EASY STEP DIY POTPOURRI

Potpourri is a term in French that refers to the process of drying flowers and parts of a plants. In the beginning, potpourri is made to preserve a variety of flowers and plants so that the fragrance is long last even though the summer has passed. The method of making potpourri was initially very simple, such as hanging flowers or plants to be dried in an upside down position in a dry room which having good air flow or dried with the help of sunlight. This method is the simplest drying process and costs the least because it requires only a small amount of material. However, the process takes a long time and in the process of drying with sunlight, essential oils are often lost due to evaporation that lasts a long time. Thus, dried flowers or plants lose their distinctive fragrance.

Rose potpourri  results from Udayana University community service programme

Another method that can be used is drying with silica gel. The process of drying with silica gel is to cover the entire flower petals and leaves with silica gel granules. Silica gel will attract water and dry the petals and leaves. This drying process is faster and silica gel can be used repeatedly. If you don't have silica gel, you can use alternatives to using sea sand. The type of sea sand used is dry beach sand with larger grains. Before use, it must be ensured that sea sand is really dry. The process of drying with sea sand is the same as the process of drying using silica gel. However, making potpourri with sea sand has the disadvantage that the petals and leaves are often not completely clean from sand residue.

If you want a faster process, making potpourri can be done using an oven. In drying flowers or plants using an oven, the temperature and time in the oven must be set correctly. If the temperature is too high it will make the dried flowers become discolored and brittle because they are too dry. And the fragrance of flowers will also disappear. However, if the temperature is too low, the drying process becomes imperfect and makes the flowers rot when stored. The drying process using an oven should be done at a temperature that is not too high with several drying processes. Potpourri which is ready, in addition to being used to decorate the room in the form of a bouquet of dried flowers, can also be used as natural aromatherapy in the room. In addition to flowers, some fruit skins, leaves and stems of plants are also very good to be used as potpourri because of its distinctive aroma. For example the skin for oranges, mint or orange leaves, lemongrass or cinnamon sticks. The aroma produced by potpourri will be softer and fainter so it will not interfere with smell. So if you have a bouquet of flowers that have started to wither or for the people of Bali, for example there are flowers from canang, don't throw them away immediately. Can be processed and created back into potpourri. Have a try and good luck!

Author:

Luh Putu Febryana Larasanty (email : febryana@unud.ac.id)

https://fmipa.unud.ac.id/

https://www.unud.ac.id/