Want to learn how to make comfrey root salve following an original and very old natural recipe from the Balkans? Here is our original comfrey root salve recipe.
Comfrey root salve is a very old ointment recipe from the Balkans, still very much used nowadays in the countryside of Eastern and Central Europe by old healers. Known since ancient times, the ancestors of Romanians today, the Agathyrsi, used the comfrey root salve to heal sprains and fractures, for chest, tooth, kidney, and spleen pain, but also in cases of hernia and diabetes. Before we show you the original comfrey root salve recipe, let’s see how to harvest and prep comfrey root.
In This Article You Will Find:
How to Harvest Comfrey Root
Comfrey (Symphytum officinale) grows especially alongside running waters, in wet ditches and meadows, and in swampy areas. You can easily recognize it by its strongly branched stem (up to one meter high) adorned with purple-violet flowers, in bunches of 5-10. Comfrey roots are harvested in the autumn, from mid-October to November, or at the end of winter and the beginning of spring, in the months of February, March, and April. Between January and March, comfrey root produces the maximum amount of allantoin, and it’s the ideal time to harvest them.
After harvesting, thoroughly wash the comfrey roots and chop them finely to prepare the comfrey root salve. If you want to use it later, spit them lengthwise and arrange the roots in a thin layer on a table in a shaded area to dry naturally and keep them in a paper bag or glass jar. Now you’re ready to make the comfrey root salve recipe.
How to Make Comfrey Root Salve – Original Comfrey Root Salve Recipe
Ingredients
- 250 g of fresh comfrey roots
- 35 g lanolin
- 250 g cold-pressed sunflower seed oil
- 10 g pork lard
- 15 g beeswax
If you want to make a vegan version of the comfrey root salve, you can replace lanoline with orange wax, pork lard with coconut oil, and beeswax with carnauba wax (or another vegan wax).
Preparation
Thoroughly wash the fresh comfrey roots and cut them into small pieces or grate them. Do not remove the peels. Heat up the lanolin in a glass bowl on a double boiler then add the sunflower oil and the grated or chopped comfrey roots. Continue heating the ingredients up for 25 minutes (but do not boil), while stirring continuously. Remove the bowl from the heat and strain the infused oil through a piece of sterile gauze to squeeze out all the oil from the comfrey roots. You can use the roots to make compresses on the spot.
In a separate bowl melt the beeswax and pork fat in a double boiler, then add the infused oil and heat up very well (do NOT bring to a boil!). Stir until the oils are completely mixed and then pour the hot salve into sterilized glass jars and seal them. The comfrey root salve is best kept in a cool place. You can find all the ingredients for the salve below, except for the comfrey roots.
How to Use
Spread it over the affected area in a 2-3 cm wide layer, then place a clean piece of gauze on top and tie it with a bandage to stay in place. Repeat the process twice a day or every day, depending on the severity of your injury or problem.
Comfrey Root Salve Uses
- painful injuries
- skin ulcers and psoriasis
- scratches and bumps
- joint stiffness
- rheumatic pain
- arthrosis
- fractures and fissures.
Comfrey Root Salve Alternatives
If you want a quick alternative to the comfrey root salve, which takes time to make, you have two options. The first recipe is for open ulcers and psoriasis, while the second one is especially used for dislocations. For the first alternative, mix one tablespoon of comfrey root powder with 80 g of lanoline in a glass container. Allow to sit for a few days and then use it twice a day to anoint the affected areas.
The second alternative to the comfrey root salve is a sort of comfrey root sautee. Here is how to make it and use it. Fry 4-5 fresh comfrey roots (cleaned and finely chopped) in some pork lard on low heat. After cooling down, apply the warm comfrey root sautee on the dislocation site.
Make Also: Comfrey Leaves Salve Recipe for Skin Repair
Homemade medicine is the new medicine, as it’s non-intrusive, mild, and kind to both nature and men. If you’ve enjoyed our original comfrey root salve recipe from the Balkans, please share this article so more people can make their own natural comfrey salve. Let us know your experience with comfrey root salve in the comment section below. Stay healthy, naturally!
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