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Making Essential Oils at Home
via Solvent Extraction
 Making Essential Oils really isn't all
that hard. You
couldn't start your own essential oil business using this
method, but solvent extraction will lend you a small amount of pure
plant essence. Your personal stock could be used for soap
making,
aromatherapy and in your own medicine cabinet. There is also
the advantage of being able to get oils from plants that aren't
commercially sold - like my favorite, Lilacs.
You will need:
* The herb or flower you're going to use (more on this in a
moment).
* Neutral grain spirit of extreme high proof (by us there is
a grain alcohol called Everclear that ranges from 150 - 190 proof -
this is best - however a Vodka of 120 proof can work, just not as well
- less yield).
* Clear glass canning jars with lids - 1 quart (.9461 liters)
works best (I
save glass jars such as for pickles and mayonnaise).
* A freezer.
* Amber glass bottles. You will
need to use the dropper to get the essential oil into the bottle so if
you are not using a bottle that comes with one, make sure you also have
a dropper to use.
* A strainer (preferably one coated in porcelain).
* Tight weave cheese cloth.
* A small glass bowl.
* Other standard kitchen items, such as bowls and spoons, may
be useful.
After you've decided what you want to turn into an essential oil you'll
need to determine when it is most fragrant. For most flowers
and plants, catching them first thing in the morning is best.
However there are some flowers that open at night (like
Moonflowers and Evening Primrose), so know your plant. You
only want the part that has the highest scent. For many
flowers it is the petals only but can also include the centers.
When looking at a scented plant test both the adult leaves
and the small baby ones. Generally stems are totally left out
as they can sour a batch and change the scent. There are
plants, such as Chamomile, that will give you a different scent with
the flowers and with the leaves.
Next understand that you will only be getting a small amount of plant
essence. With some plants this could only amount to
drops. Commercial producers use pounds and pounds of plant
material to make their essential oils, which is not something that you
may be able to do. You will quickly learn exactly why
essential oils are so expensive.
Give the plant material a quick dry. This is a really hard
part that may take a little practice. The idea here is to dry
away the 'juicy' water - but NOT dry the plant - as in for storage.
I use my dehydrator for this step and put the plant material
in only until the plant begins to wilt. Not leaving it in
long enough will produce a large gunky scum in your concoction, but
leaving it in too long and you'll loose some of the plant oils.
If you try to remember - just until wilted - you
shouldn't go wrong. You can also place the plant between
paper towel and let it alone for awhile (from a half day to a day).
Unfortunately I can't give you a time number here as every plant is
different. So, as you are experimenting with this, take notes.
If
you would like to learn the difference between drying for storage and
drying to make essential oils - click on this link.
Place your plant material in the canning jar. Pour your
Neutral Grain Spirits over until it just covers - about a quarter inch
(.635 centimeters) over the plant material. Seal it up and
shake it real hard for about 3 minutes. Set it aside in a
room temperature area that is away from all sun light (a kitchen
cabinet works well for this). Shake it like this about three
times a day. This needs to steep until the plant
material starts to lose color. It generally takes 2 - 6 days
for this to happen.
Strain the plant material out of the alcohol. Be VERY careful
not to lose any of the alcohol. After it's strained put the
plant material in some cheese cloth and give it a good squeeze with
your hands (you may want to wear rubber gloves for this step) catching
the remaining liquid in with the rest of the alcohol.
DON'T
worry
about the smell at this point. Some plants won't
smell anything like what you expect, and you may even think that it's
spoiled. I found this out after throwing away a few batches -
boy was I upset (giggle).
If you want, repeat this process - using
the same alcohol - a few times. Remember, the
more you do this, the more essential oils you will end up with.
You can always top off the next batch with a little more
alcohol. I generally keep repeating this through a whole
collection season. However, if the collection season is very
long I will often stop after 3 to 4 times (which is just me being
impatient, haha).
After the last time pour just the alcohol back into your canning jar,
seal it up, and set it aside for about a day or two. Then,
very carefully, look at it. You should start to see
separation happening. There will always be a gunky scummy
part that will form either on the top or settle all the way down to the
bottom. You will also see a VERY small line of separation
that will have a bit of a different color. And, you will also
see your clear Neutral Grain Spirits. Carefully place this in
the freezer (and here's where the magic happens).
Alcohol does not freeze.
Essential oils and that gunky stuff will.
For the next part you're going to have to move pretty fast as you want
to work before your concoction thaws. Have ready a piece of
cheese cloth in a glass bowl, another clean canning jar with cheese
cloth secured to the top forming a large dip into the jar, a second
small, glass bowl (I always try to use a white one for this step) and
your essential oil bottle (the amber one). Also have a spoon
and your dropper handy.
Sometimes that gunky layer is on the bottom, sometimes it's on the top.
If it's
on
the top you're going to want to scoop that gunky mess out
with a spoon and place it in the bowl with the cheese cloth.
Be careful not to scoop the other clear (sometimes a bit
cloudy) but colored part (that's essential oil), but don't worry if a
little of it ends up with the gunky stuff. Next pour the
unfrozen alcohol into the canning jar with cheese cloth. If
any little frozen bits get caught by the cheese cloth - remember that's
what you are collecting - and grab that out as soon as you see it.
If you're fast enough you can put that right into the Amber
Glass bottle, if not just put it in the second white bowl to
deal with later. Essential oil will sometimes freeze to the
jar as well - make sure you scoop that out.
If the
gunky
part is on the bottom you're going to want to pour the
unfrozen alcohol into the canning jar with cheese cloth. If
any little frozen bits get caught by the cloth and scoop that away as
quickly as you can. If you're fast
enough you can put it in the Amber Glass bottle, if not just
put it in the second white bowl. After the pour is done check
the sides of the jar for frozen essential oils, then scoop that gunky
part onto the cheese cloth in the canning jar.
You should now have a gunky mess in the cheese cloth - let it drain
until thawed, but DO NOT squeeze it. You will throw that part
away as it is plant material.
You will have some essential oil in the little white bowl - this can be
transfered to the Amber Glass Bottle.
You will have the alcohol in another canning jar. Place this
back into the freezer for a second freezing. The next
time you take this out you should only have frozen essential
oil
and alcohol
that didn't freeze - so the collection will much easier.
Okay
- I
know you didn't get a lot of essential oil. After you do this
for a while you'll get more and more and you'll understand the
whole collection process better. You'll also note that some
plants have much more essential oils than others. In general - the more
intense the smell, the more plant oil is present. After
making my own essential oils I have really grown to understand the
importance of freshness and quality. In my opinion Mountain
Rose Herbs supplies the best and, quite frankly I do not buy herbs,
essential oils or other bulk ingrediants from any other provider.
Trusting the company I buy from, and qualtiy of product, is
ultamately the most important thing to me.
Aromatherapy
and the use of
essential oils is much more than just creating pretty smelling essence.
It is capturing the healing properties in a highly
concentrated
form. If you are interested in some of the healing properties
of
herbs and how to use them please take a moment to read the
herbal
detail pages on the website. This
link will take you to the Herbal Index. |
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All
information, shared on
this web site, is for enjoyment and study only and is NOT meant to
diagnose or treat any medical condition. Only your
health care professional is qualified to diagnose or treat medical
conditions. Do not risk your health! Just because
something is 'natural' does NOT make it safe. Do not, under
any
circumstance, ingest or use herbs in any form
without consulting your Doctor. If you do, you do so
at
your OWN RISK.
Web Site
Content (text, graphics, look and feel) are Copyright Protected © All
Rights Reserved 2009, Sandy Marie.
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