Well, it's illegal to distill alcohol.... :o) The government wants it's taxes. You can make one, don't let the police in the door! :o) I made one from a pressure cooker. I'd google distillation. I had a website, I can't find it. It was of a store pretty close to me. Here's a website I just found... has cheap separation funnels... http://www.pelletlab.com/lab_supplies_glassware.htm here's another explanation: These days, essential oil is extracted primarily by steam distillation, where super heated steam is passed through the powdered herb. The steam helps to release and then carries away the essential oil which is locked in the cellular structure of the herb. The steam is then cooled and the result is a hydrosol and essential oil which floats on the hydrosol and is separated and further refined and filtered. Hydrodistillation is the traditional method of extraction. It is fairly rare these days, yet it is said that this method yields an oil with a superior aroma. Instead of having steam pass through the powdered herb, in a hydrodistiller the powder is allowed to soak in water. A fire from below the vessel then heats the water and carries off the steam which is allowed to cool. The oil is then removed from the top of the hydrosol. You will need like 5lbs of the herb to get an ounce... or something like that. here's another site that someone posted http://www.chem.ualberta.ca/~orglabs/Handbook.html And finally, I found the still site http://www.floragenics.com/

I'm planning on blogging the recipe as soon as I get chance. I read a ton of websites/blogs to see the different techniques, and what seemed to work. Found one blog that really spoke to me and I used her recipe and tips. Interesting tips like it really doesn't matter if your egg whites are room temp or not, and you don't really have to let the tray of piped batter sit for an hour before you bake them. She's right! It took me 3 tries to get it, and now I can't stop making them. LOL. On topic: I received my beans from Saradooky on eBay but haven't opened them yet. They look good, though. Bonnie

OT, but a variation of the walnut honey is this: 1 1/4 cups pine nuts 1 1/4 cups honey 2 1/2 tsp. finely grated lemon zest 1/2 tsp. ground cloves or cinnamon This makes a lovely spread for English muffins or toast. Both nut-honey mixtures are a nice change for gifting. Carol

Fact: Vanilla prices may drop but they will still be on the high side. 1. Vanilla comes from an orchid NATIVE TO MEXICO. 2. You MUST pollinate the orchid on the same day it blooms you only have ONE day 3. Any vanilla grown outside of Mexico MUST HAND POLLINATED, (gotta love those bees) 4. The largest producer of Vanilla, Madagascar, lost 30% of its crop in 2017. 5. Which equals to a loss of 25% of the world's production of Vanilla. 6. It takes 3-4 yrs to grow a Vanilla orchid that will bear fruit and 9 months after pollination to be mature. Then your process them thru a sweating. Fun Fact : At one point last year Vanilla was more expensive than Silver Sources and article explaining the situation on Vanilla Precious as Silver, Vanilla Brings Cash and Crime to Madagascar ... Will the 2018 Crop Bring Lower Vanilla Prices? Vanilla fever: Fear sours the sweet scent of Madagascar’s success The real price of Madagascar’s vanilla boom