Sweet Pea Salve
You're a prickly pod then a seed
I am here in this time of need
A bouquet for courage my dears
Let perfume rest your fears.
How to make the salve:
Gather a bucket full of wild sweet peas
Discard the leaves and stems
In a Kerr sealing jar push the flowers down to fill half
cover in olive oil
The olive oil should not be EVOO but make sure it is fresh and not old
The ratio is about a cup of flowers to 3/4 cup oil, depends on your jar
Seal the lid and put in sun for 3 weeks.
Strain with cheesecloth discarding the now dark flowers
On a double boiler (water on bottom dry metal on top)
heat 1 tablespoon beeswax with 2 tablespoons shea butter
Don't let it burn just melt.
Add the oil.
Does it still smell like sweet peas?
You can add one vitamin E tablet (use a pin to prick the end and squeeze in)
If you want to enhance the smell - a couple drops of real lavender essential
oil or a flower fragrance you love
Store in a tin with a lid.
Now when you go pick the sweet pea seed pods you have hand salve to
ease that prickly burning feeling in your fingers
Copyright © Caroline Gerardo
