Page 17 - Essential Oils for Beginners

Essential Oils for Beginners

Optimal harvesting practices

After plants have been carefully planted and cultivated,
they must be harvested at the optimal time to preserve
the delicate chemistry of the essential oils in the plant.
Just as fruits and vegetables taste best when picked at
the peak of ripeness, plants used to produce essential oils
must be harvested at just the right time in order to optimize
the chemical profile of the oil, and to produce as much oil
as possible. Preserving the chemical composition during
harvesting helps the essential oil retain potency and power.

Preserving the chemical

composition during harvesting

helps the essential oil retain

potency and power.

Peak harvest time varies with the plant. It takes years for
harvesters to determine the perfect window for essential
oil production, but after enough observation and research,
they can narrow down the peak harvest time to the optimal
season—and even the preferred time of day.

For example, Jasmine essential oil is derived from the
delicate petals of jasmine flowers. Once the flowers
blossom, it doesn’t take long for them to lose their volatile
aromatic compounds, so it’s crucial that they’re harvested
at the right time in order to preserve the chemical profile.
The flowers must be harvested early in the morning, before
the buds have had time to fully open—even waiting just an
hour too long will cause important chemical compounds to
be lost.

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