How to Extract Cornflower

Cornflowers are a beautiful, electric blue annual flower that many people grow in their gardens each year. You may also encounter cornflower as an ingredient in herbal remedies, cosmetics and skincare products. According to LiveAndFeel.com, "it contains active substances like tannin and potassium salts; cornflower has astringent, weak diuretic, bitter-tonic anti-inflammatory and soothing proprieties." Cornflower extract is a potent tincture made from the flower and can be prepared at home.

Things You'll Need

• Clean glass jar
• 1 cup fresh cornflowers
• Knife
• 3 cups vodka
• Cheesecloth
• Funnel
• Small medicine bottles, amber or blue glass

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Instructions

• 1

  Wash the flowers thoroughly and allow to dry completely. You will just be using flower heads without the stems.

• 2

  Chop the flowers finely. The flower heads should be minced into very small pieces when you are done.

• 3

  Pour the chopped flowers into the glass jar. Pour the vodka into the jar, covering the flower material completely. There should be two to three inches of alcohol above the flower level.

• 4

  Screw the lid tightly onto the jar. Shake up the herbal mixture vigorously to thoroughly mix.

• 5

  Allow the mixture to soak for four to six weeks in a cool, dry place. Shake your jar every few days to continue extracting the active ingredients from the cornflower material.

• 6

  Remove the jar from its resting area after the soaking period. Unscrew the lid, and using your cheesecloth, strain all of the plant material out from the liquid.

• 7

  Put the funnel into the mouth of one of you medicine bottles. Pour the strained liquid into each of the bottles and seal tightly.

• 8

  Store the cornflower extract in a cool, dry location. It should keep for up to one year or longer.