Distillation Experiment: Mandarin Fruit Hydrolat
Citrus essential oils are very popular, but citrus hydrolats (hydrosols) are quite a rare find.
Since I was able to access fresh and untreated mandarins from Sardegna (Italy), I decided to experiment and distill them for hydrolat.
Mandarin Fruit Distillation Data
Common name/s: mandarin
Latin name: Citrus reticulata
Family: Rutaceae
Other notable family members: bergamot, sweet orange, lime, lemon, greipfruit.
Country of origin: Italy
Part of the plant distilled: whole fruits with peel
Preparation for distillation: sliced the fruit into 3-5 pieces.
Type of distillation: hydro-distillation
Distillation apparatus: 10 l copper alembic still. See all my equipment here.
Mandarin fruits: 1,8 kg
Water: 4 l
Plant to water ratio: ~1:2
Hydrolat yield: 1,4 l
Plat to hydrosol ratio: 1:0,77
Essential oil separator needed: yes
EO: less than 1 ml
Leftover decoction in the alembic pot: ~3 l
Distillation Notes:
Several minutes before the first drops of hydrolat came through, the wonderful mandarin aroma filled the air! This happens during all distillations, but some botanicals produce a stronger initial aroma than others—Mandarin’s was among the strongest.
- First Sample: The aroma was quite intense and typical of mandarin fruit but had a slightly unexpected bitterness. No sour taste, of course.
- Second Sample (0.5 L) The aroma remained strong but was slightly less bitter, while the taste became milder.
- Third Sample (1 L): The aroma began fading, becoming gentler and “brighter”. The taste decreased more noticeably than the aroma.
- Fourth Sample (1.4 L): both aroma and taste had significantly diminished. Distillation stopped.
Aftermath. Over the next few days, the hydrolat’s aroma developed further—the bitterness decreased while sweetness increased—a positive change!
Notes for Future Distillations
- Check aroma every 250–300 mL after reaching a plant-to-hydrolat ratio of 1:0.5 to better determine the cut-off time based on aroma and taste levels. I would probably take out less hydrolat next time.
- Use less water in the alembic; instead of a 1:2 plant-to-water ratio, try 1:1.5.
Mandarin Hydrolat Profile
I couldn’t find a mandarin hydrolat profile in any of my books and course materials so I compiled one myself.
Aroma description: sweet, fruity, slightly bitter
Therapeutic Insights:
Commonly attributed properties and indications of citruses are: refreshing, uplifting, antibacterial, astringent; used for nervous tension, stress, digestive problems, skincare, circulatory-lymphatic system stimulation.
Likely components: monoterpene alcohols: alpha-terpineol, linalool, terpinen-4-ol, geraniol (1).
Main difference in composition compared to essential oil: absence of limonene, the main component in the essential oil.
Therapeutic actions (based on likely components): anti-acne, antibacterial, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anxiolytic, calming to the nervous system, gastroprotective, smooth muscle relaxant (2)
The likely chemical composition of mandarin hydrolat supports the generally attributed properties.
System affinities: skin, nervous, digestive.
Blending information:
Blend with other citruses, lavender, ylang-ylang, geranium, Roman chamomile for psycho-emotional well-being.
Blend with fennel, basil, ginger, coriander seed for digestive support.
Suggested usage:
Facial spray for acne-prone, oily skin.
Areal mist, facial spray, foot bath, ingestion to reduce nervous tension and uplift, promote relaxation.
Ingestion for digestive support.
Ingestion dosage: 1 tablespoon in a glass of water 2-3 times per day.
Cautions and Contraindications: no known contraindications
Culinary use:
Add mandarin hydrolat to drinking water, teas, smoothies, desserts, or fruit salads for an aromatic twist.
Shelf life: 2 years
Note on Likely Components
In order to know the hydrosol components we should send it to the laboratory to perform the analysis of volatile components, called GC/MS (Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry).
While most small-scale home distillers don’t perform this analysis due to cost or accessibility constraints, we can rely on publicly available data for insights.
My favourite sources for hydrolat composition data are: Circle H Institute, a book by A.Harman “Harvest to Hydrosol”, a book by L.Price, Sh.Price “Understanding Hydrolats” and scientific research databases online.
This time I could find only one GC/MS analysis of citrus reticulata hydrolat. It was published by Circle H Institute. Data from that analysis shows that hydrosol has 4 mg/l total volatile compounds. That is on the lower side compared to the hydrolats from other citruses and other botanicals in general. For comparison: blood orange had 74 mg/l, lime hydrolat had 259 mg/l. (1).
Sure, it’s only one sample and we cannot draw far-reaching conclusions from it.
As earlier mentioned, te analysis of that sample showed alpha-terpineol, linalool, terpinen-4-ol, geraniol and main components in mandarin hydrolat.
All of these components are present in many other citrus hydrolats too. So we might assume, that our hydrolat contains those components too.
Is Mandarin Hydrolat “Packed with” Vitamin C?
You may come across claims that citrus hydrosols are “rich in” vitamin C. However:
- Vitamin C has a strong sour taste—if it were present in significant amounts in hydrolats, we would taste it immediately. Mandarin hydrolat has no sourness at all.
- Distillation involves prolonged boiling; vitamin C breaks down under heat exposure.
- Ascorbic acid is non-volatile—it remains (the part that did not break down) in the leftover decoction and plant material rather than transferring into the hydrolat.
- No reputable research paper has confirmed vitamin C presence in any hydrosols.
Thus, attributing properties based on alleged vitamin C content in citrus hydrolats is unfounded.
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Resources:
- Circe H Institute, Citrus reticulata hydrosol analysis, see sample CHI1415: https://circlehinstitute.com/gc16/#CHI-1415
- Peace Rhind (2020). Essential Oils. A Comprehensive Handbook for Aromatic Therapy, 3rd edition. p.279. London, UK: Singing Dragon. P. 240-244, 249-252.
Disclamer
Information provided in this blog post is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking it because of something you have read on this blog. Reliance on any information provided in this blog is solely at your own risk.
