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I had a pretty bumper crop of oregano this year, would like to make my own oils for medicinals. Any experience, recipes please? How can I know the true potency?
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New York City
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Re: Oregano?
Mon, October 26, 2009 - 3:48 AMHi, when I make oil I fill up a bottle to the brim with the fresh herb and pour in olive oil to cover. Then leave 6 weeks. You should end up with a fairly strong herbal oil but I wouldn't know how you would measure it's potency.
Blessings
Lorraine -
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Re: Oregano?
Mon, October 26, 2009 - 3:55 AMi used fresh rosemary the othr week in a bottle of olive oil and it went mouldy after a few days!?! couldn't believe it.. my mother said it was because i should have dried the rosemary.. i dunno? -
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Re: Oregano?
Mon, October 26, 2009 - 4:07 AMNo, dried herbs would be no good for putting in oil. You could make a tincture out if dried herbs, with either alcohol or glycerine added to it. You've got to pack them herbs in good and tight and make sure you completely cover them with some sort of oil. Olive oil is my favourite but almond or another carrier oil would be fine. Was it in a hot place? I would say covered and at room temperature would be fine. Are you sure the rosemary wasn't already going off before you put it in oil?
Lorraine -
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Re: Oregano?
Mon, October 26, 2009 - 4:10 AMnope it was totally fresh from a bush in the garden.. as soon as i took it i packed the jar and then filled it with oil and it was an airtight container,. it's not too hot either. very strange..! -
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Re: Oregano?
Mon, October 26, 2009 - 4:13 AMThat really is strange. It needs to be in a glass jar, plastic would sweat it. Try again if you can, I'd like to know if it happens again, but I am sure it was a 1-off. No, cannot think why it would've gone yuk, I am sure you'll have better luck next time! Dried herbs won't have hardly any properties to release into the oil so it is definitely fresh you need to use.
Lorraine -
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Re: Oregano?
Mon, October 26, 2009 - 4:45 AMyep it was a glass bottle! i'll try again tomorrow :D -
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Re: Oregano?
Mon, October 26, 2009 - 8:03 AMjust make sure you COVER the herbs with oil -- no herbs poking out of the oil -- all must be covered. I like to infuse in oils for 6 weeks, remove/strain all solids, then re-infuse the same oil with another batch of herbs. no idea on strength/potency...!
soooz -- we eat lots of oregano (fresh and dried) -- it is so wonderful for culinary uses. people love to receive a gift of it in a jar or as dried bouquets/bundles. -
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Re: Oregano?
Mon, October 26, 2009 - 11:49 AMin making oils (you are really talking about infusion here), using fresh material is never a good idea, it will go bad. water should not be present in an oil infusion. If you are making it, to try to make oregano oil, like you buy- ain't gonna happen unless you steam distill it. -
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Re: Oregano?
Mon, October 26, 2009 - 12:05 PMI disagree I'm afraid, once a herb is totally dried, to steep it in oil will be almost pointless in terms of properties. Dry the herb completely before you cover it with oil but it is a waste of time putting dried herbs in oil, the flavour will also be greatly reduced, to the point of being almost tasteless.
And yes, I would definitely double infuse to increase the potency, and 6 weeks is a good time span.
Lorraine -
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Re: Oregano?
Mon, October 26, 2009 - 12:13 PMyou are free to disagree. it will not at all resemble a bottle of oil of oregano from the store. Water+vegtable oil+herbs without the moisture being removed= rancid and unusable. And if being used for the same reasons as the oil bought in the store - try again, it would take a hundred or more infusions to even get near collecting the amount of pure essence needed to act similarly to pure essential oil. Unless you want a salad dressing, for which use, that infusion method would be fine.
One has to CAREFULLY AND CORRECTLY dry a botanical if you want to retain its essential oils. Used to run a natural body products company, so i will just have to rest on what works. Only incorrect drying of oregano would leave it scentless and useless.
my 2 cents, have a party. -
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Re: Oregano?
Mon, October 26, 2009 - 12:15 PMbefore it gets silly, it may be nice to know what sooze wants to make before the method is picked apart.
what do you want to make out of it sooze?
unless it is a pure distillation, it is difficult to impossible to accurately guage its strength (used to sell 55 gallon drums of essential oils, and distill myself)
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Re: Oregano?
