Principle
Many high boiling liquids that are not miscible, or are hardly miscible, with water can be distilled at a temperature as low as about 100 °C, when they are heated together with water, or when hot steam flows across them during distillation. This technique is still used nowadays to win ethereal oils and essences.
Tasks
Extract ethereal oils from parts of plants e g. orange peel and cloves using steam distillation.
Educational objectives
- Distillation
- Steam distillation
- Essential oils
- Flavour