3 Ways to Extract Essential Oil, How to Extract Essential Oil, History of Essential Oil Extraction

Summary

In this informative video, Leo from Lead Time explores three traditional methods for extracting essential oils from plant materials. The first method, expression, is showcased through the example of citrus peels, highlighting historical Italian practices. The second method, extraction, involves using solvents like alcohol or fats, with a focus on the French technique using olive oil to extract rose oil. The third method, distillation, is the most versatile and can produce hydrosols. Leo explains the advantages of steam distillation for its efficiency and safety, providing a comprehensive guide to essential oil production.

Takeaways

• 🍊 The first method of extracting essential oil is called expression, commonly used on citrus materials like orange and lemon peels.
• 📚 Historically, in the 19th century, Sicilian Italians manually squeezed lemon peels onto a sponge to extract essential oil.
• 💧 After squeezing, the liquid is filtered and allowed to settle, separating the essential oil from water.
• 🌿 The second method is extraction, where plant material is mixed with a solvent to extract the essential oil.
• 🧪 Three types of solvents can be used: volatile solvents like alcohol, fats such as olive oil or lard, and hot air.
• 🌹 French people in the 19th century used olive oil or lard to extract rose essential oil by placing petals on top of the oil and heating gently.
• 🔄 The process of extraction with fats involves multiple batches and can last for months to saturate the oil with the essential oil.
• 🔥 The third solvent method involves using hot air to blow over the plant material and then collecting the air carrying the essential oil.
• 💧 Distillation is the third method and is suitable for almost any plant material, also allowing the production of hydrosols like rose water.
• 🌡 There are two types of distillation: water distillation, where plant material is boiled with water, and steam distillation, which is more efficient and safer.

Q & A

What are the three methods of extracting essential oils from plant material discussed in the video?

The three methods discussed are expression, extraction, and distillation.

How does the expression method work for extracting essential oils?

The expression method involves physically squeezing plant material, like citrus peels, to release the essential oils. This method is commonly used on citrus fruits such as oranges and lemons.

What is the historical context of using expression for extracting essential oils?

In the 19th century in Sicily, Italian people manually squeezed lemon peels onto a sponge until saturated, then squeezed the liquid out and filtered it to separate the essential oil from the water.

What are the three types of solvents used in the extraction method?

The three types of solvents used are volatile solvents like alcohol, fats such as olive oil or lard, and hot air.

How did the French use fat for extracting essential oils in the 19th century?

The French placed rose petals on top of oil, such as olive oil or lard, and heated the container in a water bath to a mild temperature to accelerate the extraction process. The oil would then be tested to ensure all the scent had been extracted, and the process could be repeated for months.

What is the amphorage process mentioned in the video?

Amphorage is a process where oil, such as olive oil, is used to extract essential oils and then alcohol is used to extract the essential oil from the oil. The oil can then be reused for further extractions.

How does the distillation method differ from the extraction method?

Distillation involves heating plant material with water or passing steam through it to release the essential oils, which are then collected through a condensation process. This method can be used with almost any plant material and is the only way to make hydrosols.

What are the two general ways of distillation mentioned in the video?

The two general ways of distillation are water distillation, where the plant material is boiled with water, and steam distillation, where steam passes through the plant material without direct contact.

Why is steam distillation considered more efficient and safer than water distillation?

Steam distillation is more efficient and safer because the plant material never touches the boiling water, reducing the risk of burning or overcooking the material, which can ruin the flavor of the essential oil.

What is a hydrosol and how is it made?

A hydrosol, also known as floral water, is a byproduct of the distillation process, particularly steam distillation, where the steam carries the essential oils and water vapor, which is then condensed and collected.

Outlines

00:00

🌿 Essential Oil Extraction Methods

This paragraph introduces three traditional methods of extracting essential oils from plant materials. The first method is expression, which is commonly used for citrus fruits like oranges and lemons. Historically, in Sicily during the 19th century, Italians would manually squeeze lemon peels onto a sponge to extract the oil. After saturation, the sponge would be squeezed to release the liquid, which would then be filtered and allowed to settle so that the oil could be separated from the water. The second method involves the use of solvents to extract the oil. Solvents can be volatile like alcohol or fats such as olive oil or lard. The French, also in the 19th century, used these to extract rose oil from petals by placing them on top of the oil and heating the container in a water bath. This process could take 12 to 40 hours per batch and was repeated over months. After extraction, alcohol could be used to separate the oil from the fat. The third method mentioned is distillation, which can be applied to almost any plant material and is the only method to produce hydrosols, such as rose water or lavender water. Distillation is done either by mixing the plant material with water and boiling it (water distillation) or by passing steam through the material (steam distillation). Steam distillation is considered more efficient and safer as it prevents the material from burning or overcooking, which could affect the quality of the essential oil.

