The Clove Infusion He Reached for After Long Days in the Garden
There was a tiny amber bottle hidden behind Grandpa’s shaving brush that fascinated me more than anything else in his old wooden cabinet.
It wasn’t perfume.
It wasn’t medicine.
Inside floated dozens of whole cloves resting quietly in clear alcohol that had turned a warm golden brown over several weeks.
“Time,” Grandpa would smile, “is the secret ingredient.”
One autumn evening he opened his notebook to a chapter titled:
“The Tiny Bud That Carries Great Strength.”
He wasn’t talking about flowers.
He was talking about cloves.
Long before I understood chemistry, Grandpa already knew cloves were extraordinary.
The dried flower buds of the clove tree contain an aromatic essential oil whose main natural compound is eugenol. This remarkable molecule gives cloves their unmistakable fragrance while also displaying antioxidant, antimicrobial, and mild numbing properties in laboratory studies. For centuries, cloves have been used in traditional herbal practices, especially for soothing temporary tooth discomfort and as an aromatic ingredient in herbal preparations. Modern dentistry still recognizes eugenol as an important component in certain dental materials because of its soothing properties. (ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
Grandpa never mentioned eugenol.
He simply wrote,
“Small things often carry powerful aromas.”
The bottle wasn’t something Grandpa drank.
He used it as a traditional external massage oil after long afternoons spent pruning fruit trees, chopping wood, or working in the vegetable garden. He gently rubbed a few drops into tired hands, wrists, shoulders, or stiff muscles while slowly massaging the area.
“The massage,” he often said,
“is just as important as the oil.”
Modern research suggests that clove oil’s eugenol may have mild warming and soothing properties when applied appropriately in diluted form, although it is not a cure for arthritis, nerve pain, or chronic joint disease. Pure clove oil is highly concentrated and should always be diluted before touching the skin because it may cause irritation. (webmd.com)
Grandpa believed gentle hands accomplished more than force ever could.
Another chapter explained why movement always followed the massage.
He never rubbed the shoulders and returned to his chair.
Instead, he stretched.
Walked.
Rolled his shoulders.
Opened and closed his hands.
Modern physiology explains that gentle movement increases circulation to muscles and joints while helping maintain flexibility. Massage may temporarily improve comfort by stimulating blood flow and relaxing surrounding tissues.
“Motion,” Grandpa wrote,
“finishes what stillness begins.”
Grandpa’s Traditional Clove Infusion
Ingredients
- 20–25 whole cloves
- 250 ml food-grade alcohol (or a carrier oil such as olive oil if preparing a gentler herbal infusion)
Place the cloves into a clean glass bottle, cover them with the liquid, seal tightly, and store in a cool, dark place for two to three weeks, gently shaking the bottle every few days. If using alcohol, Grandpa applied only a few drops externally to intact skin before gently massaging tired muscles or joints. He never applied it to broken skin or near the eyes.
Near the final page of the chapter, Grandpa had written words that I still remember whenever I smell cloves.
“People often ask which herb removes every ache.”
“I tell them no herb has ever carried such a burden.”
“But warm hands…”
“Gentle movement…”
“Good sleep…”
“Wholesome food…”
“And the quiet rituals repeated through many seasons…”
“Have a way of making both the body and the heart feel lighter.”
“That is the oldest remedy I have ever known.”
If you’re curious about more of Grandpa’s and Grandma’s natural remedies, check out Chapter LXVI – The Green Garden That Grandma Called “Nature’s Shield”, Chapter LXV – The Oatmeal Bowl Grandma Always Respected, and Chapter LXIII – The Bitter Leaf Grandpa Always Picked Before Sunrise next.
