How to Produce Olive Leaf Extract

Harvest olive leaves for drying. Do not uproot the olive leaves wherever possible. Instead, cut the leaves with the stems of the plant to encourage new growth. You need approximately 1 ½ pounds of olive leaves for this recipe.

Hang the stems upside down in a brown paper bag. Tie off the bag opening with a rubber band or length of string. Hang your paper bag in a space for drying that will not exceed 150 degrees Fahrenheit. Let dry for one to two weeks.

Cut off the stems from the whole leaves. Some of the leaves may drop naturally from the stems as they dry in the bag. Rinse the leaves in distilled water. Dry thoroughly by patting the leaves gently with paper towels.

Place the leaves and 1 gallon of distilled water in a slow cooker. Cover and let cook for up to 12 hours. After 12 hours the water will cook down to approximately half its initial volume.The heat setting should be low; no more than 185 degrees Fahrenheit. If the pot exceeds this heat, remove the cover from the pot and let some of the heat escape. Turn off the pot as needed to control the temperature.

Turn off the pot and allow the leaves to cool completely after cooking. Strain the leaves with a colander and reserve the liquid extract. The leaves should be thrown away after one use. Save the extract in glass jars for no longer than two weeks.