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Drink

To Distil Peppermint Water

A distilled peppermint infusion made by heating peppermint in water and collecting the vapor.

From an old cookbook · modernised transcription
From a historical cookbook (Internet Archive) · 2 ingredients
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To Distil Peppermint Water

Ingredients

Directions

Prepare

  1. Fill the still with fresh peppermint and about half a full of water.

Distill

  1. Make a good fire under the still until it is nearly boiling.

  2. Monitor the still as it begins to drop.

  3. If the fire is too hot, reduce it to prevent boiling over.

  4. Allow the still to drop slowly for clearer and stronger water.

Bottle and rest

  1. The next day, bottle the distilled water and let it stand for three to four days before corking.

Recipe from a historical cookbook (Internet Archive).

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
Supplies the aromatic oils that flavour the distilled water.
Water
Carries the peppermint aroma over during distillation, forming the finished liquid.

The step that matters

Keeping the fire under control. If the still boils too vigorously, liquid can rise into the condenser and spoil the batch. A gentle, slow drip keeps the distillate clearer and stronger, as the record notes.

“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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