How to Distill Hibiscus

Hibiscus is one of the most widely used essential oils, long respected for its healing properties and fragrant aroma. The hibiscus flower produces an oil so versatile it is used for everything from medicinal and culinary purposes to scenting candles and bath products. Use the following steps to distill hibiscus oil at home.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

1. Collect hibiscus flowers. Handle fresh hibiscus flowers as little as possible and distill quickly after harvesting.
2. Buy or make your own distiller, or still. The basic components of a still include a heat source (to boil the water), a grate or mesh to hold the plant materials, a condenser to capture and cool the steam, and a separator to separate the oil from the steam.
3. Fill the distiller completely with clean, soft water. The water level should be very close to the mesh grate holding your hibiscus flowers without directly touching it.
4. Press whole hibiscus flowers tightly into the grate. Leave flowers uncut to avoid losing any of the blossoms' essential oils.
5. Shut the still and boil the water. The hibiscus flowers will release their oils as the water reaches its boiling point (212 degrees F).
6. Observe the still to make sure it does not run out of water at any point during the distillation process. The hibiscus essence should begin to run through the condenser and into the evaporator.
7. Strain the essential oil through cheese cloth to remove any impurities. Store it in a dark, glass jar, leaving as little head room in the jar as possible, and seal it tightly, as oxygen may contaminate the oil.

Tips & Warnings

• Hibiscus is the plant known to have inspired Celestial Seasonings' famous line of Zinger teas,
• There are more than 200 varieties of hibiscus, and most are believed to have healing characteristics of one type or another.
• A commercially-made still may be a good investment if you plan on distilling great quantities of essential oils.