How to Make a Fresh Blueberry Glycerite
Lise
This is an updated version of my original post from 2016.
Working with fresh fruits for cosmetic extracts (particularly blueberries) can be a bit tricky, but with careful attention to a few specific things (which I am going to share with you here), you'll be enjoying your own fabulous blueberry glycerite in under a week.
Let’s get busy!
LisaLise's Blueberry Glycerite Formula
| Ingredient | Percent |
|---|---|
| Glycerine | 50.0 |
| Fresh blueberries | 49.4 |
| Preservative | 0.6 |
Calculate your batch size. I have made a relatively small portion here.
Prep Tips
Blueberries can be sneaky. Sometimes a berry getting ready to go wonky will hide in the bunch. Since we don't want to add any wonky or even semi-wonky berries to our lovely glycerite, every single berry should be carefully examined. This may seem a bit tedious, but it will help ensure a successful result.
Use only firm, plump, pristine berries that are bursting with blueberry deliciousness (and keep a few extra on the side for scientific taste testing purposes)
Cutting each berry in half will increase the surface area while allowing you to carefully examine every berry.
Method
Prepare your workspace (sanitize the jar and your equipment)
Wash berries thoroughly in demineralised water and allow to dry
Inspect and slice berries
Weigh berries
Weigh and add glycerine
Add preservative
Place lid on jar
Keep jar at room temperature away from direct sunlight (I usually pop a clean dishtowel over my brews so they are easy to check on)
Agitate the jar once a day for 5-7 days
At the top of this post is a peek at the jar shortly after I put on the lid. One cannot help but fall in love with the color, can one?
Fast forward 6 days.
Straining the Glycerite
Straining any glycerite can be an exercise in patience if you do not have any special straining equipment, so here are a few tips to help ease the process. I call this the double manual filter process.
You'll need
Container
Funnel (or 2)
Filters (shown here are paper coffee filters but you can use layers of tightly woven cheesecloth or muslin cloth as well)
Protective gloves
Bottle
Be sure your funnels, container and equipment are all sanitised before you start. Don a pair of protective latex or nitrile gloves, place the funnel over the container and line it with a filter.
Prepare a second filter (so it can be slotted into place with one hand)
Pour the mixture into the funnel.
Scoop out and discard any excess floating berries.
The liquid dripping though the filter will slow down after a while.
When that happens, gently gather the edges of the filter and lift it up while placing a new filter (or second funnel with filter) into place. You now have a handful of filter number 1 - containing mostly berries and some glycerite.
Ever so gently, squeeze the filter you are holding to extract as much liquid as possible.
Discard the fruit-laden filter.
You now have a setup that looks like this: a filter full of mixture that is slowly straining.
Key word: slowly.
They say patience is a virtue.
Prepare to be virtuous.
Here's how:
Place your filter/container setup in an undisturbed place.
Cover it loosely with a 'foil tent' or other material that will keep dust, bugs, etc away from the mixture.
Wait.
Wait some more.
Wait even longer.
If your glycerite stops dripping altogether, repeat the filter replacement process.
When the glycerite has finished straining, transfer it to your bottle.
Date and label the bottle.
Store your glycerite dark and cool.
Time Factor
This particular glycerite was strained using solely coffee filters and took a total of 5 and a half hours to filter through. It would in all likelihood have gone faster with some of the above mentioned cloth options.
TIP: If you use cloth filters, be sure the cloth is clean before use (wash new fabric before use as it is most often chemically treated)
How Long Does a Glycerite Last?
I have glycerites over 5 years old that are still good. That said, if you are using your glycerite in a cosmetic that is expected to have a reasonable shelf life, I recommend using it within 6 months of making.
Enjoy!
Blueberry fun facts
Blueberries have an average water content of around 84%
100 grams of blueberries is about 57 calories
Blueberries have a natural content of methylparaben
Do Tell
Do you make glycerites? Which products do you use them in?
PS: The book below is a complete guide to making your own glycerites for cosmetics and even shows you how to drop the preservative and make your own self preserving glycerites.
