BACKYARD GARDENING MADE SIMPLE

Name: Stovetop Pumpkin Oatmeal
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 35 min
Ingredients: ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg; ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon; ⅛ teaspoon ground ginger; ¼ cup packed brown sugar; 1 cup pumpkin puree (make this yourself by roasting your sugar pumpkin face down in the oven at 350 for 45 minutes, scooping out the flesh and blending or mashing with a fork); 4½ cups almond or coconut milk; 1½ cups oats; ¾ teaspoon salt; Craisins (optional)

Dagny 10/5/22 Dagny 10/5/22

Stovetop Pumpkin Oatmeal Recipe

Now that you’ve grown some delicious pumpkins, harvested and cured them. What can you do with a sugar pumpkin besides make the classic pumpkin pie? Pumpkin puree is infinitely useful in baking, but for a simple recipe you can make on your stovetop, let's make some pumpkin oatmeal

The Cottage Peach is reader-supported. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission at no additional cost to you. All opinions are our own.

Nothing says fall quite as loudly as bright orange pumpkin. Pumpkin spice lattes give it a good try, but everything leads back to the pumpkin patch. Just about every fall activity – from hay rides to apple picking, cider donuts to corn mazes - includes the squash we call a pumpkin.

A wooden crate with seven small sugar pumpkins freshly picked inside

By decorating the steps of our houses and carving jack-o’-lanterns, we all pay homage to, as the Charlie Brown special puts it, The Great Pumpkin.

Indigenous peoples used a variety of squashes for eating and making utensils, containers, and musical instruments. In fact, the word squash comes from the Narragansett tribe in what is now called Rhode Island. Humans have eaten squash as far back as prehistoric times.

Are Pumpkins Fruit?

The short answer is yes.

Encyclopedia Britannica defines fruit as, “the fleshy or dry ripened ovary of a plant, enclosing the seed or seeds.” So not only are pumpkins fruit, but so are avocados, peppers, and tomatoes, among others we call vegetables.

Fruits come from the parts of a plant that flower, while vegetables are the stems, roots, leaves, and bulbs of the plants themselves.

And get this – a pumpkin is technically a berry!

There is a difference between what we call things in common usage and how they’re defined in botany.

To most of us, a berry is a small, juicy, bright fruit without a stone or pit. In botany, however, a berry is a fleshy fruit developed by the ovary of one flower. Some of what we call berries do not meet that definition. For example, raspberries are formed by many ovaries, not one.

Botanically, pumpkins, watermelon, tomatoes, cucumbers, bananas, and grapes are all berries, while strawberries and blackberries are not berries at all.

When it comes to eating, though, the words berry, fruit, and vegetable have developed their own meanings, so unless you’re playing a trivia game or want to impress someone with your knowledge of botany, the common usages are just fine to use.

Why Grow Pumpkins?

I grow pumpkins for food and carving, but also for fun. One small seed produces a sprawling monster of a plant and then, at just the perfect time, there are pumpkins in my yard! Magic.

Growing pumpkins is a great project to do with kids, who generally find it as much fun as I do. Pumpkin plants grow easily and dependably, so are not likely to disappoint.

On a more practical note, every part of a pumpkin is edible, and it’s a source of food that can be stored throughout the winter’s lean times. Pumpkins are loaded with nutrients, including vitamin C, beta-carotene, magnesium, and potassium.

A woman in a burnt orange corduroy dress with long sleeves cradles a small orange sugar pumpkin against her side.

Carving Pumpkins vs. Eating Pumpkins

Any pumpkin or gourd can be carved or eaten, but there are a couple of main differences between the pumpkins we carve and the pumpkins we eat.

The pumpkins we carve are referred to as field pumpkins. They have thinner skin and stringy, watery flesh.

The pumpkins we eat are called sugar pumpkins or pie pumpkins. They are generally smaller, have thicker skin, and are more consistently round. Their flesh is not fibrous or stringy, and they have more flesh overall than a carving pumpkin.

Carving pumpkins:

The difference in the types of flesh translates to a difference in flavor. Carving pumpkins generally taste bland and are a little bitter.

Because thin skin is an attribute in a carving pumpkin, when choosing a carving pumpkin pick it up and compare it to others of the same size. The lighter pumpkin will have thinner skin.

Eating Pumpkins:

Sugar pumpkins taste rich and buttery, much like a butternut squash. (In fact, you can use butternut squash to make a pumpkin pie!) Their texture is smooth.

