To Distil Peppermint-Water
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Cut the peppermint into short lengths.
Fill your still with the peppermint and add enough water to fill it halfway.
Distil
Make a good fire under the still until it is nearly boiling.
Adjust the fire to prevent boiling over, ensuring the water remains clear.
Bottle and store
Once distilled, bottle the peppermint water and let it stand for three to four days to settle.
After settling, cork the bottles and store them.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.
Explore the science
What each ingredient does
- Fresh peppermint
- Provides the aromatic oils that give the distilled water its flavour and scent.
- Water
- Carries the volatile peppermint aroma over during distillation and makes up the finished liquid.
The step that matters
Adjust the fire to prevent boiling over. If the water boils vigorously, liquid and plant matter can be carried into the condensate, making it cloudy and less clean in flavour. Gentle, steady heat keeps the distillate clear.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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