Fresh Calendula Flowers
When winter descends, the veggie garden takes on tones of dark greens and purples, and bursts of orange from calendula flowers, seeming to possess an inner light. No wonder they attract bees and other beneficial insects to the garden all year round. Calendula is also an essential herbal medicine to have on hand for making remedies to treat minor wounds, burns and infections. This hardy plant is easy to grow, preserve, and use. Let’s delve deeper into the fascinating world of calendula and explore its myriad benefits and uses.
A little history
The healing benefits of calendula
- antimicrobial
- anti-inflammatory
- antioxidant
- wound-healing
- lymphatic
Identifying calendula
Prof. Dr. Otto Wilhelm Thomé ”Flora von Deutschland, Österreich und der Schweiz” 1885, Gera, Germany.
- Flowers: calendula flowers are daisy-like, with bright yellow to orange petals surrounding a central disk. The flower heads are typically 10-20 mm in size.
- Petals: the petals are straight, long, and ovular.
- Centre: look for a distinct round dot in the centre, ranging from yellow to brown.
- Leaves: calendula has lanceolate (lance-shaped) pale-mid green leaves with finely serrated margins arranged alternately on the stem.
- Stem: the stems are hairy and form angular branches.
- Seeds: one of the most distinctive features of calendula is its seeds. Look for brown, U-shaped seeds with slight bumps along the exposed surface.
- Plant Height: mature calendula typically grows between 30 to 60cm (1 to 2 feet) tall.
How to harvest, dry and store calendula
It is best to dry calendula flowers and petals before using them in herbal preparations. Taking the water content out ensures they are less susceptible to mould. Drying the flowers allows for easy storage, making sure they are always on hand for making teas, lotions and potions.
To dry and store Calendula (Calendula officinalis) flowers, follow these steps:
Harvesting
- Harvest Calendula flowers when they are just fully open and vibrant, ideally in the late morning after the dew has evaporated.
- Use scissors or your fingers to snip off the flower head at the top of the stalk.
Drying
- Place flowers face down in a single layer on a drying rack or a wire mesh baking rack, or thread them onto a long thread.
- If using a dehydrator, set it to the “herb” setting and dehydrate for up to 24 hours, depending on the moisture content and density of the flowers.
- Without a dehydrator, keep the flowers in a dry place with lots of airflow, away from direct sunlight to prevent colour degradation, and dry for 6-8 days.
- Ensure the flowers are completely dry before storing them. The flowers are dry when the centre of the flower head is brittle and the petals are crisp.
Storing
- Store dried Calendula flowers in a dry, airtight container, such as a jar.
- Keep the container in a cool, dark place to preserve the flowers’ quality and prevent degradation from light and oxygen.
- Properly dried and stored Calendula flowers can maintain their quality for over a year.
Tips
- If the flowers are harvested from a chemical-free environment, do not wash them; a quick shake can remove any dust or bugs.
- If necessary, gently wash the flowers in clean cold water, then dried on a towel before the drying process.
- Dead-heading the plants by removing withered or brown flower heads can prolong blooming and encourage more flower production.
- It’s important to ensure the flowers are completely dry before storage to prevent mould and spoilage.
By following these steps, you can successfully dry Calendula flowers for use throughout the year, having a stash ready to use when you want to make infusions and balms.
Fresh Calendula Flowers Ready for the Dehydrator
Calendula Water Infusion
Tea
To prepare a tea, simply place 1–2 teaspoons (1–2 – 2g) of dried leaves or flowers (3–4 – 4g for fresh) in a teapot. Infuse for 10–15 minutes. You can then drink the infusion throughout the day.
For centuries, people have been enjoying calendula tea as a beverage to help with the healing of inflammation and ulceration in the gastrointestinal tract. Check with your healthcare practitioner before drinking a calendula infusion regularly.
Mouthwash and Gargle
Preparations aid in the healing of gingivitis, ulceration, thrush and other minor infections of the mouth and throat. It is also useful for tonsillitis and pharyngitis. Swish a cooled infusion around the mouth, making sure it is being pushed through the teeth, gargle and then spit out or swallow.
Eye infections
For minor eye infections, you can soak a cotton ball in a cooled calendula infusion (strained through a very fine doubled cloth or doubled over, clean nut milk bag) and apply liberally around your eye with your eyelid shut. You will need to make a fresh infusion every day and do not double-dip with the cotton ball to prevent cross-infection.
