01 March 2010

Balm of Gilead Salve

An anti-inflammatory, antibiotic and pain relieving salve made from cottonwood or poplar buds




The buds of a number of varieties of cottonwood and poplar trees (Populus nigra, Populus balsamifera, Populus augustafolia and others) contain a sticky orange resin that has been used for centuries to make a soothing, healing salve commonly known as “Balm of Gilead.” This salve has anti-inflammatory, antibiotic/antiseptic and pain relieving qualities, and has been effectively used to treat abrasions, minor burns, frostbite and to ease the pain of sore muscles and joints. It is also (sometimes known as Black Salve) a traditional skin cancer remedy.

The months between December and March are, depending on your location, best for harvesting the buds.



The buds must be collected, of course, before the leaves emerge, and if you wait until too late in the spring, you may end up with more of the sticky orange sap on your fingers than not! Cold days are best for collecting the buds; anything below freezing will do. Best of all is to find a fallen branch or two, as they will be easier to reach and will not damage the tree, as taking too many buds from a living branch can do. If you cannot find a fallen branch, go ahead and harvest from the living branches you can reach, but take selectively, a few here, a few there, so as not to damage the tree by preventing entire branches from leafing out.




Once you have collected the buds, you can either use them right away, or they can be dried or frozen for later use. If you choose to dry them, make sure they are spread out in a single layer on a board or cookie sheet, as they will tend to mold pretty quickly if left in heaps and allowed to retain moisture. Freezing really is the best way to preserve them, if you’re not ready to make your salve right away.

There are several ways to extract the resin from the buds for making Balm of Gilead salve. One is done by slowly simmering the buds in hot oil to release their resin, and the second, which takes longer but yields a slightly more potent finished product, involves placing the buds in a crock or jar, and covering them with oil, leaving them to “steep” for a period of several weeks to a year. The resin can also be extracted by soaking the buds in alcohol for several weeks, the results combined with oil and simmered to drive off the alcohol, but I have found the oil itself to be sufficient for extraction.


Simmering method:

Cover buds with oil--olive is perhaps the best, but coconut and others can be used--and simmer gently (do not boil!) to release the sticky orange resin. Cool and strain.



Gently simmering cottonwood buds in olive oil for several hours. You can see the yellow-orange resin beginning to ooze out of the buds as the oil heats.


Steeping method:

Fill a mason jar or crock halfway with buds, cover with olive oil and set aside. A sunny windowsill or warm spot in the kitchen speeds up the process. Leave in place for at least two weeks, but there is really no such thing as leaving it too long.



Making the salve:



Ingredients: Bee's wax, grapefruit seed extract, cottonwood bud oil


I find that a ratio of 1/1 by volume of oil and wax shavings generally works well.



Equal measures (approximately) of wax shavings and oil, by volume


Heat the oil just to lukewarm, and add the wax. Do not boil. Stir with a wooden stick or, if you must use metal, with stainless steel.









Set out your containers. Almost anything will work, from "jelly" sized mason jars to Altoids tins to these salvaged air gun pellet containers I'm using (on left.)



Before pouring into the containers, put a bit of the salve on a spoon and refrigerate it for a few minutes (or just set it out on the counter, if your house is as cool as mine…this sample hardened shortly after contacting the spoon) to make sure that the finished texture will be alright. It is much easier to add either wax or oil to the mix now, than it will be to later dig the salve out of containers and modify it.



I added two drops of grapefruit seed extract to this batch, a preservative and to increase the antiseptic/antibacterial value of the salve. This step is optional.




Pouring into the tins...



Freshly poured...a wonderful yellow-orange color:



Checking the texture again...just right!



Solidifying takes only minutes in a cool house, longer if the weather is warmer:



All done and ready to use. A very versatile salve that can be used in place of antibiotic ointment on minor cuts, abrasions and burn, helps treat frostbite (have tried that...) and works wonders on dry, chapped hands and cracked fingers and toes.



This is the simplest version. Some possible additions could include lanolin, vitamin E oil or coconut oil, all of which slightly change the properties and texture of the salve. Experiment with small batches, and learn what works best for you!

27 comments:

  1. Wow, that's interesting. I like your blog!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I had never heard of this preparation before and am looking forward to giving it a try this coming winter before the buds open. Very good tutorial by the way. Thank you for taking the time to make it so.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for stopping by, and please let me know if you have any questions about harvesting the buds or preparing the salve. It's great stuff to have around, especially for chapped, cracked fingers and toes, and frostbite.

