Gardenia
Creating your own scented oils from herbs, flowers or spices is a simple project with results you can enjoy in your home or give as gifts for family and friends. Pick the flowers and herbs from your garden or purchase organic materials from your local landscape supply and florist. You can find the other supplies necessary to make oil scents at online retailers or at local aromatherapy suppliers.
Instructions
1. Bruise 3 cups of fresh gardenia flowers using a mortar and pestle or by placing the flowers in a plastic bag and rolling over them with a rolling pin. Bruising brings out the aroma of the flowers. If you're getting the flowers from your garden, pick them midmorning after the dew has evaporated. If you're buying the gardenias, ask for blooms that have not been sprayed with pesticides.
2. Pour the almond oil into the jar. Add the bruised gardenias. Shake the jar to mix the oil and the flowers. Place the jar in a small saucepan filled with cold water. Slowly heat the water until it's warm to the touch, but not hot. Keep the water heated for 10 minutes, and then remove the jar.
3. Store the oil in a room that's between 68 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit. Repeat the heating process every 24 hours for 4 days, shaking the jar before and after each warm-up.
4. Strain the oil through the cheesecloth into another clean jar. Discard the flower blossoms and the cheesecloth. Add another 3 cups of bruised fresh gardenia flowers. Repeat Steps 2 and 3. Continue adding fresh gardenia and heating for 3 days until the scent of the oil is strong. Count on at least three times, but if you like a more hearty scent, then you may need to add fresh flowers five or six times.
5. Pour it into dark-colored dram bottles and store it in a warm room, away from light. You can find bottles for scented oils at online retailers (see Resources).
Tags: fresh gardenia, from your, fresh gardenia flowers, from your garden, gardenia flowers