Because they are fleshier, a single sugar pumpkin will yield about as much as a can of the pureed pumpkin you can get at the grocery store.

Varieties of Pumpkin

All pumpkins are squash. There are hard-skinned squash and tender squash, and pumpkins are hard-skinned; a hard-skinned squash is also called a gourd.

While all pumpkins are gourds, not all gourds are pumpkins. Those that are not pumpkins are still edible, but generally have little flesh, and what they do have is bitter, so we use them as ornaments.

When choosing which pumpkins to grow, if you are interested in keeping them throughout the winter months you should look for one that is known as a ‘good keeper’.

Another fun option to grow is a giant pumpkin. Those are the ones you see at county fairs, grown just to see how big you can get them.

Varieties of carving pumpkins:

Gold Fever pumpkins are round and medium orange and weigh from 15-18 pounds.
Gold Rush pumpkins are large, round, jack-o-lanterns that grow from 20-35 pounds.
Howden pumpkins are a classic jack-o’-lantern, slightly taller than they are wide, with dark orange skin. They can grow to between 18-26 pounds.
Jack o’ Lantern pumpkins are great for carving as well as cooking. They grow from 7-10 pounds.
One Too Many pumpkins are a great choice if you want something different from the usual orange pumpkin. They have white and red skin. They grow to about 20 pounds.
Tom Fox pumpkins are deep orange and have fat, dark green stems. They grow to between 12-24 pounds.

Varieties of sugar pumpkins:

New England Pie pumpkins are dark orange and grow to 4-6 pounds. They’re not as sweet as some pumpkins, but they are a classic for pies.
Sweet Sugar Pie pumpkins are very meaty, with dark orange skin. They grow to 6-8 pounds, and are delicious for pies and canning.
Cinderella pumpkins are a great one for kids, as the carriage in the Disney movie is based upon their shape. They are mild and sweet, and can be 15-35 pounds.
Blue doll pumpkins don’t look like your typical pumpkin on the outside, with greenish-blue skin. But inside the pumpkin is dark orange and delicious. They grow to 20-24 pounds.
Lakota pumpkins are pear-shaped, with some combination of orange and green skin, making them a great choice for decoration and eating. They are sweet, and taste like butternut squash. They grow to about 7 pounds.
Dickinson pumpkins are used to make the Libby’s canned pumpkin pie filling you find at the grocery store. They are beige, and weigh 10-40 pounds.

Varieties of giant pumpkin:

Atlantic Giant pumpkins have pinkish orange skin. They grow to at least 300 pounds. The largest grown was over 1,400 pounds!
Big Max pumpkins are oblong with skin in shades of orange to pale salmon. They can grow from 100-300 pounds.
Prizewinner pumpkins have the classic pumpkin color and shape, with glossy skin. They can grow to weigh between 100-300 pounds.
Wyatt’s Wonder pumpkins have intense orange skin which doesn’t fade. They grow to 200 pounds or more.

When to Grow Pumpkins

A green sauce pan full of pumpkin oatmeal on a wood countertop with a white bowl of oatmeal beside it.

Pumpkins are generally planted from early May through June, depending on the variety. I usually end up planting in mid-June, here in zone 6.

How to Grow Pumpkins

Pumpkins grow on a sprawling vine which can take up quite a bit of space. Pumpkin seeds can be put directly into the ground.

Choose a sunny spot (fruits like sun) and form small mounds of soil 2-5 feet apart. Plant 3 seeds on each mound. Pumpkins are planted on mounds because the soil in a mound warms more quickly, which helps with germination.

I’ll be honest, though, I don’t bother with mounds. I just plant the seeds in the flat soil and haven’t had a problem with germination. That may be because I plant at the later end of the planting range.

Bury your seeds about as deep as the seed is long. Keep the soil moist until your pumpkin plants sprout.

Once the pumpkins form, you can slip a piece of cardboard under them so they are not in contact with the soil, making them less likely to rot.

As your pumpkins are coloring up, check to see if the bottom is also turning orange. If not, gently rotate the bottom side towards the sun.

When to Harvest Pumpkins

It’s best to leave pumpkins on the vine for as long as possible, but they should be harvested before overnight temperature in the 30s kick in. A frozen pumpkin will immediately rot.

When deciding if a pumpkin is ripe, first check the color. A small amount of green remaining is ok, but not too much.