      Delete
  3. Would it be possible to use tea tree oil instead of the Grapefruit Seed Extract. I am not familiar with the grapefruit seed extract and tea tree oil is easier to find. Tea tree oil is an antiseptic. I really want to try this recipe.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, a few drops of tea tree oil ought to have a similar effect in preserving the salve--though I have done batches where I left out the grapefruit seed extract, and they lasted just fine, so I wouldn't worry too much about it.

      Delete
  4. I have always despised cottonwood buds- who knew?!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I agree,sticky,stinky little aggravations to my eyes. LOL

      Delete
  5. Any idea where I can purchase cottonwood buds? I have been searching for days and can't find it anywhere :(

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. There are a few people that sell buds or infused oil made from the buds, and I'll give some links here. Since I always collect my own I've never dealt with any of these folks and cannot recommend them personally, but this should give you a place to start:

      http://www.darcyfromtheforest.com/servlet/Detail?no=84

      http://www.ancestreeherbals.com/embeddedprice09.html


      If I am able to gather more this coming winter than I need for personal use and classes, I may list some for sale here.

      Delete
    2. Do you have any friends that live in Alaska? Cottonwood trees abound here.

      Delete
  6. Is there anywhere you could purchase the buds if you don't have access to them to harvest?

    ReplyDelete
  7. sounds like a great idea. I have knee problems with alot of pain would rather use something like this instead of all the o.t.c. pills I take. Im for sure going to try this one out. Thank you .

    Tony R.,

    ReplyDelete
  8. You can order them here: http://www.ryandrum.com/IslandHerbsOrderForm2012.pdf

    ReplyDelete
  9. I also need an outlet to buy the cottonwood bud's I have excema and extremely dry skin on my legs which swell making the skin sore i would really like to try this i have tried 1000's of products over the 25 years i have had skin problems most with no relief.

    ReplyDelete
  10. I am eager to try cottonwood buds in a salve! Thank you for sharing. But please use caution when assuming that grapefruit seed extract works as a preservative. Although this extract does have properties that MAY slow down growth it will not by any means preserve this salve. Same is true for tea tree oil and any other essential oil. In order for any of those oils to benefit from their preservative properties you would have to use a extremely large amount of the oil and that isn't good for the skin. If there isn't any water used in this recipe it will last for quite some time. But should this ever start to smell funny or start to grow mold please discard. I'm not being discouraging I'm just sharing my knowledge from running a bath and body business.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I've been making this salve for years, never had a batch go bad and am not worried about mold. The GSE (or tea tree oil, if one chooses to use that) is as much to add a bit to its medicinal properties, as both are antiseptic, as to act as a preservative.

      Delete
  11. Thanks! Will add to a medicinal, marijuana salve recipe and kill two birds with one application. Already use the wax, coconut oil, and vitamin e, and dmso for asorbsion. Will help greatly on skin cancer for pain.

    ReplyDelete
  12. What about the buds from Populus Tremuloides? (Quaking Aspen) Would they work?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Unfortunately, I don't think so. Aspen buds lack the sticky,aromatic orange resin found in so many of the cottonwoods. The good news is that if aspens grow in your area, there's a very good chance that one of the cottonwood species may be available, too. Look at lower elevations along creeks and in damp areas.

      Delete
  13. I love your blog. My husband sent me the link and I very much enjoyed this salve recipe. Thank you for taking the time to explain everything so clearly. :)

    ReplyDelete
  14. Are Swap Cottonwoods alright to use for this recipe?

    ReplyDelete
  15. Love your Blog. Thank you so much!

    ReplyDelete
  16. Hi,I have some cottonwood oil,can I use this?

    ReplyDelete
  17. Picked a 3 lb. coffee can full of buds today between snowstorms... will add a bit of lodgepole pine pitch to the salve to increase antibiotic/antiseptic qualities.Thanks for the share!

    ReplyDelete
  18. At the beginning you mentioned Poplar trees, can they be used following the same recipe? Is there specific Poplar trees that will work? Thank you

    ReplyDelete
  19. It has been suggested to me that Balm of Gilead has healing properties for cancer patients, lung and liver. Does any one have any experience with this?

    ReplyDelete
  20. There are some who believe it MAY. Google it.

    ReplyDelete