Heat the leaves gently to extract the aromatic essential oil.
Myrtle leaf oil is rapidly absorbed, evidenced by the fact that it gives the urine a violet-like scent within 15 minutes of absorption. In India the myrtle leaf is used to treat epilepsy. The active ingredients are known to relieve digestive problems, bronchial congestion, dry cough and urinary infection. The leaves are aromatic and give off a sweet herbal scent. The leaf's extracted oil is antiseptic and can be cultivated in your kitchen. Extract the oil from fresh leaves with hot oil infusion and dried leaves with cold infusion.
Instructions
Fresh Myrtle Leaf -- Hot Oil Infusion
1. Measure 3 cups of fresh myrtle leaf with a measuring cup. Chop the leaf with a knife into smaller pieces, about the size of a dime. Place the chopped leaf into a jar.
2. Fill the jar with extra virgin olive oil until the oil sits approximately 1 inch above the chopped leaf. Pour the contents of the jar into a large saucepan with oven-proof handles.
3. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Fahrenheit. Place the uncovered saucepan into the oven and keep an eye on the mixture. When the oil starts to bubble, turn the heat down slightly until the oil sits at a temperature where it slowly bubbles.
4. Stir the mixture with a wooden spoon every 20 minutes. Simmer the oil until the leaves are crisp and "worn out." The leaves will have no more oil to infuse at this point.
5. Place a coffee filter into a strainer and place over a dark jar. Pour the myrtle leaf extract through the filter. Do this until no more oil comes through the the jar.
6. Close the jar and store in a cool, dark and dry place.
Dried Myrtle Leaf -- Cold Infusion
7. Measure 1 cup of dried myrtle leaf using a measuring cup. Use a knife to finely chop the leaf.
8. Place the chopped herb into a jar. Fill the jar with cold-pressed grape seed oil until the oil sits approximately 1 inch above the chopped leaf. Seal the jar.
9. Set the jar in a warm place with direct sunlight. Let the jar sit for two weeks. Shake the jar vigorously at least twice a day.
10. Place a coffee filter into a strainer. Place a dark glass jar underneath the strainer and pour the oil through. Hold the strainer over the jar until oil no longer seeps.
11. Seal the jar and store in a cool, dark and dry place.
Tags: chopped leaf, filter into, until sits, above chopped, above chopped leaf, approximately inch, approximately inch above