Tap the pumpkin with your finger. It should feel solid and have a hollow sound. Just like watermelon and fresh baked loaves of bread, a hollow sound means it’s done. Next, push your fingernail into the skin. If it doesn’t puncture the skin, the pumpkin is ripe.

How to Harvest Pumpkins

The first thing to know is you should never carry a pumpkin by its stem. Instead, carry it from the bottom.

You may want to wear gloves when harvesting pumpkins, as the vines and stems are prickly. You can easily wipe the prickles off of the stem with a gloved hand.

Use Felcos or a sharp knife to harvest; the stem of a pumpkin is quite dense. Cut the pumpkin with a stem of at least 2 inches, as a longer stem extends the storage life of the pumpkin.

How to Store Pumpkins

To make a pumpkin last months, it should be cured before being stored. A pumpkin is cured by setting it in a hot, dry place. This allows the rind to harden.

Once your pumpkin is cured, it’s ready for storage. Store pumpkins in a cool, dark place with good airflow. The ideal temperature for storing pumpkins is 55 degrees. They should never be stored at 45 degrees or below.

Place the pumpkins on something that keeps them from touching the floor, and arrange them so they do not touch each other.

Stovetop pumpkin oatmeal recipe

Making pumpkin oatmeal on the stove is as simple as toasting your spice in your sauce pan, adding your sweetener, liquid and oats and simmering everything for about thirty minutes - until it is nice and soft. Then you can curl up with your warm bowl of cozy and enjoy all that fall has to offer this season! Find the full pumpkin oatmeal recipe below:

stovetop, pumpkin, oatmeal, fall

breakfast

Yield: 4

Author: The Cottage Peach

Stovetop Pumpkin Oatmeal

Prep time: 5 MinCook time: 30 MinTotal time: 35 Min

Ingredients

¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
⅛ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ cup packed brown sugar
1 cup pumpkin puree (make this yourself by roasting your sugar pumpkin face down in the oven at 350 for 45 minutes, scooping out the flesh and blending or mashing with a fork)
4½ cups almond or coconut milk
1½ cups oats
¾ teaspoon salt
Craisins (optional)

Instructions

In a large saucepan over low heat, toast the nutmeg, cinnamon and ginger, stirring occasionally until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
Stir in brown sugar, then add pumpkin and stir to combine. Add milk, raise heat and bring mixture to a simmer.
Stir in oats, and simmer over medium heat until tender but not mushy, about 25 to 30 minutes.
Stir in salt.
Serve with raisins, applesauce, apples, pecans or maple syrup if desired.

Recommended Products:

Caraway Home Non-Toxic Sauce Pan

Wood Spoon

Bowl

Nutrition Facts

Calories

713.65

Fat

56.5

Sat. Fat

48.56

Carbs

52.66

Fiber

5.42

Net carbs

47.26

Sugar

21.14

Protein

9.87

Sodium

478.25

Cholesterol

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Preserving The Garden Harvest: Instructions For Freezing Food

Preserving The Garden Harvest: Instructions For Pickling Food

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Preserving The Garden Harvest: Instructions For Dehydrating Food

Dagny 10/3/22 Dagny 10/3/22

Bat Houses You Can Build Or Buy

When I was young, we had a playroom in our attic. One afternoon, we noticed there were bats hanging upside-down on one of the window screens. There were two big bats, and a little baby bat.

With the glass between us, we were able to safely look them over, and we learned something unexpected – bats are cute!

They stayed quite a while, sleeping all day and disappearing at night. We actually felt a little sad when they left for good, and so we bought a bat house kit.

The Cottage Peach is reader-supported. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission at no additional cost to you. All opinions are our own.

Bat Houses

When I was young, we had a playroom in our attic. One afternoon, we noticed there were bats hanging upside-down on one of the window screens. There were two big bats, and a little baby bat.

With the glass between us, we were able to safely look them over, and we learned something unexpected – bats are cute!

They stayed quite a while, sleeping all day and disappearing at night. We actually felt a little sad when they left for good, and so we bought a bat house kit.

Bat Facts

Bats have flown over the earth for more than 50 million years. Unlike birds, their fellow flyers, they are mammals, and are in fact the second largest order or mammals, with more than 1,400 species.

Bats are nocturnal, and have wings where their forelegs might have been, making them the only mammals that can truly fly. (Flying squirrels don’t actually fly, they just glide small distances.) They are more agile fliers than most birds.

