Tutorial: Jewelweed water and oil extraction

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Earthen_Step

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Location
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**Note: For external use only!**
**Also note: I am still in the learning phase of all of this -- Follow this at your own risk.**​

This week has been a fun one. This is going to be a step by step tutorial on how to make a water and oil concentration of this specimen. Jewelweed grows wild around here (Northern New Hampshire) and we have a good amount of it growing in our yard. We want to extract its awesomeness so we can use it over the next year even while it's out of season! What this plant is used for is beyond the scope of this tutorial; look elsewhere if you need ideas for its implementation. We plan on using it only as a colorant and cosmetic application on future projects. We also will use it for personal use regularly. On to the extract process!

Step 1 (and possibly the most important step!): Identification of the plant is very important in any wild plant extract. You don't want to poison yourself with a look-a-like! I am unaware of any poisoned mimics of the spotted jewelweed but the pale jewelweed (impatiens pallida) does look similar. The biggest difference in the two is the flower. If it is a very light green or white flower you have the wrong plant. I don't think you will be satisfied at all if you are extracting the pale jewelweed.

Notice the orange/deep yellow main flower and darker orange spots. This is the spotted jewelweed and what we have local. The younger flowers have much less deep orange from what I have noticed. Also notice the distinct leaf shape; with it's sharp edges as it climbs to a peak. Another thing to note is its stem - it looks very segmented as it climbs to its next tier with bulges.

Continue at: http://earthenstep.blogspot.com/

I might reformat this for the forum soon. I'm too tired to do so now, but wanted to share!
 
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Hey E-S, cool posts and soaps btw,

To extract oily goodness on a small scale: try a piteba brand ($135) oil expeller and from there, if it extracts/works, you can bring the oily mixture to a plastic separatory funnel and stand ($30 for 1000-2000 ml) to separate the oil from non-oils.

(I have a large EO distillation unit. In the future I will be making some very rare EOs available.)
 
Awesome tutorial! Best of all, I have all of the equipment that you used. We don't have jewelweed native to here(that I know of), but there are other plants I could do that with.

I always start things as cheap as possible. There are some nice distillers that could make slightly higher grade "hydrosols". If I end up doing massive amounts of a large variety of plants it might be justifiable. But, I will try my best to buy it with profits from products used with my current method. This will show myself it's truly worth the purchase.

I don't know if Prunella vulgaris (Heal All) grows around where you live. But that is another great one! You can make a cold extract with that and it's edible. I love to finely chop the flowers and seep it in cold water for about 30 minutes for a great tea. It's nice and lightly sweet on its own, no need for honey.

I'm glad you liked the tutorial, thanks for the reply.
 
Hey E-S, cool posts and soaps btw,

To extract oily goodness on a small scale: try a piteba brand ($135) oil expeller and from there, if it extracts/works, you can bring the oily mixture to a plastic separatory funnel and stand ($30 for 1000-2000 ml) to separate the oil from non-oils.

(I have a large EO distillation unit. In the future I will be making some very rare EOs available.)

I would not be able to expel oils from jewelweed. I'm making a tincture with this method, rather than an oil. I'm dispersing the micro plant materials through water and oil. The separator funnel surely would work though, but I don't mind having one jar that is a mix of water/oil for the time being.

Thanks for the reply Goji-Fries! I would love to play around expelling oil from seeds with a press some day. I'm sure if I keep all this up I will want a separator as well. I'll look into your recommendations and bookmark for later use.

Which EO distiller did you get? I have looked into dozens and hope to buy one at some point. I might start by making my own for hydrosols and buy a high quality one later on for essential oils.
 
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I would not be able to expel oils from jewelweed. I'm making a tincture with this method, rather than an oil. I'm dispersing the micro plant materials through water and oil. The separator funnel surely would work though, but I don't mind having one jar that is a mix of water/oil for the time being.

Thanks for the reply Goji-Fries! I would love to play around expelling oil with a press some day. I'm sure if I keep all this up I will want a separator as well. I'll look into your recommendations and bookmark for later use.

Which EO distiller did you get? I have looked into dozens and hope to buy one at some point. I might start by making my own for hydrosols and buy a high quality one later on for essential oils.

Hey E-S,

I have a large distiller with two 30lb baskets. If I distill something soon I'll share the goods for sure. I think that the best possible outcome for your operation would be an enfleurage type of system to extract maximum oils and scent from the plant material.

The ancient Egyptians did enfleurage. It is basically getting a section of glass or window, applying a layer of fat or oil to it, placing usually flowers on top of the fat, waiting for the fat to absorb both sides of the flowers etc. The oil extraction from the fat is via a solution, usually alcohol. Then you have a HIGHLY fragrant EO with some plant compounds. Sure to be a step above other jewelweed scents if there are any.

This is something I know to help. Look up enfleurage though. I think it is the way without spending a lot of money.
 
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