234 INTRODUCTION TO GENERAL SCIENCE 



169. FLAVORING EXTRACTS AND PERFUMES 



To quote from the standards established by the Secretary 

 of Agriculture in 1906: "A flavoring extract is a solution 

 in ethyl alcohol of the proper strength, of the sapid and 

 odorous principles derived from an aromatic plant, or parts of 

 the plant, with or without its coloring matter, and conforms 

 in name to the plant used in its preparation." Again quoting : 

 " The two principal flavors are vanilla and lemon, it being 

 estimated that 95 per cent of the flavoring extracts manu- 

 factured are of these two varieties. With few exceptions the 

 other flavoring extracts are artificial, it being impossible to 

 manufacture an acceptable extract from the fruit itself. 

 Orange, peppermint, and wintergreen extracts are among 

 the exceptions to this rule, while strawberry, pineapple, peach, 

 and some others are artificial." 



Vanilla extract may be prepared by grinding vanilla beans 

 in a meat chopper and allowing the mass to soak in 50 per cent 

 pure grain alcohol, in a stoppered bottle, for a few days. This 

 will produce a delicately flavored extract at a moderate price. 



Chopped-up orange peeling, or lemon peeling, soaked in 

 95 per cent pure grain alcohol, will produce satisfactory 

 orange or lemon extracts. 



Many perfumes may be made by chopping the material 

 which has the desired odor and allowing it to soak in 95 per 

 cent alcohol for several days. 



References : 



1. Reprint from Yearbook of Department of Agriculture for 1908 : 

 The Manufacture of Flavoring Extracts. 



Experiment 80. To Make Lemon Extract. 



Apparatus : Bottle with glass stopper, knife, funnel. 

 Materials : Alcohol 95 per cent, lemon, filter paper. 