Mon, October 26, 2009 - 12:13 PMI disagree as well, about using dried herbs, for the same reasons as Lorraine; fresh is best. also note - I *never* wash herbs before infusing them so as not to damage or remove the delicate plant oils I want to infuse.
I've only ever had cloudiness issues if
(1) herbs poke out above the oil layer thereby molding (main reason) -or-
(2) herbs are moldy to start with -or-
(3) the oil gets cold, therefore more opaque - BUT this does NOT mean it has *gone bad* - not all oils are fully transparent at all temperatures.
and duh of course infused oils are not essential distilled oils....! -
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Re: Oregano?
Mon, October 26, 2009 - 12:22 PMwell 'duh' - that was fucking polite-
it would be good to know what the poster had in mind for useability to become pundits of disagreement. Is this tribe infected with haters too?
sheesh, i won't bother adding anything more, If you can't process and herb in only one manner, thats your problem, i was trying to be helpful, not hear who all disagrees with me. None of you of a clue about capturing essences rather then the medicinal part of the plant. Some medicines are in the aromatic constituents, some with the drugs contained within. Both do not share the same methods to obtain their useful parts. anyway, disagree all you want (i thot the poster was supposed to look at all responses, and choose the one that feel right to the poster, rather than people disagreeing over procedure. thats petty and creates conflictive relating.)
i now return you to your regularly scheduled view of reality. -
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Unsu...
Re: Oregano?
Tue, October 27, 2009 - 3:14 AMMmmmm! After reading all the posts on this site and gathering my scheduled date of reality....which happily fell on this day, it would seem to me that you are taking yourself far tooooooo seriously "Flint". I have no doubt that you indeed know waht you are talking about but in the same respect so do the other people on this site....life is a learning curve and whilst being on this plannet that is something that none of us will ever stop doing, (learning that is). People will take the bits that interest them and bag the rest on a shelve somewhere for future ref. I hope that this will not deture you from adding your vast knowledge in herbal law but, more to the point I hope that you can learn also from the other people on here.
I now return to my regular scheduled view of reality and send you many blessings............BellaTrix -
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Re: Oregano?
Tue, October 27, 2009 - 5:05 AMjeez.
i dont claim to know anything about this topic, but the first thing i saw looked a bit different than what anybody else is recommending, so heres the link www.ehow.com/how_4998065...oregano.html
that wont get cloudy or moldy or gross or anything.
i'm sure somebody will start hollerin about what an idiot i am and how you never use blah-blah with fiddle-dee-dee or it totally screws with the la-dee-freakin-da.
just thought i'd toss in another idea, even if i have no clue what i'm talking about. -
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Re: Oregano?
Tue, October 27, 2009 - 9:08 AMHi to you Cass, that is supposed to be a really good way of extracting the properties, and it's something I've come across on the herbal wisdom tribe. I think whatever works is cool, and thats another good way.
This is a discussion forum I thought - although I haven't been on here very long - and there is no teacher... we all have something to say or contribute, even if it is a point of view or just what works for us, there is no hard and fast rules to me, it's a learning curve and I don't know as much as I would eventually like to. It's no good taking it so personally when someone disagrees with you, it's really not that important in the big scheme of things.
I heard today that sometimes bacteria sits on the plant and that could be a reason why Cali had a failed batch recently, but like Chilli, I don't like washing plants unless I really have to, so maybe there was something on the herb before it was harvested, definitely worth another go
though.
Sending love and light out there...!
Lorraine
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Re: Oregano?
Tue, October 27, 2009 - 12:08 PMwell bell, i don't like the 'duh' rudeness. why did anyone HAVE to disagree, rather than just add their method? So you know what dear, if you see it that way, this damned forum can shove it. And your being sarcasm is nothing different, Bellatrix. Reread your rudeness and look in the mirror dear, and then reflect on your atttitude as well. I don't need to disagree to add my 2 cents. I do learn from people here, its a pity you don't notice. But thanks for that far flung value judgement on me. You DO hope that your remarks deter me, lest you would not have made them.
Now leave me alone, and i will say nothing more to you. -
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Unsu...
Re: Oregano?
Thu, October 29, 2009 - 2:39 AMMmmmmmm! Touchy! was not my intention to be rude but you have obviously decided to take it that way! Far to many female hormones racing around in your body darling............ -
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Re: Oregano?
