Touted for its ability to soothe wounds, stop bleeding, heal broken bones and treat bronchial ailments, people have cultivated and used comfrey since 400 BC. The active ingredient in comfrey, allantoin, in a 0.4 percent concentration, appears to increase white cell replication, hastening recovery of external wounds and burns. Harvesting and drying your own comfrey saves you money by not having to purchased prepared formulas. The drying process also concentrates the amount of allantoin in the leaves to 0.1 to 1.6 percent and in the roots to 0.4 to 1.5 percent.
Instructions
1. Wash and pat dry both the comfrey roots and leaves with a towel.
2. Slice the root into thin slices and place into a paper bag.
3. Thread the needle and pass it through the comfrey leaves allowing for one inch of space between each of the leaves on the string.
4. Hang both the stringed comfrey leaves and the bag of sliced comfrey root in a warm dry place.
5. Direct a large box fan to blow on high speed at the comfrey leaves and bag of roots to speed the drying process.
6. Leave both in place for several days until completely dried. Store the dried comfrey in an airtight container.
7. Combine eight ounces of dried leaves or roots with a quart of water.
8. Apply this solution to cuts, scrapes or burns after cleaning the wound Repeat. several times a day until healed.
Tags: comfrey leaves, drying process, leaves roots