SC - A Winter food

[LrdRas@aol.com]

Subject: Re: SC -lavendar harvest

>   Yes, that was my second search after posting to the Cooks' List.  I will
>also be looking about  *how*  to extract the essential oils from the leaves
>. . . .maybe  . . . .or is that considered  "distilling?" and gonna get me
>in trouble with the  "revenooers?"

     I can't give much insight into lavender specifically however my MS thesis
involved commercial mint production.  Lavender is also an essential oil plant in
which the oil is extracted from the flowers.  The flowers are gathered an then
immediately steam distilled. (See Simon, J.E., A.F. Chadwick and L.E. Craker.
1984. Herbs: An Indexed Bibliography. 1971-1980. The Scientific Literature on
Selected Herbs, and Aromatic and Medicinal Plants of the Temperate Zone. Archon
Books, 770 pp., Hamden, CT)
       I have never distilled lavender oil, however I have distilled peppermint
oil by the same process.  The process involves boiling the mint in a vessel
which is connected to a condenser.  As the mixture of crushed mint leaves and
water boils the vapor condeses and is collected in another container.  This
condensed liquid will contain water and essential oil, with the oil floating on
top.  Be careful as essential oils are often very strong and could burn your
skin or sinus passages.  The yield and quality of mint oil varies with cultivar,
growing conditions and post harvest handling, and could also be assumed for
lavender.  As an example 500 g of dried mint yielded 1-4 mL oil, or 40-90 pounds
of oil from an acre of harvested mint.  I couldn't find lavender yield info.
Hope this helps,
CH
- ---
Lady Clare Hele, Barony of Windmaster's Hill, Atlantia
Jennifer Rushman, RTP, NC


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