Wed, November 4, 2009 - 9:57 AMI wanted to make oil of oregano for medicine, but have learned that a very different species of oregano is used for medicine than cooking and I am quite sure my crop is for cooking. But I appreciate all the discussion, it's been fascinating.
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Re: Oregano?
Wed, November 18, 2009 - 11:10 AMoopsie
I meant to write
"and uh..."
mymy what a shitstorm!
travis' ego strikes again!
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Re: Oregano?
Wed, November 18, 2009 - 12:43 PMohh myyy.. Flint (Travis) the great speaks!
He takes issue with women on a regualr basis. If they are in his tribe he denigrates them, makes fun of them, follows them in other tribes and creates stirs of trouble.
Beware!
Here he has taken on a nice person who disagreed. -
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Re: Oregano?
Wed, November 18, 2009 - 1:40 PMkathy, shut up. you were kicked from all my tribes, because you would insert yourself, just like here, lie, and start fights with anyone that would talk to you. You brow beat over 6 people, who left tribe because of YOU. On the other hand, you DO stalk. And miss yogamoon, you are an alt impersonating a dead woman, so really, mind your own business. Its amusing you have a majority fooled, but it doesn't fly here. Try the truth, it will set you free.
and chili- is just like many have said she is. so there is no mystery there.
thot the oregano oil issue was over, so it seems that these lovely ladies wanted to keep it going. Now who has the problem? -
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Re: Oregano?
Wed, November 18, 2009 - 1:44 PMAnd of course, the lovely fight starter unsubbed for her popular views of people.
ye gads, lets move onto another subject
i henna'd my hair last night, and i feel pretty. haha -
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Re: Oregano?
Wed, November 18, 2009 - 4:46 PMoooh henna, nice :D i use a henna conditioner.. tryin to find some clear henna too
btw the fresh oregano i used was not mouldy!! it was perfect and just picked from a bush in the garden fwiw.
again, my mother said it was cos i should have dried it prior to bottling it in oil.
but some here profess to using fresh without a problem, so for what it's worth the mystery is unsolved. UNLESS there was a little poking out of the oil, but i don't think so. anyway.....whatever :D -
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Re: Oregano?
Wed, November 18, 2009 - 4:47 PMoh shit. i was just thinking hmm i wanna make some rosemary somethin for my hair and totally realised it was rosemary i used.. not oregano. oh dear.. i fucked up :D -
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Re: Oregano?
Wed, November 18, 2009 - 4:48 PMoh i take it back, i did say rosemary.
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Re: Oregano?
Wed, November 18, 2009 - 10:46 AMThe plant can be dry or fresh. Funny, I like using Oregano dry. Feel its strength. Your fresh plant probably had mold on it to start with. Potency for what? All my plants have potency based on my compass. Please be polite to everyone, people everywhere deserve respect.And there are some masters amongst us. -
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Re: Oregano?
Thu, November 19, 2009 - 10:52 AMHi guys, just wanted to add my 2 cents if I could please? I prefer to use fresh for infusing in oil, thats obvious from what I said right from the start, and I don't give a witches tit if someone agrees or disagrees - it works for me and i'd recommend it however I respect what others have to say.
And Flint, you hit the nail on the head with the shit stirrer who started getting really bitchy and sticking her beak in. She was one of my best friends, renting a cottage off me and I just told her on the phone that a tribe I was in was in "dispute" over steeping herbs. She just jumped straight in - joined the tribe - and really had a go at Flint. So not her business. So I told her to get a life and get out of mine, and guess what? She has! Given her notice in on the cottage and is so not my problem anymore. So as I always say, good comes out of bad.
Thats my update, and my opinion on all the bitching and who and where it got really shitty, glad she's gone!
Love and light!!!
Lorraine -
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Re: Oregano?
Thu, November 19, 2009 - 11:11 AMim a very sorry to hear of you losing a renter, and sorry to have had any cause in that for you.
very sincerly,
Flint -
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Re: Oregano?
Thu, November 19, 2009 - 11:22 AMPlease don't apologise Flint, I really meant it when I said good comes out of bad - you can tell what sort of a person she is and I don't want anything more to do with her, she's a bitch. She is 44, broke, bitter and knows everything about everything in her book. I am really glad it happened and I'm glad she's gone. Not your fault in any way, but thank you so much for writing.
Lorraine -
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Re: Oregano?
Thu, November 19, 2009 - 11:23 AMok, thank you for being gracious. :)
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