Enfleurage

Enfleurage

Enfleurage is a process that uses odorless fats that are solid at room temperature to capture the fragrant compounds exuded by plants. The process can be "cold" enfleurage or "hot" enfleurage.

The process of enfleurage

In cold enfleurage, a large framed plate of glass, called a chassis, is smeared with a layer of animal fat, usually from pork or beef, and allowed to set. Botanical matter, usually petals or whole flowers, is then placed on the fat and their scent is allowed to diffuse into the fat over the course of 1-3 days. The process is then repeated by replacing the spent botanicals with fresh ones until the fat has reached a desired degree of fragrance saturation. This procedure was developed in southern France in the 19th century for the production of high-grade concentrates. In hot enfleurage, solid fats are heated and botanical matter is stirred into the fat. Spent botanicals are repeatedly strained from the fat and replaced with fresh material until the fat is saturated with fragrance. This method is considered the oldest known procedure for preserving plant fragrance substances.

In both instances, the fragrance-saturated fat is now called the "enfleurage pomade". The enfleurage pomade was sold as it was or it can be further washed or soaked in ethyl alcohol to draw the fragrant molecules into the alcohol. The alcohol is then separated from the fat and allowed to evaporate, leaving behind the absolute of the botanical matter. The spent fat is usually used to make soaps since it is still relatively fragrant.

Other fragrance extraction methods

This method of fragrance extraction is by far one of the oldest. It is also highly inefficient and costly but was the sole method of extracting the fragrant compounds in delicate floral botanical such as jasmine and tuberose, which would be destroyed or denatured by the high temperatures required by methods of fragrance extraction such as steam distillation. The method is now superseded by more efficient techniques such as solvent extraction or supercritical fluid extraction using liquid carbon dioxide (CO2) or similar compressed gases.

References

* cite book
last = Bauer
first = Kurt
coauthors = Dorothea Garbe, Horst Surburg
title = Common Fragrance and Flavor Materials
publisher = WILEY-VCH
date = 2001
pages = pp. 170
isbn = 3-527-30364-2


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  • Enfleurage — ist ein Verfahren zur Gewinnung von Pomaden aus Blüten durch die Absorption der Duftstoffe durch Fett. Enfleurage à froid Die frischen Blüten werden vorsichtig auf mit Fett bestrichene Glasplatten gestreut. Für einen Zeitraum von drei Monaten… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Enfleurage — En fleu rage , n. [F., fr. en (L. in) + fleur flower.] A process of extracting perfumes by exposing absorbents, as fixed oils or fats, to the exhalations of the flowers. It is used for plants whose volatile oils are too delicate to be separated… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Enfleurage — (franz., angflörāsch ), Blumenduftgeben, s. Parfümerie …   Meyers Großes Konversations-Lexikon

  • Enfleurage — Enfleurage, Methode zur Gewinnung zarter Blumendüfte. Sie besteht darin, daß man die Blüten direkt oder indirekt in Berührung bringt mit Fett oder fettem Oel, ohne es zu erwärmen, das sich dabei mit dem Wohlgeruch sättigt. Deite …   Lexikon der gesamten Technik

  • Enfleurage — (frz., spr. angflörahsch ), in der Parfümerie das Ausziehen feiner Blumendüfte (von Maiblumen, Tuberosen, Jasmin u.a.), die sich durch Destillation, Mazeration etc. nicht gewinnen lassen, durch Bedecken der frischen Blüten mit einer mit Fett… …   Kleines Konversations-Lexikon

  • enfleurage — [än΄flə räzh′, ] Fr [ än flë rȧzh′] n. [Fr < en , in + fleur, FLOWER] a process of extracting perfumes by having fats absorb the exhalations of certain flowers …   English World dictionary

  • Enfleurage — L enfleurage est une forme d extraction utilisée en parfumerie. Il repose sur le pouvoir d absorption d une huile essentielle par les corps gras. Il existe deux types d enfleurage : l enfleurage à froid l enfleurage à chaud L enfleurage à… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • enfleurage — enfleurer [ ɑ̃flɶre ] v. tr. <conjug. : 1> • 1845; « orner de fleurs » XIIIe; de en et fleur ♦ Techn. Charger (un corps gras, une huile de toilette) du parfum de certaines fleurs par macération. N. m. ENFLEURAGE . ● enfleurage nom masculin… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • Enfleurage — En|fleu|ra|ge 〈[ ãfløra:ʒ(ə)] f. 19; unz.〉 Gewinnung von Duftstoffen u. Blütenölen aus Blüten u. a. Pflanzenteilen [<frz. en „in, an aus“ + fleur „Blüte“] * * * En|fleu|rage [ãflø ra:ʒə; frz. enfleurer = Blumenduft geben (fleur = Blüte,… …   Universal-Lexikon

  • enfleurage — noun /ˌɑ̃.fluˈɹɑʒ/ The process of extracting fragrance from flowers by using unscented fats to capture the essential oils. The perfumes of plants like jasmine could only be extracted by enfleurage, as other methods of the time would denature the… …   Wiktionary

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