WE MADE ROSE HYDROSOL

May 20, 2024

It has long been a dream of mine to grow enough fragrant damask roses for distillation. I envisioned this project as a mini-retreat—an enriching, soul-renovating experience. Retreat guests would gather baskets of roses from the gardens, take them to the distillation center (what we call the Sanctuary), and together, witness the beautiful process of distillation.

However, this first attempt didn’t quite go as planned, as the farm seemed to burst into bloom overnight. But the next distillation morning will be everything I imagined—a true mini-retreat, inviting participants into the beauty and wonder of the process.

The beauty and magic of the age old distillation process really begins in the gardens. It begins with planning, cultivating and nurturing the plant material (roses, lavender, yarrow, calendula, german chamomile) you intend to transform into a product that has an added value. For example - just plucked rose petals become rose hydrosol and baskets of lavender, tied and hung to dry become lavender hydrosol.

According to Ann Harman, in her wonderful book, Harvest to Hydrosol, "distillation is the act of volatilizing a (plant) material by apply heat and water. It's isolating or liberating the essences of therapeutic plants. When distilling plants, we are referring to using a still, heat and water to aid in the process."

We use both our large and small copper alembic pots, blending water and botanicals before applying heat. As the water heats, it transforms into steam, carrying with it the essence of the plant. This process of distillation produces one of the most exquisite extractions—the hydrosol, often referred to as the "cellular water" from the plant cells.

From yarrow, rosemary, lavender, rose, chamomile, and so much more, a beautiful variety of these precious distillates can be created. It's so magical.