it can be done- but it's a leading reason why real gardenia oil is several hundred dollars an ounce (more expensive than attar of roses- I think only freesia and jasmine are more expensive)

basically, you lightly butter a piece of glass with crisco, lay the petals out on it, and cover with saran wrap. the next day, you pick the petals off, and collect the crisco.

if you were making an essential oil or a pefume, you would then use grain alchohol to 'wash' the essence out of the fat.

a much simpler way is to heat coconut oil until it melts (ie leave it out on the counter, or zap it for 10 seconds in the microwave- it liquifies at 75-80 degrees) and pack the bowl with the flowers. put it in a cool place for a day or so, then let it liquify again, and strain the petals out (cheesecloth works)

honestly- I use not gardenia, but the tuberose fragrance oil from either The Body Shop, or Camden-grey herbs. gardenia is really unstable.

I'm looking at making a drink using gardenia oil and/or other white flowers, are these edible recipies? Also I spoke with an Indian woman, and she says that she used to make rose syrup with indian roses by placing layers of sugar and roses in a glass tupper-ware and leaving it out in the sun for a day. Does anyone know more about this process? Which one would be the best to use in a milk based espresso drink?

hmmmmm, I don't think I'd trust using gardenia in food or drink. They ARE toxic to pets. On the other hand, rose petals have been used practically since Day One for skin and eye care and in foods. I'd do a LOT more research on the gardenia use before imbibing. cora

Hi
Newbie here I read the posts for getting the oil from the petals and understand that but when you talk about the "washing" with alcohol I have no idea how to do that. I have lots of gardenias (5 or 6) very large plants, that are loaded with flowers right now and want to preserve the oil for other uses.