05:02

📚 Conclusion on Essential Oil Extraction

In the concluding paragraph, the video summarizes the three methods of essential oil extraction discussed: expression, solvent extraction, and distillation. It highlights the historical context and practical applications of each method, emphasizing the importance of understanding these traditional techniques. The video encourages viewers to learn from the presented information and to engage with the content by liking, subscribing, and sharing the video with friends. The host expresses hope that the viewers have gained knowledge from the video and looks forward to their next encounter, indicating the end of the current video session.

Keywords

💡Expression

Expression is a method of extracting essential oils from plant materials, particularly citrus fruits like oranges or lemons. It involves physically squeezing the plant material to release the oil. In the video, this method is described as being used historically in Sicily, Italy, where workers would manually squeeze lemon peels onto a sponge to extract the oil. This process is directly related to the theme of the video, which is about traditional and historical methods of essential oil extraction.

💡Essential Oil

Essential oils are concentrated, volatile aromatic compounds extracted from plants. They are the focus of the video, which discusses various methods for their extraction. The term is used throughout the script to describe the end product of the extraction processes, such as when discussing the separation of oil from water or the use of solvents to extract oils from plant materials.

💡Solvent Extraction

Solvent extraction is a process where a solvent is used to extract essential oils from plant materials. The video explains that solvents like alcohol, fats (such as olive oil or lard), and hot air can be used. This method is highlighted as a significant part of the historical extraction process, particularly in the context of French people using olive oil or lard to extract rose essential oil in the 19th century.

💡Amphorage

Amphorage is a specific type of solvent extraction mentioned in the video where a fat, like olive oil, is used to extract essential oils. The process involves soaking plant material in the fat, heating it to extract the oil, and then using alcohol to separate the essential oil from the fat. This term is crucial for understanding the detailed process of one of the historical extraction methods discussed.

💡Distillation

Distillation is a widely used method for extracting essential oils and is the only method that can produce hydrosols, which are aromatic waters like rose water or lavender water. The video describes two types of distillation: water distillation and steam distillation. This keyword is central to the video's theme as it represents a broad category of extraction techniques that have been developed and refined over time.

💡Hydrosol

Hydrosol, also known as floral water, is a byproduct of certain distillation processes that results in a water-based solution containing the water-soluble components of the plant material. The video mentions hydrosols as a unique outcome of distillation, differentiating them from essential oils and emphasizing the versatility of distillation in producing multiple valuable products.

💡Steam Distillation

Steam distillation is a method of essential oil extraction where steam is passed through plant material, and the resulting vapors are condensed to capture the oil. The video contrasts steam distillation with water distillation, highlighting its efficiency and safety by preventing the plant material from burning or overcooking, which could affect the quality of the essential oil.

💡Condensation

Condensation is a process mentioned in the context of distillation where steam, carrying the essential oil, is cooled and transformed back into a liquid state. This is a critical step in the distillation process, as it allows for the separation and collection of the essential oil. The term is used to explain the technical aspects of how essential oils are captured during steam distillation.

💡Efficiency

Efficiency in the context of the video refers to the effectiveness and speed of the extraction process. The script discusses how certain methods, like steam distillation, are more efficient due to their ability to prevent the plant material from burning and their stable temperature control, which can result in a higher yield and better quality of essential oil.

💡Floral Water

Floral water, synonymous with hydrosol, is a term used to describe the aromatic water produced during distillation. The video mentions rose water and lavender water as examples, emphasizing the diverse range of plant materials that can be used to create these products. This keyword is important for understanding the broader applications of distillation beyond just essential oil extraction.

Highlights

Three methods to extract essential oils from plant material are discussed.

Expression method is commonly used on citrus materials like orange or lemon peels.

In the 19th century, Sicilian Italians manually squeezed lemon peels onto a sponge to extract oil.

