DIY Kitty Crack: ultra-potent catnip extract

Step 3 Prepare the steam distillation

To start, load up your pot with about a 1/3 lb of the catnip. Add enough watter to get everything wet, stirring it up. This might take 1/2 gallon of watter. Remove the stem from the vegetable steamer and put it on top of the catnip mush, then put the glass on top of that. It's OK for the vegetable steamer to just sit on top of the catnip mush, without touching the bottom of the pan.

Place the glass lid on top of the whole assembly, upside down.

Comments

[mr.interested]

I already own a massive medicinal garden with lots of stuff catnip, valerian etc. etc. etc. and i have been looking for a way to distill things for ages- this is brilliant!!!

[zizou361]

Yeah, this distillation method kind of opened my eyes, I've been looking for something like this for a while. However, is it important that the lid is glass? or could I use a metal lid?

[xenobiologista]

Maybe I'm stupid, but this is the step that looks like genius to me. I've wondered a couple of times about how one would go about distilling stuff with kitchen utensils but didn't think of a good way (I had a bunch of roses and wanted to make perfume).

[tkjtkj]

Actually, this setup has been used for 100's of years .. It's called a 'Stove-top Still' .. and the author's use of it here is a great decision: bringing distillation to the masses ;) Nice 'structable' !

[mufary]

I completely agree. This rig is elegantly brilliant. As I was reading the first steps I started bugging my partner again about buying me a distillation rig, and then I saw his set up on the next page -- facepalm! Will be using this for gastronomical delights.

[CrystalDyes]

Why not use a pressure canner or cooker with copper tubing fixed to the top of it instead of putting a weight on it. Just like an old-fashioned still, only smaller!