Note from the editor - If you are a lavender gardener, and in the northern hemisphere, it's harvest time! Whether you harvest to distill the essential oil, dry the product for lavender crafts, or simply have a fresh bouquet, there are many ways to enjoy lavender. Want to get more ideas? Visit us at what-about-lavender.com. Enjoy. - Jimmie

Lavender Tip of the Month - When harvesting your lavender for drying, cut the stalks where they emerge from the bush, then tie a handful together in a bundle and hang it upside down to dry. This will allow much of the essential oil in the stalk to drain into the buds, making them more fragrant.

Feature Article - There are many methods for extracting essential oils from plant materials, but one of the most effective is steam distillation. In this method, steam is passed over the plant material and picks up oil as it does. The steam is then condensed back into a liquid where the oil can be separated from the water.

One of the advantages of this essential oil extraction method is that it yields very pure oil. Other methods such as solvent extraction have the potential of yielding oil that contains chemical by-products.

The three main parts of the distillation equipment include the retort or still, the condensor, and the separator.

Plant material is introduced into the retort where it comes in contact with the steam. The retort is a container large enough to hold the plant material and strong enough to withstand the heat and pressure of the steam. The plant material may sit in the water as it is boiled to produce steam (hydrodistillation), or it may be suspended above the boiling water by means of a grate or a screen (wet steam method), or the boiling water may be in a completely separate container where the steam is introduced into the retort below the plant material through a pipe (dry steam method).

The heat from the steam will break open the plant fibers, exposing the oil where it can be picked up by the steam as it passes by. The steam / oil combination will then leave the retort and pass through the condensor. This component may simply be a coil of copper tubing or pipe. The purpose of the condensor to provide a place for the heat to escape from the steam so that it can change from water vapor to liquid water. This can be accelerated by ice or refrigeration methods, or simply by providing ample surface area for the heat to escape.

The water / oil combination passes from the condensor into a separator. This is a container (often made of glass) that will hold the liquid allowing time for the oil to rise and the water to settle to the bottom. The separator may be specially made to allow the essential oil to be easily removed for bottling.

The water that is left after the oil is skimmed from the top still has oil in it and may have some useful purpose. Such is the case with lavender. After the pure lavender oil is removed, the remaining water - called hydrosol - still has enough oil in it to have a very pleasant aroma. It can be used to freshen laundry, linens, or simply as an air freshener in any room.

Distillation equipment is available in many sizes, from small stove top units for the hobbyist to large commercial units that are used by essential oil manufacturers.

The amount of oil that can be extracted from a given amount of plant material through essential oil distillation will depend greatly on the type of oil being distilled. For instance, an ounce of lavender oil may only require a few pounds of lavender buds, but an ounce of rose oil may require several hundred pounds of rose petals.

Whether you have your own distillation equipment or you purchase oil that has been extracted through essential oil distillation, it's easy to appreciate this age old but effective method.

Lavender Fun Fact - The stalk that supports the blooms and buds on a lavender plant is called a "peduncle".

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