Holy Basil Hydrosol: Before the Frost – Part 1
The first frost is on its way here in Middle Tennessee, and my holy basil is one of the last herbs still growing in my garden. Cold nights are coming and I’m gathering what I can to enjoy the last of the season.
Welcome to Before the Frost, a series where I’ll be turning the last of the garden into herbal preparations and natural skincare for the months ahead.
First up is Holy Basil, also known as Tulsi. I love finding simple ways to work with the herbs growing right outside my door, and making a homemade hydrosol is a lovely way to capture some of their aromatic qualities.
Holy basil is rich in antioxidants and contains plant compounds with soothing and antimicrobial properties. These qualities make it a wonderful herb for skincare.
What Is a Hydrosol?
A hydrosol is an aromatic water created when steam passes through plant material and then cools and condenses. The resulting water carries small amounts of the plant’s aromatic compounds, giving it a delicate botanical scent.
Hydrosols are generally much less concentrated than essential oils and can be a lovely addition to a natural skincare routine.
For this recipe, I’m using fresh holy basil from my garden and a simple stovetop method that doesn’t require any special distilling equipment.
What You’ll Need
- 8 cups of water
- A generous amount of fresh holy basil
- A large pot with a lid
- A heatproof bowl that fits inside the pot
- Ice
- A clean glass bottle for storing your finished hydrosol
I didn’t weigh my holy basil or measure it precisely. I simply gathered a generous amount of fresh leaves and tender stems and loosely filled my pot with them.
That’s one of the things I love about working with herbs from the garden. You can use what you have on hand and enjoy the process of experimenting with each harvest.
How to Make Holy Basil Hydrosol
Step 1: Prepare the herbs
Rinse your fresh holy basil to remove any dirt or garden debris. Let the excess water drain, then add the herbs to a large pot along with 8 cups of water.
Step 2: Position the collection bowl
Place a heatproof bowl in the center of the pot. The bowl should sit above the water level, with the herbs and water surrounding it.
This is where your finished hydrosol will collect, so make sure the bowl is stable and has enough room beneath the lid.
Step 3: Turn the lid upside down
Place the pot’s lid upside down so the handle points toward the collection bowl.
As the water heats, steam rises and condenses against the lid. The droplets then run toward the center and drip from the handle into the bowl.
Step 4: Add ice
Fill a separate bowl with ice and place it on top of the inverted lid.
The ice cools the lid, encouraging the steam to condense into droplets. Replace the ice as it melts to keep the lid cool throughout the process.
Step 5: Simmer gently
Bring the water to a gentle simmer and continue for about one hour.
You want a steady simmer rather than a vigorous boil. Keep an eye on the water level as the herbs simmer, making sure the pot doesn’t boil dry. If needed, carefully add more hot water around the herbs.
Use oven mitts when handling the hot lid and bowls, and take care when lifting the lid because hot steam can escape.
Step 6: Collect your hydrosol
Turn off the heat and carefully remove the ice bowl and lid. Allow the setup to cool enough to handle safely, then lift out the collection bowl.
Once cooled, transfer your finished hydrosol to a clean, sanitized glass bottle.
My yield: I started with 8 cups of water and a generous amount of fresh holy basil, and after about an hour, I collected approximately ยฝ cup of homemade holy basil hydrosol. I probably could’ve let it simmer for another half hour to get more.
Your yield may vary depending on the amount of herbs you use, your pot and lid, and how efficiently the steam condenses.
How to Use Holy Basil Hydrosol
One of the simplest ways to enjoy a homemade hydrosol is as part of your skincare routine. I love the idea of capturing the aromatic side of an herb and turning it into something useful long after I’ve left the garden.
Here are a few ways to try your finished holy basil hydrosol:
- Face mist: Lightly mist your face for a refreshing botanical touch.
- After-cleansing toner: Apply a little to clean skin as a simple addition to your skincare routine.
- Cooling spritz: Keep it chilled in the refrigerator for a refreshing skincare step.
Avoid spraying it into your eyes, and patch-test a small area of skin before using it more widely, especially if you have sensitive skin.
This is a homemade botanical preparation rather than a sterile skincare product, so use it on intact skin only.
How to Store Homemade Hydrosol
Because this hydrosol is water-based and contains no preservative, it’s best to make a small batch and enjoy it while it’s fresh.
- Transfer the cooled hydrosol to a clean, sanitized glass bottle.
- Store it in the refrigerator.
- Aim to use it within about a week, understanding that refrigeration and this time frame don’t guarantee it will remain free of microbial growth.
- Discard any leftovers rather than keeping them indefinitely.
Before the Frost
There’s something special about gathering herbs before the first frost and finding ways to carry a little of the garden into the colder months. Instead of letting the last of my holy basil go to waste, I was able to turn it into a small batch of fragrant botanical water using supplies I already had in my kitchen.
This simple stovetop method is a fun way to experiment with herbs you’ve grown yourself, and I love that it doesn’t require a collection of specialized equipment.
This is just the beginning of Before the Frost. I’ll be sharing more ways to gather, preserve, and transform the last of the garden into herbal preparations and natural skincare.
Have you ever made a hydrosol from herbs you’ve grown? I’d love to hear what you’ve tried!
