Shelf life of calendula 'tea' and infused oils query.

[Debs]

Hi. After several useful conversations on here I steep calendula petals in water then use the 'tea' to make my lye. I had some left over and popped it in the fridge. I'm wondering if this will last over a week or whether the calendula petal juice make it 'go off' quicker.....thoughts welcome.

Secondly....I heat infuse nettle powder, alkanet and turmeric in OO...[NOT together lol] i then strain the oil into a clean jar before using it when needed. I then spend an age trying to clean the jar I originally infused the oil in. Am I making work for myself. ..Could I just store the oily jars and re use for the same herb?? Or would bacteria grow?!

Thanks for getting to the end of this message lol.

 

[lsg]

I would freeze the leftover calendula tea. I always clean and sterilize my jars between uses, such as storing infusions.

 

[earlene]

I would freeze it until you are ready to use it. Even in the fridge, tea (for drinking) starts to taste bad to me after two or three days, therefore something is turning weird in there. It may be too much air in the container for the the tea to react with. Or it may be some other mechanism at play.

Cleaning the jars is really important to prevent cross-contamination and to prevent old oils from going rancid. An almost empty jar of oil has more air to oxidize that bit of oil, so you could just be breeding rancidity if you don't clean them.

Have you tried alcohol to facilitate cleaning the jars? I find it really helps if the oil is stubborn and doesn't want to 'let go'. Hot soapy water isn't always enough, unfortunately. But I find that spraying with rubbing alcohol really helps loosen some less co-operative oils.

 

[Debs]

Thank you both! I hadn't thought of freezing it what a great idea. I threw the lot that had been in the fridge for over a week as it didn't smell that good!! i made some fresh last night and used it today so I will go and freeze the left overs that I have put in the fridge!

rubbing alcohol ..think that is surgical spirit in the UK? I keep meaning to buy some of this as i was reading a post about it being good for preventing soda ash which i sometimes get. So, 2 reasons now to go and get some.
Thank you
Debs

 

[Debs]

Hi - calendula tea is now safely ensconced in the freezer... phew!!

How long do those of you who use infused oils keep their oils for before using? I have a jar of turmeric infused oil that I made last week.. I had room in the pan when I was using to infuse some alkanet and nettle powder and it seemed sensible to use the gas to the max. It is sitting in the dark in a cupboard but I assumed oil would last ages but earlene pointed out oils can go rancid....does any one freeze their OO infused oils??? guessing you will all shout no, we use them straight away!!
Thanks
Debs

 

[Dahila]

I would never store oil jars, you use fresh oil and your shelf life is as the oil used, If you use used jars, your shelf life is as short as the last infusion made, I can not imagine to store dirty jars, It is against BP
I have ten infusion right now, trying to pick up plantain to do another batch...........I practise cold infusion.

 

[earlene]

Debs, I don't like storing the infused oils for long because it's not going to last any longer than whatever oil it was made with, and maybe less long because of what has been introduced into the oil.

I have never frozen my infused oils, but I don't see any reason why not, if you have room in your freezer. I would just advise that you don't freeze them in glass jars. I'd be sure to drop it on my floor and have shattered frozen glass all over the place, so that's why I believe it's just not a safe freezer option, but that's me. If you do freeze in glass, make sure it is tempered glass and freezer safe.

 

[Debs]

Debs, I don't like storing the infused oils for long because it's not going to last any longer than whatever oil it was made with, and maybe less long because of what has been introduced into the oil.

Earlene - This is what confuses me as the herbs are infused in OO. We keep OO in our cupboard for ages so i assumed it too would last ages. i made a batch 2 days ago using some infused alkanet root that i infused 3 weeks ago. I put lavender and lemongrass essential oils in. i have used this blend quite a few times and always liked the smell. Anyhow, i always freeze the soap to get it out of my mold cleanly and when i popped it out tonight it is sooo pale, like a salmon pink with blobs of darker soap ..not happened before. i am now wondering whether it is due to the age of the infused OO.

(All previously used oily jam jars have now been cleaned and sterilized !)

 

[earlene]

Some unwanted things that can be introduced into an oil infusion and cause problems:

Moisture from insufficiently dried botanicals - increases opportunity for rancidity or mold

Bacteria, etc. from the botanical - can cause unwanted growth of micro-organisms in the infusions

These will shorten your shelf life and usability of your infusions.

Heat from your kitchen cupboard could be a problem as well, but I don't know how warm your kitchen gets. Mine gets pretty warm; warm enough to melt Coconut Oil completely in the summer, so leaving bottles of oils around for ages doesn't work well for my house.

 

[Zany_in_CO]

I steep calendula petals in water

I infuse calendula petals (and other herbs) in OO or HO Sunflower. I add ROE to extend shelf life and have no problem with rancidity storing the oil in a dark cabinet in the basement.

Here's a link to an interesting article about preventing rancidity of oils with slippery elm:
http://www.herbcraft.org/slipperyelm.html

then use the 'tea' to make my lye. I had some left over and popped it in the fridge. I'm wondering if this will last over a week

IME Teas in the fridge last 3 days tops!

I then spend an age trying to clean the jar I originally infused the oil in.

I make up a batch of 1 oz ammonia in 31 oz water to soak oily bottles.
I also use Arm & Hammer Washing Soda to clean waxy residue. 1 tablespoon in 16 oz. hot water. Soak for 5 minutes.

Could I just store the oily jars and re use for the same herb??

Nope.

Thanks for getting to the end of this message lol.

Hahahah Good one!

 

[randycoxclemson]

Our local herbalist (who is also a soapmaker) says that infused OO can, stored properly, last 1 year and that they can be stored in the refrigerator for 1-3 years. At least that's what she said and wrote in the notes for a class I took from her earlier this year. Since I've used infused oils kept at room temperature after close to a year, I tend to believe her advice is OK.