I agree about the bits of flower parts . I tried grinding lavender to use in ba salts and they turned into tiny buds. Chamomile is the same way. Thank you for the tip.
Just this week I made a powder out of rosebuds and calendula flowers and I'm really happy with the results. I used a Vitamix mixer. I'm using them along with clay in a dry face polish. :)
I've made cleansing powder with both lavender and chamomile powder. I used a black and decker mini-chopper. When testing the product, I have no notes about either not rinsing cleanly. I also did not sift the powders. I chose that chopper because one of the blades appears to rest on the bottom with no room for anything to avoid being pulverized. (Now I'll have to go back and test again!)
Hi Lise! Thanks for this post! I’ve been using a hand burr grinder to get my lavender powdered as well as I could. Took to long though. Marie with Humble bee gave a little trick with the coffee grinders that’s ive found helpful. Place a small piece of “Saran wrap” or plastic film Over the top of the grinder, then replace the lid. It helps the flowers stick closer to the actual blades, helping the herbs to be of a finer consistency. Works well in my experience.
@ladybug - Yes! Chamomile is the same struggle! Thanks for your comment
@Kim - I am now on my way to check out Vitamix - thanks for the tip!
@AngMay - I def n eed to check out the Black and Decker product. This sounds promising! Thanks!
@Kris Boggs - Thanks for sharing the tip from Marie at Humblebee. I looked at my own grinder and this wouldn't have helped much on my present model, but perhaps it is a great tip for others.
Monique said…
I was just getting ready to order some lavender and planned on using my Vitamix. I hope it works well without clay. I appreciate this article and the comments. The tips are great. I think I will try without Clay first and then if too chunky then I will add clay. : )
Hi Heather - the violet clay is a mix of kaolin and manganese blue and it packs a colorful punch if you add it to a face mask and will definitely stain your towels!
Anonymous said…
If you can get a ball mill/ rock tumbler from harbor freight it works great at pulverizing herbs into a powder. Some material like pala santo just ends up caking up the tumbling medium but I find most dried herbs do great. Just be advised at the tumbling process may take several days but the grinding process can’t be beat.
I cook with lavender, but having big clumps of the flower in my baked goods is not good. I tried making a flavored water to add to my recipes, but it doesn't work well in my recipes that have very little to no liquid in them. I went as far as making lavender butter, by steeping the lavender in butter for several hours, then using that, but the flavor was weak. I got all excited about your lavender powder, till I read you used clay! So if anyone has any ideas to help me out, PLEASE tell me!
HI Rollinsun - Thanks for your comment. I'm sure you could get a pretty good result by leaving out the clay but the sifting process may take a bit of patience. Best of luck with it :)
Comments
Marie with Humble bee gave a little trick with the coffee grinders that’s ive found helpful. Place a small piece of “Saran wrap” or plastic film
Over the top of the grinder, then replace the lid. It helps the flowers stick closer to the actual blades, helping the herbs to be of a finer consistency. Works well in my experience.
@Kim - I am now on my way to check out Vitamix - thanks for the tip!
@AngMay - I def n eed to check out the Black and Decker product. This sounds promising! Thanks!
@Kris Boggs - Thanks for sharing the tip from Marie at Humblebee. I looked at my own grinder and this wouldn't have helped much on my present model, but perhaps it is a great tip for others.