Reply To: Herbal Body Products & Gift Making
Hi Sarah,
What a wonderful idea, lilacs smell so gorgeously.
There are a couple of ways you could do this, but the most simple would be to make a 2 step infusion. Harvest about 4 heads of lilac flowers, and make an infusion with 2 of them in 2 cups/500 mL of boiled water. Steep it covered (trapping those aromatics in) for at least 30 minutes, then strain. Using this lilac infusion, add about 1/4-1/2 cup of the witch hazel and the other 2 floral heads of lilacs, and let this steep for another 30 minutes to 1 hour. Strain with cheesecloth or muslin. Add essential oils if you wish, otherwise that’s it and you can bottle it up! So essentially, this process is a combination of all of your thoughts 🙂 and it will be pretty effective!
The other option is to set up a little at home distiller using a pot, it’s matching lid, two heat safe ceramic or metal bowls, ice cubes and water. Place one of the bowls upside down in the pot (this is basically serving as something to rise the other bowl above the water, so you could try putting something else in there like a couple of stones) , sprinkle the lilac flowers around this in the pot, more lilac=more smell. Then pour some water in to cover the flowers or 1-3 inches deep (as long as the bottom bowl/stones aren’t covered). Place the other bowl right side up on top of the upside down bowl/stones. Place the lid on top of the pot, but upside down so that the little handle/knob is almost inside the bowl that is right side up. Place a bag of ice cubes on top of the inverted lid. Now gently simmer the water and watch closely not to let it boil dry. The steam from the simmering lilac water is going to hit the lid, where it condenses readily, due to the ice, and drips down the pot lid handle to collect in the upturned bowl. Voila! The liquid in the bowl on top will be like a lilac hydrosol, and you can add the witch hazel to this afterward for increased preservation if you wish.
I would love to hear about which process you try and how it turns out!
Benna