Homemade Calendula Oil
Every month, Heather joins us over here to share her knowledge and love of herbs! Last month she shared how to create your own aloe vera gel and this month she’s sharing how to create your own Calendula oil + how to incorporate it into a recipe! Enjoy and be sure to look her up over on Tea With Me.
Known as the pot marigold, Calendula has been growing in pots since ancient Rome. Originally from Europe and Africa, you can find the golden petals in beautiful gardens around the world. This herb should be one of your first go to plants when it comes to an herbal first aid kit. With healing properties from anti-inflammatory to antifungal; Calendula is famous for helping with minor cuts and bites, skin rashes, and internal inflammation (lymph nodes).
Most people think of Calendula as a medicinal herb, using calendula oil as a base for salves and lotions. Instead of a DIY for a salve this month, I wanted to introduce you to the spice side of the marigold. Calendula makes a very light floral oil, that is delicious with balsamic vinegar. The smell is divine and if you love dipping crusty bread into oil and vinegar, this combo is the way to go. We’ve been experiencing a heat wave recently and I wanted something light and refreshing – a chicken salad with homemade calendula oil.
There are two ways to make calendula oil – cold or hot infusion. The cold infusion oil steeps the herb/oil in the sun for a minimum of a week, whereas the hot infusion takes four hours over a low heated saucepan.
Cold Infusion
- Start with a very clean and sanitized jar (especially if you are going to use the oil for medicinal purposes.)
- Fill with calendula petals up to the top.
- Pour olive oil (the higher quality the better) over the petals to the top. Secure lid.
- Place in a well sun light lit area and shake once every other day for a minimum of a week.
- Drain petals and replace oil in jar. Secure lid.
Hot Infusion
- Again start with a clean and sanitized jar.
- Fill calendula petals and oil to the top.
- Then pour contents into a small saucepan.
- Heat on low for 4 hours, stirring occasionally.
- Let cool. Drain petals from oil. Add oil to jar, secure lid.
| Chicken Salad with Calendula Oil Dressing |
- Calendula oil
- Balsamic vinegar
- Cracked black pepper
- Spinach
- Raw beets, shredded
- Raw carrots, shredded
- Pumpkin seeds
- Sunflower seeds
- Cooked chicken breast, sliced
- Calendula petals
- In the bottom of a large bowl, mix your oil, vinegar, and cracked pepper together.
- Place spinach, beets and carrots into the salad bowl and mix to coat.
- Sprinkle seeds on top of the salad.
- Lay sliced chicken breast on top.
- Sprinkle dried calendula petals on top. Serve and enjoy!
Note – The above ingredients have no amounts, use your judgment in how big you wish your salad to be and how much dressing you wish to consume (I like my salad lightly coated.) I use a 1:1 ratio for oil and vinegar.
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Comments (5)
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Oops, totally missed that! Sorry lady :) Thanks again for posting here. LOVE all the knowledge you’re willing to share.
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This salad looks amazing. Olive oil is awesome as is, but sometimes it gets kind of boring. Calendula sounds like such an interesting twist.
Where would I get calendula petals? I’m guessing health food store, but would florist be more apt?
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Hmmm well Heather, the lovely lady who wrote this post, suggested: “If you’re lucky your farmer’s market will have a herb lady, you can plant your own, or I prefer to get my herbs from Mountain Rose Herbs.”
Hope that helps :)
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Heather Mulholland
Thanks for posting Allie :)
I can’t see the addendum I sent, but for people who are curious where to get calendula: If you’re lucky your farmer’s market will have a herb lady, you can plant your own, or I prefer to get my herbs from Mountain Rose Herbs.
Cheers!