If you are interested in making your own herbal medicines or handmade gifts, infused oils are the perfect way to begin. They are simple to create, absolutely decadent to use and the whole process will make your house smell like heaven.

This recipe is for Ginger Oil.  It will give you a little zing of heat, on your body or in your belly.

This recipe was shared with us from Ananda of Amrita Apothecary on Poppy Swap.

We’ll be honest! Fresh Ginger Root Oil is one of the hardest infused oils to make because Ginger is so juicy. But with the magic of a crock pot and a little patience, this heartwarming, inexpensive oil can be treasured by anyone. The fresh oil is gingery, golden, and deeply but gently warming.

GINGER OIL

2 cups Ginger: roughly chopped or sliced fresh ginger root

3 cups oil: Olive, Coconut, Sesame, Jojoba, Palm, or animal tallow/lard work best

1 crock pot, (or yogurt maker) very well cleaned of any food or liquid debris.

2 days of time!! when you’ll be mostly home (this ingredient can be a rare find!)
1 mason jar with clean lid
strainer
cheesecloth or muslin

Place ginger into crock pot on lowest setting of your crock pot. Cover with the oil. Leave it on heat for two days and monitor it so as not to let it boil or burn the oil. It should never get hot enough to bubble.

The trick to keeping moisture out is to leave the cover slightly ajar to allow the evaporation of water from the ginger root. Remember, the more water in your plant material, the more likely it is to mold. You want to keep as much moisture out of the oil as possible!

Decant by straining your oil through cheesecloth or muslin.

Be sure to “complete” your oil by leting it sit for a day. This will assist any natural separation and you’ll be able to pour the oil off. It will take some patience but its well worth it. You always have the option to use the dry root or an essential oil but you will not have the same glorious results that you will get with using a fresh root.

What to do with your Ginger Oil?

~Treat your cold feet to the warm protection and circulatory support of ginger oil before you put your boots on for winter snow shoveling

~Massage it into stiff aching joints, arthritis or onto the abdomen for menstrual cramps or stomach upset

~Rub into sore muscles before or after athletics for help with sports recovery

~Make a ginger-eucalyptus chest rub salve

~Massage congested breast tissue and lymph glands

~Add it to a bathful of hot water and epsom salts

~Give it away to an aching elder

Remember it’s Ginger!

~Add it to a tamari salad dressing (if you used edible oil)

Cheers to your cozy ginger toes!!

You can read more about Ananda and her Herbal passions here.