How can flowers be dried and still retain their fragrance?
Making flowers into dried flowers and maintaining their fragrance can be achieved by following a few steps:
First, choose the right flowers
First of all, you need to choose flowers suitable for making dried flowers. Some common flowers suitable for making dried flowers include Starry Sky, Daisy, jasmine, lavender, etc. These flowers are able to retain their shape and color after drying, and also retain their fragrance easily.
Second, dry treatment
The next step is drying, which is the key step in making dried flowers. There are several common drying methods:
1. Upside down method:
- Cut off all the leaves of the flowers, leaving only the flowers and a few stems.
- Tie the bouquet with string or thread to make sure the flowers don't squeeze against each other.
- Hang the bouquet upside down in a dry, ventilated and dark place to ensure free air circulation.
- Wait a few weeks until the flowers are completely dry. This process can take 2 to 4 weeks, depending on the type of flowers and environmental conditions.
2. Book pressure air drying method:
Lay the flowers flat in the book, placing one flower every few pages to make sure the flowers do not overlap.
Place the book in a warm, dry environment and wait a few days until the flowers are completely dry.
3. Use desiccant:
- Place the flowers in an airtight container and add an appropriate amount of desiccant (such as silicone).
- Make sure the flowers are completely covered with desiccant, then seal the container.
- Wait a few days until the flowers are completely dry. This method is usually faster than natural air drying and preserves the shape and color of the flowers better.
Third, keep the smell
In order to maintain the fragrance of dried flowers, some spices or fragrances can be added during the drying process. However, this usually requires specialized technology and equipment. For home production, it is more important to choose flowers with a strong fragrance in themselves, and ensure that the environment is clean and odor-free during the drying process, so as not to interfere with the natural fragrance of the flowers.
Fourth, preservation and display
After drying, the dried flowers should be stored in a dry, ventilated environment away from light. Avoid direct sunlight and humidity to extend the life of dried flowers and preserve their fragrance. When displaying, you can choose a vase or flower basket with good air permeability, and regularly clean the dust to keep it beautiful.
To sum up, by choosing the right flowers, using the proper drying method and paying attention to the details of preservation and display, you can produce dried flowers that are both beautiful and long-lasting.