Lavender Salve

The Lakeside Lavender Festival will be July 10th & 11th this year. And we really need Teresa to come back cause it was so much fun. So here is a tempting recipe that you could make if you went to a lavender festival and picked lavender.

First get your double boiler ready with water in the bottom and 1 cup light or virgin olive oil in the top. Add 1/2 cup lavender flowers and simmer for 15 minutes. Meanwhile get ready: some paper towels, a two cup glass measuring cup with cheesecloth over the top (held on with a rubber-band). Make sure the cheesecloth makes a little well for the lavender flowers to collect in. After the 15 minutes gently pour the oil mixture through the cheesecloth. When most of the oil has filtered, squeeze as much of the remaining oil out as you can. Paper towels are for your oily hands.

Now put the measuring cup into the double boiler and add ten drops of lavender essential oil to the oil (try a natural food store or online for the essence and the beeswax). Add 4 tablespoons of grated beeswax or beeswax beads. Stir over simmering water until melted.

To test the consistency, put some of the mixture on a spoon in the fridge for a few minutes. This should be like a heavy pancake syrup. Too soft: add beeswax; too hard: add oil. (Cheat: one drop onto an ice cube should turn solid immediately when perfect).

Pour into a container before it cools too much. Container should be as airtight as possible (keeps lavender scent longer). Able to open so you can put salve on chapped or dry hands, elbows, knees. Pretty container makes great gift for your mother or your favorite/only sister.

This makes a cup of salve. Double recipe for more gifts. This will keep for one season or, if refrigerated, longer. Otherwise store in cool, dry place.

You could make tons if you come out to Idaho to the Lavender Festival.

Hint, hint.