St. John's wort: oil not turning red?

Newsgroups: alt.folklore.herbs
Subject: St John's Wort
From: user646611.aol.com (User646611)
Date: 11 Jan 1997 14:53:28 GMT

Could anyone tell me if the lack of a red color when I infuse dried St John's Wort into Olive oil by either steeping for 3 weeks or waterbath for 3 hours indicates a lack of properties? The oil just stays the same original color, rather than turning the ruby red that I keep reading. The oil seems to work, but perhaps it isn't really strong enough.Thanks.

From: HeK.hetta.pp.fi (Henriette Kress)

Try putting your oil into the sun for some time, it -should- turn red.

Newsgroups: alt.folklore.herbs
Subject: Re: St John's Wort
From: Cyndy B <lastdryad.earthlink.net>
Date: 13 Jan 1997 20:33:24 GMT

>Could anyone tell me if the lack of a red color when I infuse dried St John's Wort into Olive oil by either steeping for 3 weeks

My guess is, the problem is using the *dried* herb; shouldn't this be done using the fresh herb??? With SJW, particularly; as it's the flowers that are the most potent (and flowers are most likely to degrade in properties upon drying?)

Also, I thought the tincture of SJW in alcohol was the most effective way to take this herb.

Anyone else?

From: HeK.hetta.pp.fi (Henriette Kress)

>I thought the tincture of SJW in alcohol was the most effective way to take this herb.

Depends on what you'll use it for. I do both tincture and oil, and use oil externally and tincture internally. I've -tried- the oil internally - yech.

It's confirmed: dried SJW doesn't turn oil red. So make it from the fresh flowering tops instead. --Henriette