Bats pollinate night-blooming flowers, and are the primary pollinator of agave, which is the main ingredient in tequila.

The world’s smallest bat is the Bumblebee Bat, which is about an inch by ¾ of an inch when full-grown. The largest is the Giant Golden-crowned Flying Fox, which has a wingspan up to 6 feet. The

Mexican Free-tail Bat is the fastest bat, and can travel up to 100mph. Mexican Free-tails gather in a cave in New Mexico to give birth, with a population of up to 20 million!

There are 10 or 12 bat species that regularly use bat houses. The two most common are Little Brown and Big Brown bats. Neither is a vampire bat.

Bat Get a Bad Rap

In North America, bats are closely associated with vampires, and this stigma often overshadows the many beneficial qualities of bats. In fact, of the 1,400 species of bats, only 3 are vampire bats that drink blood.

They are also stigmatized because people fear they’ll catch rabies from a bat. Bats, like most mammals, can carry rabies, but the fact is that the vast majority do not. So while we should still see a doctor if there’s any chance we’ve been bitten by a bat, catching rabies isn’t something we need to worry about very much.

What Good Are Bats?

When you’re sitting in your backyard and see bats flying overhead, know that on that night, a colony of hundreds of bats will consume hundreds of thousands of insects. Imagine how many million bats around the world consume!

Bats are the top predator for insects that fly at night, eating pests like flies, termites, flying ants, June beetles, and moths. They also do us the great service of eating mosquitoes. In agriculture, the more bats we have, the less pesticide is needed.

Aside from eating pests, bats who feed on nectar also pollinate plants like bananas, cloves, and peaches. And those who feed on fruit disperse seed through their guano, spreading plants to the surrounding areas.

What Do Bats Sound Like?

To our ears, bats don’t sound like much of anything, but the sounds they do make are clicking noises. Bats make these noises using their vocal cords, their nostrils, and their tongues. Some species of bats also make clicking sounds by flapping their wings.

These clicking noises are ultrasonic, in a frequency 3 times higher than what we can hear with our human ears.

We know what bats sound like because of the use of bat detectors, which use an ultrasonic microphone and convert the sounds to a frequency humans can hear.

And so we know that if the noises are slowed down, they sound like the chirps of a bird, and that different species of bat have different calls, just as birds do.

Bats use these noises to echolocate, and presumably to communicate with each other. Their echolocation skills allow them to sense something as fine as a human hair.

What is a Bat House?

A bat house is built and secured somewhere high in order to provide bats with a space to live that mimics the roosts they would choose in the wild.

Many bat species roost under the bark of dead trees (and if you have a dead tree it is safe to leave standing, you can leave it up to provide a natural bat house).

Because this is the environment they choose in nature, bat houses are made to be narrow and tight. They are generally made from rough wood, so the bats can hang on without slipping, just as they would be able to between bark and the trunk of a tree.

Bat houses are often painted in dark colors, and the sides caulked, to recreate the warm and snug area they would naturally choose to raise babies.

Why Have a Bat House?

More than half of the bat species in North America are endangered.

Some of the main problems in maintaining bat populations are a fungal disease called White Nose Syndrome and the very long gestational period bats experience. The common vampire bat, for example, carries its young for 209 days! Most bat moms only give birth to one pup a year.

But human activity bears the majority of responsibility for their population decline: the destruction of natural habitats, windmills, climate change, pesticide use, hunting for sport and meat, and stigmas which lead to their being killed.

Having a bat house is an easy way to do our small part towards helping them have what they need to survive. A bat house provides a safe, warm place for mothers to bear their young.

Bat houses also provide bats who have been ‘evicted’ from people’s homes an alternative spot to roost.

DIY: How to Build a Bat House

A bat house is fairly simple to make. There are tons of plans and instructions online. The government of Massachusetts provides this free plan to build a four-chamber bat house: https://www.mass.gov/doc/build-a-four-chamber-bat-house/download

Their site details some key elements for a successful bat house. They recommend:

Using exterior plywood or cedar.
Using rough wood.
Not using pressure treated wood.
Using exterior grade screws to assemble.
Making your house at least 24” tall and at least 14” wide.
Making a bigger box is better.
Adding a 6” x ½” vent on each side for airflow.
Caulk all seams.
Cover the roof with shingles or metal for a more durable bat house.
Provide a landing pad of 3-6” just below the entrance.

The overall goals to keep in mind when building a bat house are warmth and tight spaces, as these will provide the right environment for babies.

