How to Extract Fragrances from Plants
Natural fragrances of plants and flowers are extracted and sold in the market in the form of essential oils. These oils are 100 per cent pure and therefore, are sold at very high prices at the beauty stores. Even then you are not sure about their purity or any sort of chemical addition to them. It is better to extract fragrances from plants by yourself and enjoy the aroma of pure natural scent. A number of different ways are there to extract fragrances from flowers and plants and most of them are quite simple and easy to do.
Instructions
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1
Take two, large dinner plates and wash them out properly, then letting them air dry.
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2
Place a saucepan over the stove and add lard or vegetable shortening to it. Heat the saucepan until the fat melts. Then pour it to both plates, forming a ½ inch thick layer. When the fat solidifies once again, use a kitchen knife to carve several criss-cross patterns on it.
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3
Now you have to select a plant or flower to extract fragrance from. When a flower fully blooms, its fragrance contents keep fading with the passage of time. That is why it is suggested to pick up newly open flowers for extracting more fragrance.
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4
If you desire to use natural herbs for this process, you have to pick them up before the flowers open. You only need the leaves and flowers of herbs and you have to discard the stems. If you are using flowers for this process, only their petals will be needed to extract fragrance and you can dispose of their leaves, stems or other green portion.
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5
Now take the plates with layers of fat and place the flowers on one of it. Rub the flower petals over the wax surface for about five minutes and the criss-cross patterns will ensure their fragrance is absorbed within the fat.
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6
Let the flower petals or herbs on the wax surface and put the other plate upside down on it, completely covering it up. You have to ensure there is no passage for fragrance to escape the two plates and hence you should use a tape to seal the ends tightly. Put the sealed plates in a warm and dark place, like a cupboard in your kitchen, for at least two days.
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7
Take out the plates after two days, dispose of the withered flowers or herbs and place fresh petals in their place. Seal the place with tape once again and put them aside for another two days. You have to repeat this process for nearly seven to eight times until the fat begins to smell strongly of those flowers. You have extracted the fragrance from plants.
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8
Scrap the wax from plates and put it in small bottles, filling it to the half. Add vodka to it, firmly tighten the cap of the bottle and put it aside for three months.
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9
After three months, you have to strain out the alcohol from that bottle. Use a coffee filter, cheese cloth and muslin for this purpose.
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10
You can add vitamin E drops to your fragrant alcohol. Save it in any container you and use your perfume whenever you need.
