15/07/2026
π From orchard to body cream...
After harvesting our lemons, one of the trees needed a very hard winter prune. Rather than sending the leaves and twigs to the compost pile, we decided to experiment with something a little different.
Inspired by the upcoming KV Citrus Fest, we distilled the fresh prunings to create a beautiful petitgrain hydrosol and essential oil.
The leaves and branches had to be chopped down to fit inside the still (sadly I forgot to film that part!), but the results were worth the effort. The hydrosol was absolutely sensational β fresh, green, citrusy and incredibly aromatic. The essential oil was a stunning blue-green colour, although the yield was tiny at just 0.5g.
Not wanting to waste a single drop, I incorporated the freshly distilled hydrosol into a test batch of a nourishing Citrus Body Cream, which I'll be demonstrating at this year's KV Citrus Fest.
It's a wonderful reminder that sometimes the most beautiful ingredients can come from materials that might otherwise be overlooked.
π GIVEAWAY π
I have 4 tickets to the KV Citrus Fest to give away!
The first 4 people to comment on this post will each receive one ticket.
Tell me your favourite citrus fruit below β¬οΈ
πΏπβ¨