of beeswax you use), add essential oils of rose, lavender, or whatever you love and a few drops of coloring.  Put into beautiful bottles and label. Beautiful

These are just a few ideas. Let your imagination run wild. You can make soap, household cleaning supplies, scented inks, papers, and toys for children and pets.