On a related note, @MaQuest . I've made herbal infusions that I've used in #ColdProcess #Soapmaking, in place of the water. Dried herbs can give texture (I've added lavender on top of soap after pouring it into molds), and some herbs and flowers can be used to make #Enfleurage (I've used coconut oil for that, which I then used to make soap). I have not tried using fresh herbs, though.

How To Use Fresh Herbs In Soap Making

Last updated: June 16, 2025

"Adding herbs to soap can enhance both its appearance and texture. One straightforward method is to sprinkle dried herbs into the soap mixture before pouring it into the mold. A small quantity of dried herbs creates a delicate visual texture, while a larger amount of roughly chopped fresh herbs can introduce a 'scrubby' texture. To incorporate herbs through the lye water, you can brew a herbal tea, with the option to either discard the herbs or retain them for later use in the soap. Additionally, herbs can be used as decorative touches on top of the soap or mixed in before pouring.

"It’s recommended to add about ½ to 1 teaspoon of dried herbs for every pound (454g) of soap. These herbs, added at the 'Trace' stage, might slightly bleed during curing, creating a warm halo effect around each piece. Common culinary herbs like dried rosemary, pureed spinach, and dried peppermint can be utilized effectively."

https://plantsbulbsseeds.com/how-to-use-fresh-herbs-in-soap-making.html

#SolarPunkSunday #Herbs #SkinCare #UsingHerbs

Lilac flower cream

An ancient French technique, #enfleurage is the process of extracting a flower’s perfume into odorless animal or vegetable fat. The process used here is a simple method that will capture the #fragrance of spring in a jar. The cream can be used directly on your skin or to flavor favorite sweet dishes. It is best to use the #lilac’s tiny blooms straight from the shrub, picking them in the morning when they are the most fragrant.

From:
Harvest by Stefani Bittner

#books

A little farm and garden update for the homies:

One of my favorite things about the #farm is that every day is pretty much a different experiment.

The mason jar filled with flowers is my attempt at making lilac oil using the #enfleurage technique. After steeping for a few weeks, it should be ready to go.

The meat photo? #capicolla! It's going to be vacuum sealed for a week, and then it shall go hang in my cellar with the #bresaola I've had hanging for two weeks now.

And the garden-- I've got everything in this photo planted except those buckets along the back wall. I'm building a raised bed for watermelons back there, but right now the buckets are back there as storage because I don't know what I'm going to use them for (or plant in them) yet. They'll probably end up going between the back fence and the big bed in the middle. If you have any ideas, let me know!

The next step aside from the watermelon bed is to finish laying cardboard out to kill weeds, and then cover it with wood chips and level everything, so it doesn't look, well, like it does in the photo.

Also, if you havent figured it out yet... I'm in my cottage core era now.

#gardening #gardens #homestead #homesteading #homesteader #dailyexperiments #experiments #experimenting #foodscience #food #selfreliant #selfreliance #selfsufficient #selfsufficiency #howdoesyourgardengrow #foodforest #wisconsin #southeasternwisconsin #farmtotable #healthy #growyourownproduce #growyourownfood #knowwhatsinyourfood #supportfarmers #supportyourlocalfarmer #supportyourlocalfarmers #federated #fediverse #outdoors