To help maintain a good temperature, bat houses can be painted, but it is not required.

What Are the Best Bat Houses I Can Buy?

Bat houses are readily available to buy online at Amazon, Home Depot, Lehman’s, and Etsy. Here’s a few top picks for handmade bat houses from Etsy:

DIY Bat House Kits

Bat house kits are easy to assemble, and most can be completed in under an hour. Building one is a great project to do with kids.

When shopping for a bat house kit, choose one that is made with quality materials.

A bat house kit should come with everything you need, with the exception of tools like a drill or caulking gun. The necessary wood will be included and cut to size.

Bat Conservation & Management https://batmanagement.com/ is committed to the conservation and study of bats. They conduct research and surveys and work to educate people about bats. On their site, they sell a variety of bat house kits you can assemble yourself or buy premade. Their designs are backed by many years of experience and study.

Where Should I Hang a Bat House?

First, look for a place that is away from windows, doors, patios, or decks. Bats’ droppings make quite a mess.
Choosing the location for your bat house can make all the difference as to whether bats will move into it or not.
Bats scout for new roosts at night while they feed. Here is what you can do to make them more likely to choose yours:
Do not put your bat house on a tree. Bats can find houses more easily on a building or pole.
Put your bat house near a water source.
Install your house at least 12-20’ from the ground.
Make sure the location gets at least 6 or 7 hours of sunlight.
Consider placing it under your eaves, but only after making sure your house is bat-proof.
Bat houses should be a good distance away from wires and tree branches so there’s nothing to impede the bats’ flight.
Face your bat house to the south or southeast to catch as much warmth from the sun as possible.
In cooler climates, paint the house black to increase heat absorption from the sun.
While you can install a bat house at any time of year, you are more likely to get bats if you install it in spring or early summer.

How to Attract Bats to Your Bat House

One way to attract bats to your bat house is to grow night-scented flowers. These flowers often attract moths and other bugs which bats find tasty.

Night-Scented flowers:

Evening Primrose
Honeysuckle
Goldenrod
Fleabane

Another way to attract bats is to minimize (or better yet, eliminate) the use of pesticides in your yard. Bats are looking for a place where there’s a plentiful food source, meaning lots of bugs.

Finally, make sure there are no outdoor lights near your bat house.

It can take up to 2 years for bats to find and move into a bat house, so you’ll have to be patient. If no bats have made it their own in 2 years, you can move it to a different location and try again.

The majority of bat houses may never house bats. Don’t be discouraged by that! All we can do is our little part. The rest is up to the bats.

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DIY Olla Pot Lid Ideas: Keeping Bugs Out and Water In

Dagny 9/19/22 Dagny 9/19/22

Who can benefit from Calendula infused oil? [recipe]

If you’re looking to dip your toes into herbal remedies, calendula infused oil is a safe and fun place to start. Calendula is related to marigolds and is sometimes called pot marigold - it has no toxic look-a-likes and is safe even in large doses, so you really can’t mess this up! We grow calendula in our garden as a border and it serves multiple purposes for us - it adds beauty and color, traps unwanted pests who might overwise eat our food crop, feeds the pollinators and provides a useful herb for drying that we can then make into a salve. Calendula is an annual but it readily self-seeds so you really only need to buy one packet and the next year they will come back all on their own, helping you to establish your garden beds and provide a resource for neighboring insects who you share your garden with.

A jar of golden yellow oil on a wood table with yellow and orange flowers sprinkled across the table

So what are some calendula oil benefits? Calendula is…

Antifungal
Antimicrobial
Anti-inflammatory
Antioxidant

These properties and more are the reason people use calendula to prevent infection and heal injuries to body tissues, speed up wound healing time, and reduce scarring. In addition when used as part of a wound treatment it may reduce swelling and bruising and ease muscle fatigue. Calendula may also help in preventing or reducing acne. Calendula is used to relieve symptoms from dry skin conditions like eczema, psoriasis and diaper rash. There’s even a chance calendula could be used to fight cancer and protect against heart disease.

