Calendula Balm Recipe

Here’s a special treat for the readers of The Old Schoolhouse magazine’s Homestead Newsletter:

This calendula (aka: marigold) balm is great for those summertime bites, stings, burns and other inflammatory skin problems)

You will need: 1/2 cup dried calendula petals (available in bulk at a health food store or from your garden; you may find it under it’s nickname, marigold), 1 ounce beeswax, 1/2 cup olive oil, a sterile tin to hold your finished project

Place the petals and oil into an oven proof dish. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. Place the oil and herbs into the oven, then turn it off. Leave for 3-4 hours, then remove from the oven. It may need to cool for an hour or two on the counter. Once it is cool, strain out the herbs with cheesecloth. Add the beeswax to the remaining oil and put back into the oven (or you can use a microwave for this part) Heat just until the beeswax is almost melted. Then you can take it out and stir until it is all melted and combined. Pour into your prepared tins and let sit 15-20 minutes until cool. This will make 2 tins of balm, about 2 ounces each.