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How to Get Pine Oil Out of a Pinetree

The therapeutic essential pine oil has many properties beneficial to health as it is antimicrobial, antiseptic, antiviral and bactericidal. As a fertilizer, pine oil is high in nitrogen, acts to protect plants from disease and insect infestations and has proven to increase crop yields. Pine oil that you can make yourself has a pleasant aroma and can be added to soaps, lotions and candles. While not as strong or as therapeutic as a pure essential oil, simple pine oil extracted from pine needles can be used for scent and added to a carrier oil for muscle rubs and sinus aid.

Things You'll Need

2 cups of fresh pine needles
½ cup of sweet almond oil or extra virgin olive oil
Cutting board
Wooden mallet
Jar with lid
Cheesecloth

Instructions

- 1
  Gather the freshest pine needles possible. Pick them off the tree and get at least 2 cups worth. Wash them gently in warm water with a bit of gentle detergent to loosen dirt from the needles.
- 2
  Set the needles aside to dry on paper towels. Wash a glass jar and its lid and set that to dry as well.
- 3
  Put the dry needles on the cutting board and mash them with the wooden mallet. The idea here is to bruise the needles so that oil in the needles will dissipate into the oil.
- 4
  Put the bruised needles in the jar, mashing them in there. When all the needles are in the jar, fill the jar with the sweet almond or extra virgin olive oil.
- 5
  Shake the jar to loosen any air bubbles. Swirl the needles around in the jar, using a wooden spoon. Get out all the air bubbles as any remaining can cause the needles to get moldy.
- 6
  Shake the jar daily for two to six weeks. A six-week oil will be stronger than the two-week.
- 7
  While the pine tree oil is being extracted into the almond or olive oil, store the jar in a dark place at room temperature. As light can deteriorate the effectiveness and strength of the oil, keep the oil in the dark or place the jar in a paper bag.
- 8
  Strain the mixture through a strainer and the cheesecloth. As the needles gather in the cheesecloth, squeeze them to get any remaining oil out. Discard the needles. Put the pine oil into amber or blue apothecary jars to protect it from light.

Nature