Feverfew is a powerful little plant for medicinal pain relief

For a handy pain reliever you can make yourself, I'll be sharing my go-to recipe for a natural painkiller-in-a-jar that I use in my home apothecary.

Feverfew is a member of the daisy family (also known as wild chamomile) growing close to woodland areas and beside roadways. During the summer, the stems can grow up to three feet in height, with yellow blooms at the top that have creamy white petals surrounding tightly-bunched tubular florets.

Do not use if you are allergic to dasies.

Feverfew was a popular treatment for headaches and migraines in the 1600s. It was also used for treating fevers, recovering from muscle trauma, minor depression, sciaticapain, alcohol withdrawal, and stomach problems. It also lowers temperature, dilates blood vessels, relieves spasms, reduces inflammation, and lessens migraine, arthritic issues, toothaches, and menstrual pain.

Pain Relief Recipe

Making a tincture with feverfew is my preferred method because I know exactly what's going in it. It's super easy to make, all you need to do is dry the flowers and put them in your alcohol of choice. The alcohol pulls out the medicinal properties of this flower, and suspends it in a liquid so our bodies can use it. With so many different uses for feverfew, I always make sure I have some on hand.

It works with any 80-proof or above alcohol. I use vodka for my tinctures.

Feverfew is best harvested in late summer, when it is in full flower. Trim the stems to about 1/3 of their original length, then hang them upside down in a paper bag in a dry, cold place. Afterwards, a rough chop to the plant added to a jar of alcohol and a little patience is all you need. The entire process takes 4–6 weeks.

Ingredients:

• Glass jar with a lid
• Parchment paper to keep the vodka from touching your lid
• Dried feverfew
• Two ounces of 80-proof alcohol, or enough to fill the jar you're using
• Cheesecloth or a fine strainer
• A dark dropper bottle to store the tincture in

Steps:

• Fill the jar with the dried feverfew, packing it tightly.
• Cover the feverfew with your alcohol.
• Put the parchment paper on top of the jar, put the top on, and shake it well.
• Mark the date you make it on the jar so you will know when it is ready.
• Put it somewhere cool and dark for four to six weeks.

After four to six weeks, the tincture is ready to use; just filter it and transfer it into a tincture bottle. The contents of brown glass medicine jars are shielded from sunlight, prolonging their effects.

It's also not a bad idea while the flowers are dry, to save a few to seed your own garden space next year. I personally have three 100 sq ft medicinal garden beds going at once, two for tinctures and one for tea. What I'm able to wild forage and bring back with me, I save a spot in one of these gardens to ensure I have a fresh supply for whenever I need it!

How to Use

Apply a few drops under your tongue whenever you start to experience aches, pains, or fevers. Adults can take up to two full droppers twice a day.

This tincture is what I refer to as a cornerstone in my medicinal cabinet. There are a few multipurpose, hard hitting medicinal plants I keep on hand, including mullein, oregano extract, fermented honey garlic, elderberry syrup, red clover tincture, and wild lettuce just to name a few. When space or resources are limited, I like to make things I know have a few different uses.