Dried calendula petals, easy to store, ready for use.
Calendula and Lavender Healing Balm
- For every 1 cup of cold-pressed vegetable oil, add 1/2 cup of dried calendula flowers. Place it in a saucepan over very low heat. Bring it to just below a simmer.
- Allow infusing at this heat for 45 minutes to an hour.
- Strain off the flowers through a sieve lined with double cheesecloth.
- Store the oil in glass bottles or jars in a cool, dark place until ready to use.
Calendula & Lavender Healing Balm
A versatile healing balm for minor skin wounds and inflammation.
Ingredients
- 250mL calendula infused extra virgin olive oil
- 50g natural beeswax, grated
- 25g medicinal honey
- 30 drops lavender essential oil
Instructions
- Assemble clean, sterile glass jars and lids to hold approximately 300mL of balm.
- Heat the beeswax and oil in a double boiler (see note) over medium heat. The beeswax will slowly dissolve into the oil. Stir with a whisk to combine.
- When the beeswax is almost dissolved, remove from heat and allow to cool for a few minutes, but not so long as for the balm to harden. Add the honey and essential oil, then stir again to combine.
- Pour into a small jug with a fine spout or, load up a large syringe.
- Fill the jars. You will need to work quickly as the balm will harden. If you are using a jug, stir the balm between pours to ensure the honey does not settle in the bottom.
- Allow the jars to cool (I place a piece of kitchen paper on top). When cool cap tightly and store in a cool, dark place for up to a year.
Notes
If you do not have a double boiler simply pop a stainless steel or heatproof glass mixing bowl over a saucepan. Fill to a quarter with water and bring to a simmer. Make sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water.
Calendula and Lavender Healing Balm
Bling
Calendula Petals Make Healthy Salad Bling!
You have done a great job, I like your passion towards blogging. It is very useful…. I have also written about Calendula on my website. If you have time please check it out….
http://naturebring.com/grow-calendula-herbaceous-plants/
Thanks Vikalp. Calendula is such a versatile healing plant. I am popping over now to check out your post.
I have a question: does the drying method matter when working with calendula is one way better than another… Specifically can I use a food dehydrator to dry my calendula flowers or does it take away from the medicinal properties if they are dried on a traditional wire rack for 10 days?
Hi Sabrina, you should have no problem drying your calendula in a dehydrator. Just make sure you keep the temperature at or below 40C / 100F. This will ensure they retain their medicinal quality. :)
Can I ask where you get medicinal honey at?? Or can you use any kind of raw unfiltered honey? Is there a difference between the two?
Raw unfiltered honey is simply honey that has not undergone any processing, filtration, or pasteurisation. It is extracted straight from the beehive and contains all its natural goodness, such as pollen, enzymes, and antioxidants. It is thicker and richer in flavour than regular honey and often has a cloudy appearance due to bee pollen and propolis.
Local raw unfiltered honey contains pollen and products of pollen broken down by the bees that may help de-sensitise people with allergies to local pollen-producing plants.
On the other hand, medicinal honey is a specific type used for its therapeutic properties. When it comes to honey, there are two types you should know about: Manuka honey and Jellybush honey. Both kinds of honey are considered medicinal because they contain high levels of a unique compound called methylglyoxal (MGO), which gives them their therapeutic properties.
Manuka honey comes from bees that feed on the nectar of the Manuka tree in New Zealand. Jellybush honey, on the other hand, comes from bees that feed on the nectar of the Leptospermum polygalifolium plant, also known as the Jellybush, which is native to Australia.
These honey have been used for millennia for their antibacterial properties and are often used topically to treat wounds, burns, and other skin conditions. In addition, some take it orally to soothe sore throats, boost their immune system, or aid digestion.
You should be able to find medicinal honey in the health food shop or chemist, where they will hopefully advise you on the one right for your needs :)
If I made a salve and it came out firmer than I’d like, would it be bad to remelt the salve on low heat to add more oil? I don’t want to destroy the healing properties of the calendula oil
Hi Kate, yes, that is what I would do, keep it at the lowest temperature to allow the addition of more oil. You will just need to keep a sharper eye on the pan!
Does the honey in the balm make it sticky on the hands?
Hi Nina, there is only a small amount of honey in the balm. I have not found it sticky. Maybe make a small test batch to ensure it is a consistency right for you. Happy concocting :)