- 1). Chop dried herbs or flowers in blender or food processor.
- 2). Pour chopped herbs into wide mouth jar.
- 3). Cover herbs with grain alcohol until the chopped or powdered particles are either floating or completely covered. Vodka, gin or everclear are some of the grain alcohols often used to extract essential oils
- 4). Close the jar tightly, shake it and store in a dark cool place. Let the herb and alcohol mixture sit for a few hours, shaking and gently inverting it every 15 minutes.
- 5). Strain the liquid from the solid material through a cheese cloth, into the saucepan. Twist and squeeze the cheesecloth tightly, to extract as much of the liquid as possible.
- 6). Repeat step two through five, reusing the same plant material for dense or heavy herbs or flowers.
- 7). Use this step only if you have an electric stove or burner. Do not use a gas stove to cook down alcohol as this can result in a fire. Place saucepan on an electric burner and turn it on the lowest setting.
- 8). Watch the liquid closely, it should never go over a slight boil. Allow the liquid to cook until it is slightly thickened. This step burns off the alcohol, leaving the pure essential oil. Remove the liquid from the heat when it is the desired consistency. Allow it to cool.
- 9). Pour the finished oil into the dark colored bottle, using the funnel.
Seal, label and date your oil. Store it in a cool dark cabinet.
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