Follow-up on the Evergreen Balm

Follow-up on the Evergreen Balm
Oh, wow does this stuff smell awesome! It had the whole house smelling like an evergreen forest!


As I already had Granny Tackett's Healing Balm which I love, but it didn't have much a scent to it and it was missing "something" - now I know what, the warmth of the evergreens - I decided to combine the two recipes into one. Even unfinished I love this stuff!


I put the evergreens in a pot, added Granny Tackett's Healing Balm to it, mixed it up and let it heat slowly. It took about an hour for the evergreens to soften and reduce down.


I then poured all of it back into the jar, let it cool down, and put the lid on it. 


I will leave it in the cupboard for at least a month, then I'll scoop it all back out into the pot again, slowly heat it up, and finally strain out the evergreens, at which point it will then be complete!


So, here's the final recipe for the balm:


Granny Tackett's Healing Balm
Ingredients
3 Yarrow flowerheads (minimum) - if dried, grind up; if fresh, cut into pieces
1 Heal-All plant (including roots) - if dried, grind up; if fresh, cut into pieces 
4 Plantain leaves - if dried, grind up; if fresh, cut into pieces
3 cups mixed Evergreens: Cedar, Juniper, Pine
1 tablespoon Rosemary Essential Oil
Emulsifier (optional)
1 cup Vegetable Shortening
1/8 cup Vegetable Oil (olive or sunflower being the best choices)
Mortar & Pestle
Small pot
Clean jar with well-sealing lid

Instructions
On a very low heat, melt the vegetable shortening & oil together.
Grind the yarrow & heal-all in the mortar & pestle. Most of it will powder, but some will not, don't worry about it. The evergreens will be fresh and cannot be ground to a powder. The same with the other plant materials if using fresh rather than dried.
Add the plant material and the rosemary essential oil to the melted oil in the pot, stirring to mix well.
Pour the mixture into the jar and let cool completely, stir thoroughly before placing the lid on.
Let sit in a cool, dark cupboard for at least a month, taking it out once a week to stir it up.
After at least a month remove from the cupboard, scoop all the balm into the pot and slowly heat up again. Once the balm is liquid again strain out the plant materials. Any powdered materials will probably remain, which is fine. The evergreens and larger pieces will be removed.
What is left is your now-complete Granny Tackett's Healing Balm!

Use for scratches, wounds, burns, as an ointment or on a warm or hot cloth as a poultice.


Here's the balm after it's cooled in the jar, you can see the evergreens in it quite clearly:

I'll update with another post when the final product is completed. :)