St John’s Wort
Capturing the essence of sunshine and peak summer for the winter months when it’s needed.
Just enjoyed capturing the oil maceration as I left the blooms out to wilt slightly, to decrease a portion of the moisture before adding extra virgin olive oil to cover.
I’ll wrap this glass jar in a brown paper bag then leave in the warm sunshine to infuse into the oil over the next week or two. These yellow flowers exude a surprising deep red oil, I liken to ‘dragon’s blood’ I’ll share a photo of the finished product in a later post.
I also made an alcoholic tincture by covering the fresh blooms in vodka to sit for a month, which I will shake regularly until ready to strain off to use in the winter months, to help combat seasonal affective disorder and the winter blues.
Photos show a St John’s Wort tincture and a St John’s Wort infused oil to use medicinally.
**Please note that this herb should not be taken alongside pharmaceuticals without professional guidance.