From plant to hydrosol
THE LIVING APOTHECARY
In the apothecary, one of my favourite moments is waiting for the first drops from the still. The room begins to smell of the plant, and before long the distillate starts to collect.
What comes out of the still?
Steam carries some of the plant’s aromatic compounds through the still. When it cools, it turns back into liquid. The aromatic water collected is called a hydrosol or hydrolat. Depending on the plant, a separate layer of essential oil may also form.
If you have a hydrosol you already know, smell it beside the fresh plant. Which parts of the fragrance carry over?
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