I filtered an extract of Hypericum perforatum (St. John's Wort) yesterday and it turned out beautifully. Folks know St. John's Wort for its effects of mood and depression but herbalists also prize it for its effects on the skin. The German government's equivalent of the US FDA has a regulatory body - Commission E - specifically to approve and regulate herbal remedies. In Germany Hypericum extracts in oil are approved for treatment of skin problems, including burns and sores that have been slow to heal. I'd used commercially made Hypericum oil for years. This year my Hypericum erupted in a fountain of blossoms so I decided to make my own.
The preparation is simple: pick a cup or two of blossoms just after they open. My fingers were stained with red in the process - that's the active ingredient, hypericin, which is blood red. I washed the blooms and whizzed them in a small food processor until completely pulverized. Then I added extra virgin olive oil and whizzed again until the volume of olive oil roughly equaled the plant material. Then it was into a small clear glass jar. After screwing on a lid I placed it in the garden in full sun. The sun aids the extraction process and the heat from the sun helps retard the growth of any unwanted microorganisms. John and I shook the material every day for about two weeks.
I filtered the oil - which had turned ruby red - through a paper coffee filter. I'll refrigerate it until I need it.
On another front I also decided to do an extraction of chamomile blossoms into glycerin - called a glycerite. I picked several cups of chamomile blossoms - once established they grow like weeds. After washing them I pulverized them in my food processor and added glycerin, USP to the mix until I had roughly the same volume of glycerin as plant material. I put in in a glass jar where it'll sit covered in the dark for a week or two. I'll report back on the results - and I've shot video of the preparation if anyone's interested.
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