Aug 7, 2009

How To Make Lavender Extract



In years past I made cookies from recipes that had lavender flowers in them or used lavender infused sugar on top. This year I decided to make an extract from the lavender flowers in my garden and use some to make cookies. The lavender extract was made from pesticide free, freshly picked lavender heads.
 
(Use lavender flowers that are good for culinary use.)
 
 
 
 
  • Pour 2 cups of 100 proof vodka into the jar of flowers.
  • Cut 100 flower heads and put into a sterile jar.
  • Twist the lid on, shake, and place out of direct sunlight.
     
To prevent the jar from leaking at the opening when you shake, a piece of plastic wrap can be put inside the lid before you close it.
 
 
  Shake once a day for eight days.
 
Strain through a sieve lined with a coffee filter.
  
 
  
 
 Strain a few more times with the coffee filter.
 The liquid will be a dark brown. Bottle it in sterilized glass containers.
Makes approximately 1 cup of lavender extract.
 
If your lavender is dried try using 50 lavender flower heads instead of 100. 
 
 

29 comments:

  1. Ooh-I've never made lavender extract before but I've had great success with vanilla. I can't wait to try this, thanks so much! I'll be linking.

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  2. Sounds lovely! Thanks for sending us news on your great site. I posted today on your extract at: ediblecrafts.craftgossip.com.

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  3. Ooooh....can't wait to try this!

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  4. Isn't that a water and not an extract?

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  5. An extract is made by steeping or soaking botanicals (flowers, roots, leaves, bark etc.) in water, glycerin or alcohol. The active ingredients are extracted from the plant material in a concentrated form.

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  6. can I use the leaves instead of the buds?

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  7. No, don't use the leaves - and only use angustifolia flowers

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  8. would like to try this. A trip to visit the Lavendar Farm in San Diego Co is planned for early summer...

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  9. It's really that easy? I wanted to make lavender-honey truffles but couldn't find lavender exctact, even in the organic food store. Now I know what to do when I come back to Austria - visit my mom's garden, get myself a little vodka and a smal jar :D thans for posting
    I'll follow :D

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    Replies
    1. Ooh, those truffles sound good, do you have a link for the recipe?

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    2. Yes, easy and very aromatic. Truffles,(chocolate?) yum....makes my mouth water thinking of them. Give us a update on how they turned out! Thanks for the follow.

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  10. I love finding things to fuel my obsession with lavender. ;)

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  11. Do you know approximately how much lavender that is, in volume? Thanks :)

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  12. Flower heads?....Good question. I don't know. Next harvest I will weigh them.

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  13. I meant just in amount (cups, tablespoons?). Any rough estimate?

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  14. I love your site. I have made extract from other flower blossoms the same as your recipe for lavender. Thanks.

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    1. Thank you for the kind comment. What flowers have you used?

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  15. This sounds wonderful !! Can you use lilac or rose with this method ?

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    Replies
    1. Yes, experiment with the quanity of botanicals.

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  16. i wonder what you would use if you are an alcoholic and dont want to use booze ? and....does this method apply to many of the herbal oils?

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    1. Great question.....I know glycern is used instead of alcohol for tintures. My references are packed due to the fact I am moving to Alaska this month.
      Similar for oils. I will post more information next month.

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  17. what can i do or make with lavender extract.

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    Replies
    1. It can be added to chocolate, cookies and frosting.

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  18. What's the weight of 100 flower heads? Michael Moore (the herbalist, not the filmmaker) included detailed instructions on how to make an herbal tincture in his "Medicinal Plants of the Mountain West", but his are based on weight of the herb.

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    1. Good question! I am in the midst of moving to Alaska.....no longer have lavender plants and books are packed. Anyone out there with an answer? Or anyone growing lavender that could let us know after harvest?

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  19. Is there anything that can be used in place of the vodka? My family has several recovering alcoholics and I would like to try something like this but I worry about using alcohol based ingredients in my cooking. I know the claim that alcohol content supposedly cooks away but I have found through experience the flavor is still there and I do not want to put "temptation" in the path of the ones I love.

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    Replies
    1. I will research in the next month and post. A very good question.

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