How to Make Wild Violet Leaf Oil

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The common blue violet can be found popping up starting in early spring in North America. While the flowers will only last a couple of weeks, the leaves will stick around much longer. Violet leaves have great medicinal properties that you can still tap into this spring. The best way to preserve them for easy use is to make a wild violet leaf infused oil!

Why Make Wild Violet Leaf Oil?

Making Violet Leaf Oil is a wonderful way to preserve these healing (and tasty) plants. The oil can be used topically, cosmetically, and in cooking!

Don’t have violets growing in your area? No worries! You can grab some violet leaves here!

Health Benefits of Violet Leaves

Violet leaves have many medicinal uses and properties: 

  • Anti-inflammatory
  • Antioxidant Rich
  • High in Vitamin A and Vitamin C
  • Known as a blood cleanser
  • Relieves Sore throats and dry coughs
  • Causes movement in the lymphatic system
  • Soothes skin irritations like insect bites, eczema, and sunburn
wild violet leaves growing around roots and moss

Choose a Carrier Oil

The carrier oil of choice is dependent on your planned use of the violet infused oil and your personal preference. 

I use extra virgin olive oil. This is a good choice for culinary, medicinal, and cosmetic uses.

Other oil options include sweet almond oil, hemp oil, sunflower oil, and jojoba oil.

How to Make Wild Violet Leaf Infused Oil

Ingredients:

Directions:

1. Gather Violet Leaves

Forage and collect violet leaves at any time during the season. See foraging tips here.

You will want enough to fill a quart jar at least 1/2- 3/4 full. 

Wild Violet leaves growing around roots and moss

2. Wash and Dry the Leaves

Rinse the fresh violet leaves to remove any bugs. Lay them out on a kitchen towel or a paper towel and pat them dry. Allow them to sit on the towel in a single layer for 24-48 hours until dehydrated. 

Violet leaves drying on the counter

3. Add the dried violet leaves to the quart jar.

Gently pack the leaves into a quart sized mason jar. The jar should be filled about ½-¾ full.

Quart mason jars filled with wild violet leaves and blossoms

4. Cover completely in your oil of choice.

Pour the carrier oil over the violet leaves. Fill the jar until the oil completely covers the leaves. 

5. Cover the Jar

You can use the canning jar lid hand tightened or a flour sack towel secured with a rubber band.

Wild Violet Leaves infusing in olive oil in a quart jar

6. Let sit 

Leave the jar in a dark cool place (like a cabinet) for 4-6 weeks. Check occasionally and shake to make sure the leaves are completely covered in oil.

7. Strain the leaves

Use a fine mesh strainer, a flour sack towel, or cheesecloth to strain the leaves out of the oil. Squeeze or press the leaves to make sure you remove as much of the infused oil as possible.

Quick Infusion Method

Do everything the same as above, but instead of leaving the jar to sit for 4-6 weeks you can place the jar in a saucepan with water (like a double boiler) and heat it for about 3 hours to infuse.

How to Use Wild Violet Leaf Oil

There are many different ways that you can use your violet infused oil. Here are my favorite culinary, topical, and cosmetic uses for it.

Ideas for topical use of violet leaf oil:

Violet Massage Oil 

Use it as a breast massage oil for fibrocystic breasts. Or as a body massage oil for sensitive skin and varicose veins. You can even use it as as scalp massage oil for healthy hair

Violet Leaf Salve

Add some beeswax to the violet infused oil to make a violet leaf salve for skin irritations like bug bites, sunburn, and eczema. You can even render your own beeswax for this salve!

Violet Infused Aloe

Infuse aloe vera with violet leaf oil for after sun care.

Ideas for cosmetic uses of violet oil:

Violet Lip Balm

Make a violet infused lip balm for dry chapped lips.

Violet Lotion

Make a creamy violet lotion or violet lotion bars to sooth dry irritated skin.

Violet Infused Body Scrub

A body salt scrub can be made by adding violet oil to unrefined ancient sea salt.

Ideas for culinary uses of violet oil:

**Use these options if you previously chose a food friendly carrier oil.

Violet Salad Dressing

Drizzle this violet infused oil over a salad. Add a little violet vinegar for a floral oil & vinegar combo.

Olive Oil Substitute

Any recipe that calls for olive oil can be substituted with violet infused oil.

More Violet Recipes:

How to Make a Wild Violet Tea Recipe

Wild Violet Jelly Recipe

How to Make Wild Violet Leaf Oil

How to Make Wild Violet Leaf Oil

Ingredients

  • Carrier Oil
  • Wild Violet Leaves

Instructions

1. Gather Violet Leaves

Forage and collect violet leaves at any time during the season. See foraging tips here. You will want enough to fill a quart jar at least 1/2- 3/4 full. 

2. Wash and Dry the Leaves

Rinse the fresh violet leaves to remove any bugs. Lay them out on a kitchen towel or a paper towel and pat them dry. Allow them to sit on the towel in a single layer for 24-48 hours until dehydrated. 

3. Add the dried violet leaves to the quart jar.

Gently pack the leaves into a quart sized mason jar. The jar should be filled about ½-¾ full.

4. Cover completely in your oil of choice.

Pour the carrier oil over the violet leaves. Fill the jar until the oil completely covers the leaves. 

5. Cover the Jar

You can use the canning jar lid hand tightened or a flour sack towel secured with a rubber band.

6. Let sit 

Leave the jar in a dark cool place (like a cabinet) for 4-6 weeks. Check occasionally and shake to make sure the leaves are completely covered in oil.

7. Strain the leaves

Use a fine mesh strainer, a flour sack towel, or cheesecloth to strain the leaves out of the oil. Squeeze or press the leaves to make sure you remove as much of the infused oil as possible.

Notes

Quick Infusion Method:

Do everything the same as above, but instead of leaving the jar to sit for 4-6 weeks you can place the jar in a saucepan with water (like a double boiler) and heat it for about 3 hours to infuse.

Pin “How to Make Wild Violet Infused Oil” for Later

Quart jar with olive oil and wild violet leaves

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