About Cold Water Extraction

Cold water extraction uses cold water to extract certain medications and certain herbal extracts. There are a few methods of the process currently used to retrieve the extract or the medication. The process is only conducted on water soluble drugs and not insoluble drugs, such as aspirin.

Process

The process of cold water extract begins by dissolving the solutions in warm water. Rapidly, you use must cool down the substances. Use a coffee filter or another filtration device to separate the substances. It breaks down into a solid portion or the non-water soluble part. The other half of the extraction is the liquid or the water soluble part of the substance. Another way a cold water extraction is performed is by filling a jar with cold water. Crush the plant and place it in the cold water. The jar and its contents should sit in the refrigerator overnight to yield the best results. After the jar and its contents sits, a filtration device is used to separate the plant matter. You may also add ice the mixture for another method of extraction. If you leave the extract sitting out in the open without a lid, you may create a more concentrated form of the extract.

Commonly Extracted Substances

Chemists use the cold water extract during experiments. Some individuals use the process at home to extract beneficial substances from plants and herbs. Maceration, meaning softening in a liquid, provides a person with extracts of various plants that are used in certain holistic concoctions. Ginseng and ginkgo biloba are two herbs commonly found in pill form and even in liquid form that provide a person with the supposed benefit of increased focus, energy and a variety of other benefits. By taking these plants and using cold water extraction, you may create the same extracts for cheaper and in a more potent form.