Homemade Still for Essential Oils

Ingredients

• Select pesticide-free flowers or herbs to use in the distillation process. If you did not grow them yourself, shop for organic or food-grade plant materials. Use distilled water for the distillation process; chemicals or minerals from tap water are not desirable.

Assembly

• Place a large, deep stockpot on the stove, and then place a glass or ceramic heat-proof dish in the bottom of the stockpot. There should be space left between the walls of the pot and the dish; this is where the flowers or herbs go. The taller this dish is, the more you will be able to distill at one time. Fill the dish halfway with water to weigh it down.
  Fill the area between the sides of the pot and the dish with the herbs or flower petals that you wish to extract the essential oils from. They should not be taller than the dish. Now, pour water over the plant material to a depth of half of the dish that is in the middle.
  Place a shallow bowl on top of the glass dish. This bowl should seal the top of the glass dish and extend beyond the lip of the dish. Large rimmed soup bowls usually work well. This shallow bowl is the container where the water and essential oils will be collected.

The Process

• Bring the water in the homemade still to a boil, and reduce to a simmer. Place a large, stainless steel bowl over the top of the stockpot. This bowl should be large enough to seal the stockpot; however, the bottom of this bowl should not touch the shallow bowl that is inside of the stockpot. Add ice to the stainless steel bowl to cool the steam inside the still as it rises. This will cause the essential oils to cool and drip into the shallow bowl.
  Simmer the contents of the still for two to three hours. During this time, keep the ice in the stainless steel bowl replenished. Watch the water covering the flowers or herbs; if it boils away, add more distilled water, being careful not to pour it into the shallow bowl. Make sure that the flowers do not burn.

The Results

• Turn the heat off and let everything cool before disassembling the homemade still. Carefully remove the shallow bowl that now contains a mix of herb or flower water and essential oil. The oil will be floating on top of the water and can be decanted off. The water can be used for cooking or for creating scented items.