How to Make Lavender Extract, Its Uses, and Recipes.

Lavender extract is a potent herbal formula that captures the medicinal properties and scent of lavender in one small bottle. It makes an excellent addition to sweet or savory dishes, may also be used to enhance your skin or for its relaxing and calming properties.

Lavender is a herb that easily catches one's attention. Its stunning look and striking color make lavender a popular addition to gardens. And then it's their scent that makes people calm and relaxes and that attracts honeybees. If you want to use lavender topically and enjoy its medicinal benefits on the skin, you want to make lavender oil. If you plan to use it internally you want to make the lavender extract.

lavender extract recipe

What is lavender extract

The main purpose of the extract is to preserve valuable essential oils that are carriers of pleasant scents and the medicinal benefits of lavender. Since we used alcohol as a solvent for extraction we can also call it lavender tincture.


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Lavender extract benefits for skin

Moisturizing and soothing

Lavender tincture possesses antiseptic, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial benefits. It makes an excellent addition to facial toners, lotions, creams, and other beauty products. It can help heal minor burns, scratches, and bug bites.


Lavender extract for hair

Lavender tincture may help to stimulate hair growth and promote hair to grow ticker.

This herbal extract possesses antimicrobial properties that prevent bacteria and fungi from growing resulting in a healthy scalp. It may prevent dandruff and head lice.

lavender tincture benefits

Insect repellent

Lavender tincture acts as an insect repellent. It may relieve itching after a bug bite.


Relaxing

Lavender tincture has calming and relaxing properties, encourages sleeping and relieves headache. It helps calm down your nervous system.


Refreshing

Lavender is well known for its refreshing abilities and is often used to refresh the air, cloth or bed sheets.


Lavender extract for cooking

This versatile lavender extract is often used to enhance sweet or savory dishes. With its intense lavender aroma it is successfully used in various culinary creations.

Similarly, you can use this coffee extract to add a typical coffee aroma and taste.


Ingredients you need to make lavender extract

This easy to make lavender extract requires two ingredients only

Dried or fresh lavender buds, leaves or stems.

Flowers, however, have the most sweet and citrus flavor. If you intend to use this extract for culinary purposes you better use just flower buds.

Lavender may be used for both ornamental and culinary purposes. For our project select the culinary variety. The most fragrant among all species is lavender Angustifolia that creates great flavors in cooking.

lavender essence for cooking

Fresh or dried lavender?

If you want to capture the lavender fragrance in the bottle I would opt for fresh buds as I feel that the fragrance fades with the drying process. Fresh herbs contain moisture that can spoil the tincture. Lavender, on the contrary, doesn't have too much moisture. The choice is yours.


Solvent

alcohol - you can use ethanol (synonyms: ethyl alcohol or grain spirit) that is available in a pharmacy

Or vodka, rum or brandy. I prefer vodka for its neutral taste and color.

40-50% alcohol is equal to 80-90 proof - these are standard concentrations for making tinctures

Alcohol makes an excellent solvent for both acidic and alcaline constituents. However if you intend to use this lavender extract for kids, you can make non alcohol extracts with glycerol.

lavender extract uses

Other tools:

Sterilized glass jar with tight plastic lid

Cheesecloth or fine sieve


How to make lavender extract

First step

Prepare the lavender. If you have fresh lavender at your disposal, snip the stems off the plant and hang them upside down or lay them flat to dry. When dry, grind them in a coffee grinder to improve their texture and they are ready to use.

how to make lavender extract for baking

Second step

Pour alcohol over the lavender to cover it completely


Ratio

If you are using dry herbs use one weight part of the lavender petals and 5 weight part of alcohol - 1:5

ratio for fresh herbs 1:2


Third step

Cover the jar with a plastic lid or use parchment paper between the metal lid and a jar to avoid any corrosion. Let it infuse for 4-6 weeks in a cold place, shaking occasionally.


Fourth step

Strain the herbal material through the cheescloth or fine sieve and use the concentrated liquid free of any herbs.

straining lavender tincture after 1 month of maceration

Use dark dropper bottles to store it. Don’t forget to label it with the date you made it.

Store in the dark, cold place for over 3-4 years.


Lavender extract uses for skin

  • Add few drops to a bath or bath bombs to promote relaxation
  • To your oil diffuser to refresh the air and set a relaxing atmosphere
  • As a light perfume
  • Pour it into a spray bottle and use it as linen spray on your bed sheets or cloth
  • Lavender tincture repels bugs and mosquitoes and can therefore serve as DIY mosquito repellent
  • a few drops to your foot bath control odour and appearance of fungi as lavender tincture possesses antifungal properties
  • Add it to your bug bite cream to ease itchiness and healing of bug bites.
  • Just a few drops to your toner or sugar scrub. Its antibacterial properties may ease the acne and help you with pimples
  • Add few drops to your shampoo, conditioner or hair growth oil to help you with dandruff and promote thick hair and hair grow.
  • Enhance your creams, lotions and other beauty products with few drops of lavender extract to add healing and anti inflammatory properties.


Rose cream

Calendula cream

how to make lavender extract

Lavender extract uses in cooking and baking

Use it in cooking on roasted meats and vegetables, add a few drops on summer salads. It makes a great addition to your desserts. Add it to the cocktails or coffee.

Lavender extract is also very often used in baking recipes - bread, cookies, etc.


Recipes with lavender extract

Lavender nice cream

Lavender, honey and orange posset

Coconut lavender lemonade

Strawberry Shortcake with Lavender Lemon Cream

Lemon lavender macarons


Lavender tincture for pets

Your pets can also benefit from healing properties of this lavender tincture for conditions such as nervous system, digestive system or stress based conditions. It may help reduce aggression.

lavender extract for skin

Use it in cleaning wipes

Thanks to its alcohol-based origin and antibacterial properties this lavender extract is great to use in cleaning wipes.


how do you store this tincture?The medicinal compounds in this tincture are both light-sensitive and air-sensitive. They may therefore break down with prolonged light exposure. If stored correctly, lavender tincture shelf life is more than 5 years.

lavender tincture

MATERIALS


TOOLS


INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Prepare the lavender. If you have fresh lavender at your disposal, snip the stems off the plant and hang them upside down or lay them flat to dry. When dry, grind them in a coffee grinder to improve their texture and they are ready to use.
  2. Pour alcohol over the lavender to cover it completely
  3. Cover the jar with a plastic lid or use parchment paper between the metal lid and a jar to avoid any corrosion. Let it infuse for 4-6 weeks in a cold place, shaking occasionally.
  4. Strain the herbal material through the cheesecloth or fine sieve and use the concentrated liquid free of any herbs.
  5. Use dark dropper bottles to store it. Don’t forget to label it with the date you made it
  6. Store in the dark, cold place for over 3-4 years.


NOTES

RATIO

  1. If you are using dry herbs use one weight part of the lavender petals and 5 weight part of alcohol - 1:5
  2. ratio for fresh herbs 1:2


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