On a personal note, psoriatic arthritis doesn’t just affect my joints. It actually started for me as a skin condition with extremely dry itchy skin that cracks and flakes. I’ve felt so self conscious about my skin condition for so long, and want to normalize this struggle which so many of us with chronic illness go through. So often the more minor symptoms of our disease are tossed to the side as insignificant, but all these little insecurities add up. Needless to say this has been quite unpleasant, and a big reason that I began exploring natural remedies like this infused calendula oil was that I found my skin was really sensitive to the ingredients in most drugstore moisturizers and lotions. I wanted to find a way to make my own moisturizer that was simple and cost effective, and calendula oil was one of the very first DIY skincare products I made at home myself. I use my salve as a preventative product, as well as for acute flares. I just love really easy DIY projects like this one that anyone can do!

SHOP CALENDULA SEEDS

A clear glass mason jar full of yellow oil laying on it's side on a wooden table

Calendula oil or salve makes a pretty great handmade holiday gift too! For the holidays last year I gave a tin of handmade calendula salve to every one of my friends tied up with a piece of twine and ribbon, and they all continue to rave about it and ask for more to this day.

Is Marigold the Same as Calendula?

Marigold and calendula belong to the same family, but the active beneficial compounds are present in different amounts in each plant, and only certain types of marigolds are edible.

How to Use Calendula Oil

Calendula oil may be used on its own as a moisturizing oil, or blended into butters, creams, salves and lotions along with other ingredients like beeswax and shea butter. I make a simple beeswax salve with my calendula oil that can be used for burns, cuts, scrapes, bruises, rashes and dry skin. You can even incorporate it into your favorite salad dressing depending on what oil you use (make sure it’s food grade)

What Type of Oil is Best for Infusing Herbs?

You can use many different oils to infuse herbs depending on your preference, budget and intended use. I used sweet almond oil for this herbal oil infusion, but olive oil, grapeseed oil and apricot oil also will work as carrier oils safe for topical use. Olive oil is by far the cheapest and most easy to find, and has a longer shelf life, but sweet almond oil is affordable as well and has no smell, plus it includes vitamin E and K. Both are good options that I use regularly! I haven’t tried grapeseed or apricot oil myself.

Best Container for Herbal Infusions

When infusing herbs in oil, you should always choose a plastic free container to avoid leaching any dangerous chemicals into your oil. I like to use a glass mason jar to infuse my oil since we always have so many extra on hand and they are durable and cheap, but if you don’t have somewhere dark you can store a clear jar, then a tinted glass jar or bottle is best to keep out sunlight, since UV rays can reduce the effectiveness and longevity of your infused oils.

Homegrown VS Store Bought Herbs

Store bought herbs don't just look different, they ARE different. So why are homegrown herbs better for you?

Think about the difference between a bagged, pre-chopped salad and the lettuce you picked up from the farmers market.

They're both still lettuce, but one is darker, fresher, and much more flavorful.

That flavor directly translates to compounds in the plant that are nutritionally dense. It tastes better because it's better for you! The older the produce is, the more those nutrients break down.

Herbs are the same way. When you get store bought herbs, there is almost no way to guarantee their freshness or quality. Yes, even dried herbs can be fresh! It's likely that if you're seeing faded colors or a lot of dust in your herbs indicating it's begun to break down, the beneficial compounds within the herbs themselves are not potent anymore.

Growing your own herbs (here’s my favorite place to buy calendula seeds) or buying from a small herbalist shop is the best way to ensure the quality of your final herbal preparation. It also eliminates the great amount of waste and emissions involved in packaging and shipping herbs, since even though many herbs like calendula grow all over the country, when you purchase them from a large store they often come from overseas. If you can’t grow your herbs yourself or find a small local shop: Find these herbs and more by tapping here to visit my favorite online herb shop!

How to Make Calendula Infused Oil

There are many ways to make an infused oil but my favorite is a simple folk method - this means we won’t be making any exact measurements. You’ll find that many herbalists employ a folk method for their skincare concoctions since accuracy in dosing is not generally a requirement unless taken internally.

To make an infused oil using the folk method, all you need to do is fill your mason jar about halfway with calendula flowers, then cover at least an inch above the herbs with your oil of choice. I usually end up filling the jar almost all the way to the top. Tap lightly on a solid surface to make sure there are no air bubbles trapped in the oil and place the infusing oil jar in a cool dark place such as a closet or pantry (somewhere out of direct sunlight) for about six weeks. You can regularly shake the jar to redistribute the oil, and you may notice that after the first day or two much of the oil has been absorbed into the dried herbs and you will need to add more to keep the flowers completely covered in oil. This is normal and to be expected.

SHOP CALENDULA SEEDS

calendula oil, infused oil, herbal remedies, herbalism

herbal remedies

Author: The Cottage Peach