Essential oils are distilled in a variety of manners. I learned all this when I became an aromatherapist. Some are cold pressed, some are even solvent distracted. The most preferred method is steam distillation. If a plant will give up their essential oil in this method it is used. Steam distillation does not over heat the plant matter. Boiling water and steam only reach a temperature of 212′ Fahrenheit. Essential oils are very volatile and should not be exposed to high temperatures if it can be avoided.

The one thing that she said at the beginning of the class was, “you will never be so excited to see water drip.” That is the processes of steam distillation. As the steam rises through the plant matter it keeps rising and takes the essential oil with it. It then goes through a length of extraction chambers. This is where the steam is cooled. At the end of the pipe you can watch the essential oil and the hydrosol drip out. Hydrosol is the water left from the processes. The essential oil will remain on the top and can be separated out.

Watching the demonstration almost made me want a still of my own, until she told a story. She said that once she had put in 55 gallons of plant matter and only gotten 5 oz of essential oil. She also stated that was good for that type of lavender. Many plants have very little essential oil. The thing is, what they have is worth it. Rose and Jasmine absolute can be the same way. That is why the real stuff is so very expensive.

I was always told that patience is a virtue. I guess that applies to watching water and essential oil drip and growing lavender.

Still there are a few tips to getting Organic ingredients.

The first thing I recommend to getting organic ingredients, remember the closer you have towards scratch the more quality control you have. Yes, there are organic TV dinners. Now take a look at the content. Organic does not always equate to being healthy for you.  Organic sugar and fat are just as bad for you calorie and health wise as the non-organic. You may be missing some of the preservatives and chemicals, but fat is fat and calories are calories.

If you are going to spend your money on organic, go for the good stuff. Make your food dollar count.

Like they tell dieters, shop the outsides of the store.  This is the area where there is the produce, the dairy, the meat. All of these can now be found in organic varieties. Instead of that organic prepackaged enchilada, pick up some certified organic chicken, herbs, produce and tortillas. Remember the fresher the ingredients, the more nutrients that are in the ingredients.

You can skip the megamarket altogether as well. Many health food stores are now offering a wide variety of organic ingredients. I live in a small town and belong to a co-op. They offer organic flours, rice, oatmeal, eggs and milk. What makes this nice is that much from the co-op is more local than say the mega-market. For me organic eggs from the co-op come from right here in my own state. The ones at the grocery store came from across the country.

Eating organic can be a simple way of life. Think of the easy things that you can fix. My pizza crust recipe for example. I have on hand organic flour and yeast and oil. This is all stuff that I use on a regular basis. When I decided to go organic this was one of the first things I did, switch my staples as they ran out.

Organic cheese and vegetables can be bought at the co-op, farmers market or at the megamarket. I canned my own sauce, so it is not certified organic, but I know where they came from, and they were not grown with any chemicals. The same with my herbs I grew and dried this past summer.

This makes for a very simple meal.  One that I know is healthy and chemical free. There are no preservatives. Start with the simple basic things. The comfort food and build from there while you change your pantry over to organic staples.