The liquid is filtered and allowed to settle for oil and water separation.

The extraction method involves using a solvent to draw out essential oils.

Different solvents include volatile solvents like alcohol and fats such as olive oil or lard.

French people in the 19th century used olive oil or lard to extract rose essential oil.

The process of extraction with fat can take 12 to 40 hours per batch.

Amphorage is a process where oil is used repeatedly for extraction and then alcohol is used to extract the essential oil.

Hot air can be used as a solvent to carry essential oils out of plant material.

Distillation is a common method for extracting essential oils and creating hydrosols.

Water distillation involves boiling plant material with water to collect steam.

Steam distillation is more efficient and safe as it prevents material from burning.

Steam distillation does not require the plant material to touch the boiling water.

The video introduces three ways to extract essential oil from plants and herbs.

The video aims to educate viewers on the history and benefits of essential oil extraction methods.

Viewers are encouraged to like, subscribe, and share the video for more content.

Transcripts

hey this is the leo at lead time in

today's video

i'll show you the three ways to extract

essential oil

out of the plant material and explain

how people did in the history

and what are the benefits of its method

[Music]

the first method is called expression

it's commonly used on the citrus

material like a

orange peel or lemon peel when you

squeeze the

lemon peel you will see the drop flying

out of the skin

and within the drop a tiny bit of

essential oil

mixed with water in 19th century out of

sicily the italian people

use manually squeeze the lemon peel

onto a sponge and until the sponges are

saturated and squeeze the liquid out of

the sponge

one experience the worker can make of

one a quarter

pounds of a lemon squeeze after that

they filter the liquid

and let it settle until the oil

separated from the water

then collect the orange essential oil

the second way is the extraction

put the plant material mixed with a

liquid

that is called a solvent and as a

solvent will extract

essential oil out of the material there

are three different solvents can be used

the first one is a volatile solvent like

alcohol

and the second is the most common one

the use of fat in 19th century the

french people use

either olive oil or lard to extract

rose or essential oil from the rose

petals

what they did is that they put rose

on top of the oil they put the container

onto a water bath they heat up to the

mild temperature

and to accelerate the extraction process

but even though it still takes 12 to 40

hours for one batch until we

test the material and make sure all the

order has gone from the plant material

so that means this process is down

so this drain the oil and then put in a

container again

and refuel with another batch of a

material and they keep the process

for months until the oil has been

saturated

or the essential oil and after that

they either use the oil as is or the

use of alcohol to extract the essential

oil

out of the material if you use olive oil

you just pour alcohol into the olive oil

and then mix shake and then settle

to separate the alcohol out of the

olive oil because alcohol has a higher

solubility for the essential oil

so they extract them out of the olive

oil then they keep using the olive oil

for

the next process and this is called the

amphorage if they use a lot then

normally they

cut those a lot into a small pieces mix

with

alcohol and do the same thing as they

did with the

olive oil and then reuse a lot and the

third solvent is a hot air

they blow the material and then collect

the air

which has carried those essential oil

out of the material in terms of the

efficiency

and flourage has become very popular

because it uses two processed extraction

it can make essential oil very pure and

also keep the essential oil high quality

the third one is

distillation distillation is

the one of the most common method it can

be used to almost

any of the material to make essential

oil

and also this is the only way you can

make

hydrosol that's also called a flour

water

like a rose water or lavender water

distillation

has two general ways the one is a water

distillation

that means you mix the material with

water

and then boil them and collect the steam

and the second one is called a steam

distillation

so you put the material on top the water

so only steam will pass through the

material

and carry the essential oil out of the

plant material

and go through the condensation process

which is the same with the water

distillation comparatively

steam distillation is a more efficient

and more safe because when you mix a

material with water and then you're

boiling

you got to make sure you don't burn the

material

weasel water getting less and the

material can be stick on the container

somewhere either at the bottom or on the

side of the container

so that can cause the material to be

burned

overcooked this will ruin the flavor

of your dissolate the steam distillation

because the material they will never

touch

peeling portion so it becomes easy to

control

and also the temperature is more stable

so in today's video i introduce you the

three ways

to extract essential oil from the plant

herbs

hopefully you'll learn something today

and like the video

subscribe the channel share the video

with your friends

see you next time