Frequently Asked Questions

What plants can be distilled?

• Lavender (just the flowers have oil in them) – only English lavender can be consumed in cooking or beverages.
• Rosemary (can be harvested all year but you’ll get the most oil when the plant is blooming)
• Oregano (leaves)
• Mint – all varieties (harvest when blooming to get oil)
• Eucalyptus (leaves and small twigs)
• Tea Tree / Melaleuca (leaves and small twigs)
• Bottle brush / Callistemon (leaves and blossoms)
• Makrut lime (leaves)
• Citrus / lemon, lime, orange, bitter orange (thin outer peel)
• Kumquat (peel after fruit has been juiced)
• Lemon Myrtle (leaves)
• Lemon verbena (leaves)
• Rose (Damascus rose has highest oil content, petals only)

Can I just buy oil or hydrosol from you?

Yes, you can!

Can I use an induction burner as a heat source for my copper still?

No, copper doesn’t work with induction burners.

How much plant material do you need?

We can distill as little as 500 grams. Our largest still can accommodate 2-3 kg of leafy plant material at a time. Our largest still can distill up to 6kg of juiced citrus.

Do I need to do anything special with my plant materials?

Most leaves will need to be rough chopped. Rosemary needs to be stripped from the stem. Citrus needs to be juiced, OR you can thinly peel, leaving the white pith on the fruit.

What will my plant materials yield?

About 1L of hydrosol (aka floral water or mist) for every 1kg of plant material. The amount of oil will depend on which plant is being distilled, the part of the plant and time of year it was harvested. Some plants don’t yield any oils.

How does this work if I have plants I would like to have distilled?

We’ll provide an estimate of product yield and then arrange a day to collect the plant materials. You can either drop it off at our location or another collection site, if appropriate. Alternatively, we can pick it up, subject to an additional fee.