Salve
Plantain salve (for the cupboard)
Plantain grows in every driveway and gets trodden on all summer without taking harm. It has been called the doctor''s plant and the wayfarer''s herb, because it followed people wherever they went.
The fresh leaf is emergency medicine you chew and lay on a sting. This salve is the version you keep in the cupboard the rest of the year, when the mosquito bites in August and there is not a leaf anywhere near the sofa.
Make it now, while the leaves are still green and full of sap.
Ingredients
- 1 handful fresh plantain leaves, finely chopped
- 100 ml olive oil
- 1 tbsp beeswax, grated or in pastilles
Equipment
- Heatproof bowl
- Pan for a water bath
- Cloth or coffee filter
- Clean jar with lid
Method
- 1
Let a handful of fresh, chopped plantain steep in 100 ml olive oil over gentle heat for 2 hours, strain, and melt 1 tbsp beeswax into the warm oil.
- 2
Pour into a jar and let set.
Dosage
A small dab directly on the bite, as often as you like.
Works best applied early, while it still itches and has not yet been scratched open.
Shelf life
6-9 months, dark and cool. Fresh leaves hold water, so strain thoroughly or the salve will mould.
Safety
Be certain of the plant. Plantain is known by the deep parallel ribs running from stem to tip like veins. Never forage anything you are unsure of.
Do not pick at roadsides where traffic, spraying or dog-walking happens. Find somewhere inland or in your own garden.
Let the leaves dry completely after rinsing. Water in oil means mould.
The salve is for stings and small irritations, not deep wounds or bites that bleed.
Seek medical help immediately at any sign of an allergic reaction: swelling of face, lips or throat, difficulty breathing, a rash over the whole body, or dizziness. That is not something a salve handles.
For tick bites: remove the tick with tweezers as quickly as possible and watch the area. If a red ring appears and spreads, see a doctor.
How the herbs work
Plantain contains aucubin and mucilage that calm itching and inflammation, and the plant has traditionally been used to draw impurities out of stings and small wounds.
It is the same action as the fresh leaf you chew and lay on. The salve simply makes it available in February.
The content here is general knowledge and folk herbal lore, not medical treatment. In illness, pregnancy, breastfeeding or alongside medication: always talk to your doctor first.