Serves: 5
Total Calories: 768

2-4 flowering stalks of St. John's wort
3/4 cup hot water
2 cups olive oil

1. Strip the flowers from the stalk, and place them in a mediumsized bowl. Using the back of a spoon, crush the flowers against the bowl.

2. Add the hot water to the bowl, and encourage the flowers to stay beneath the water. Allow the mixture to cool.

3. Blend the olive oil into the cooled mixture. Then pour the mixture into a wide-mouthed jar large enough to allow the mixture to double in volume. Do not cover.

4. Place the jar in a warm place for 3 to 5 days, stirring daily. Bubbles will form as the mixture ferments.

5. Cap the jar tightly, and store in a dark place for about 6 weeks, or until the oil has turned a luminous red. (The red color comes from the small dark points on the petals and inside the calyx.)

6. Carefully pour off the oil that has risen to the top, and store in a glass bottle with an airtight lid. (Discard the watery layer of flowers.) To use, rub the oil onto the affected area as often as needed.

Nutritional Facts:

Serves: 5
Total Calories: 768
Calories from Fat: 768

More Recipes from the The Sophisticated...Olive Cookbook:
A Historical Overview
What's In The Olive Tree?
The Olive
The Olive Leaves and Bark
How Does the Olive Tree Affect Your Health?
Getting the Skinny on Fats
Olive Oil and Cardiovascular Disease
Olive Oil and Cancer
Olive Oil and Osteoporosis
Olive Oil and Weight Loss
The Olive Leaf
The Olive Leaf and Infection
The Olive Leaf and Cardiovascular Disease
The Naturally Healing Olive
Olive Leaf Tea
Cold and Cough Compress
Sinus Mask
Olive Oil and St. John's Wort Liniment
Olive Oil and Beauty
Olive and Oats Moisturizing Lotion
Olive Oil and Cream Face Cleanser
Olive Oil and Strawberry Face Cleanser
Olive Oil and Lemon Cream Face Cleanser
Olive Oil and Egg Deep-Cleaning Mask
Olive Oil and Apple Toning Mask
Olive Oil and Honey Softening Mask
Olive Oil and Egg Tightening Mask
Olive Oil and Honey Hair Conditioner
Olive Oil and Tea Eye Soother
Egg and Olive Oil Hair Conditioner