Make Your Own Herbal Infusions

We'll take the herb Calendula, known for its skin healing properties and very easy to grow prolifically in a yard or window, discuss how to grow, harvest, and dry it, and make an infusion in oil and alcohol. The resultant Calendula oil can then be mixed with a little beeswax to make a wonderful salve (balm) for scrapes, cuts, and bruises. The same process can be applied to other herbs to create balms for other purposes. I love this because it gives me a use for my herb garden beyond cooking and because it takes balm-making to an even more basic level (how you would do it if you couldn't get essential oils or simply didn't want to spend the money on them).