Want to learn how to make horse chestnut salve and use it for various health problems? Continue reading and find out.
Beneath its spiky green shells where they lie hidden, horse chestnuts are a true natural pharmacy, and are especially beneficial for treating vascular conditions. Natural remedies made from horse chestnuts can aid in healing serious ailments, from tumors and strokes to varicose veins and hemorrhoids. For those interested in nature’s pharmacy, here are three of the most well-known ways to make horse chestnut salve at home. But before we jump to the recipes, here is how to harvest horse chestnut first.
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How to Harvest Horse Chestnuts
Autumn is the season for harvesting horse chestnuts (Aesculus hippocastanum). Simply pick them up from the ground, but be sure to select only healthy ones, avoiding any that are bruised or soft. After removing their green husks, spread the chestnuts in a thick 10-15 cm layer in a well-ventilated space to dry for three weeks. During this time, turn them occasionally to prevent mold. You can also dry them artificially in the oven. Keep them at 40°C for one hour, then increase the temperature to 60°C to finish drying. Once they’re dry and crumbly, store them in cloth or paper bags, or prepare them for immediate use.
Horse chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum), should not be confused with the red buckeye (Aesculus pavia), whose seeds are toxic due to their hydrocyanic acid content. The difference between the two species is easy to recognize: as the name suggests, the flowers of the red buckeye chestnut are red, and its green fruits lack the spiky husks tipical to the horse chestnut.
How to Make Horse Chestnut Salve – 3 Ways
1. Horse Chestnut Salve for Wounds
The first salve recipe is a traditional Romanian recipe that uses boiled horse chestnuts that were mashed into a paste. Then the chestnut paste is mixed with an equal amount of pork fat until smooth. The horse chestnut salve is stored in a cool place and can be applied to wounds, burns, frostbite, or cracked skin.
2. Horse Chestnut Salve for Hemorrhoids
The second salve formula is used for external hemorrhoids, boils, wounds, and burns. It is made by mixing soft liquid horse chestnut extract into a fatty base (butter, pork or poultry fat, or solid palm oil). First, make the soft liquid extract by heating wild chestnut tincture in a double boiler until it reduces to one-fifth of its original volume. This step is very important, otherwise the horse chestnut extract will not dissolve in the fat. Then combine the fat over low heat until the mixture reaches a boiling point, then remove from the heat. Pour the salve into glass containers before it solidifies, and store in the fridge after it cools completely.
2. Horse Chestnut Salve for Varicose and Spider Veins
The third recipe is used to treat all types of venous disorders: varicose veins, heavy legs, hemorrhoids, rosacea, and capillary fragility. For this, you will need 100 ml of horse chestnut tincture, 100 g of anhydrous lanolin, and 20 g of petroleum jelly. Put the ingredients in a container and mix them over low heat until fully blended. Store the salve in the refrigerator. Apply to the affected areas on the skin once or twice a day. Boost the healing effects of horse chestnuts by adding other beneficial herbs, such as witch hazel tincture (Hamamelis virginiana) and red grape tincture to the recipe.
Forest therapy specialists have discovered that being near a horse chestnut tree tones the nervous system, enhances imagination, and promotes positive thinking. Therefore, it is no coincidence that the chestnut tree offers its fruits in autumn, as an invitation to seek its presence during times of melancholy and sadness.
More Horse Chestnut Recipes:
Decoction
Flour
Syrup
Tincture
Horse chestnuts reduce pain and inflammation, protect blood vessels, stop bleeding, and stimulate blood circulation. In recent years, they have also become a valuable raw material in the cosmetics and ointment industries due to their beneficial effects on the skin and peripheral circulation when applied externally. If you’ve enjoyed learning how to make horse chestnut salve, please share this article. Stay healthy, naturally!
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