The Art and Alchemy of Distilling Hydrosols!

 

Aromatic distillation is both a chemical process and a spiritual one, involving both art and ceremony with the Elements. Distillation can bring about a deeper relationship with the plant's archetype and its therapeutic components.

 

Join us as we discuss a variety of stills and their components, pack an Alembic copper still and a glass still with aromatic plants for beautiful hydrosols. While the stills are running, we will enjoy a plant walk, discuss sourcing and community connections, ethically harvest a specific plant, and learn its properties. We will discuss the foundations of distillation and dive into hydrosols and their many uses. Resources will be shared.

 

Come meander with the aromatic molecules and explore a whole new experience of plant extraction. Go home in a state of bliss ready to embark on your aromatic journey.  

 

In this hands-on class, you will learn:

*The anatomy and physiology of the still

*Everything needed to set up and run a still

*Safety tips and tricks

*How to process the plants and pack the still

*The importance of collecting in fractions

*How to store the hydrosol product for maximum shelf life

*How to use the beautiful hydrosols in formulations

*Explore the aromas of a variety of hydrosols

*How to clean and store the equipment

*How to create a stove-top hydrosol with a make-it-yourself still

 

Date: Saturday, March 7, 2026

Time: 10 am - 3 pm (Bring your lunch)

Instructors: Cindy Christ & Shana Lipner Grover

Location: Valley Center, CA

Class Fee: $125 early bird; $135 after January 31st

Farm-to-Table Herbal Skills Spring Workshops are coming!

 

We started this workshop series last spring, and it was a huge hit. Gather on a local farm one Saturday each month for an afternoon of learning about herbal medicine, with a focus on local plants. This spring will feature new plants and different herbal extraction techniques. Sign up today and fill your medicine cabinet with homemade herbal extracts that you created!

 

Dates:

March 14th
April 11th
May 9th
June 13th

 

Time: 12 - 4 pm

 

Location: Various farms in North County San Diego

 

Registration is limited to only 20 students.