II 
VANILLA 
91 
A maceration process for extracting the vanillin is 
suggested by M. Dupont. A number of vases containing 
vanilla pods are arranged as in a battery, and alcohol 
at 80 to 85 per cent is poured into a vase and allowed 
to remain there a week, after which it is transferred to 
another vase with fresh vanilla. This is carried on until 
all the vases have received the solution as many times 
as there are vases, and the extract should then contain 
all the vanillin in the pods.^ 
Another method suggested is the following, taken 
from the Indische Mercuur, and originally published in 
the Spice - The process has been patented by an 
American, and is effected by a cylindric boiler with 
special openings and steam jacketed, into which a mixture 
of 40 per cent alcohol and 60 per cent water is put with 
the pods, and the heat gradually raised to about, but 
not above, 110° Fahr. The essence obtained is said to 
be strong and good even if inferior pods are used. No 
further details are given, but the principle of using a 
gentle heat to extract the vanillin seems to be an 
excellent one, and would probably be a more speedy 
method of making the extract than the cold method 
without any injury to the flavour. 
For confectionery only the best vanilla can be used. 
The vanilla of Tahiti resembles that of Vanilla 
pompona, “ vanillons,” in having a flavour of heliotrope 
or piperonal, which makes it unsuitable for high-class 
confectionery, and it is therefore used chiefly for 
perfumery. 
ARTIFICIAL VANILLIN 
Vanillin from the pods of the vanilla was first 
investigated by Gobley in 1858, and Tiemann and 
Haarmann in 1874 to 1876, in the course of further 
investigations, discovered that it could be formed 
artificially from coniferin, a glucoside occurring in the 
1 Jamaica Bulletin, Colonial Office Eeport, 1905. 
^ Journal d’ agriculture tropicale, 1910, 31. 
