Vanilla Tincture

#### Vanilla Tincture. This is a prepared perfume and flavor material. In most countries, the alcohol control is extended to such uses of alcohol as in the preparation of tinctures. Consequently, the vanilla tinctures for perfumery use are made with "perfume alcohol", i.e. ethyl alcohol denatured with diethyl phthalate, brucine sulfate or the like. These tinctures can not be used in flavors. Furthermore, it is generally necessary to maintain a high alcohol percentage in tinctures for perfumes since other perfume materials are not soluble in diluted alcohol. The aromatic principles in the vanilla fruit are more soluble in diluted alcohol than in concentrated (pure) ethyl alcohol. Accordingly, the vanilla tinctures for flavors and for perfumes are two different products, in solvents and in composition. **Perfume Tincture**: The classic vanilla tincture was prepared from 125 grams vanilla fruits and 1000 grams of 95 **%**** **ethyl alcohol. The chopped or coarsely ground vanilla was macerated with the alcohol for 14 days, then filtered. The resulting tincture contained considerably less than 95 **%**** **alcohol since it had absorbed the water from the vanilla fruits (see **Vanilla**). With little or no standard for moisture content in vanilla fruits, such tinctures were far from uniform. For ordinary use in perfumery, a convenient tincture is that of 10% vanilla in alcohol of 95% strength. If the vanilla is of average moisture content, the resulting tincture will not fall below 90% alcohol strength which is sufficient to dissolve all the common perfume materials, too. Certain perfume houses still use the old-fashioned "infusion" method of extraction: the vanilla is extracted with alcohol under reflux, i.e. while the alcohol is boiling. The rate of fruit to alcohol is either 12 ½ to 100 or 25 to 100. The resulting infusion may be filtered either immediately or after cooling. In both cases, it will become cloudy and show additional precipitate on standing. The alcohol strength in the infusion 25/100 may be too low for certain perfume materials (vetiver oil, cedarwood oil, sandalwood oil, etc.) because of the 8 to 15% of moisture introduced with the fruits. In view of the above, the author would conclude that a 10/100 tincture or a 12 ½ 100 infusion are the most promising and practical preparations for perfume use. However, the "oleoresins" or absolutes described in the previous monographs may be preferable in cases where extensive use is made of vanilla in a composition. **Flavor Tinctures**: In certain flavor compositions, it is necessary to maintain a higher alcohol content in order to keep the other flavor ingredients in solution. Tinctures or infusions can be used, made with pure ethyl alcohol as described under **Tincture **in Part One of this book. A conventional tincture of today is the so-called 1—10 tincture which is prepared from 100 grams vanilla, 200 grams of sugar, and ethyl alcohol and water to make 1000 grams of a tincture which measures 38-40% alcohol by volume. Obviously, such a preparation can not be used in perfumes without causing precipitation of other ingredients. A **Ten-fold Vanilla **is a preparation of which one gram is equivalent to one gram of vanilla bean (compare pharmaceutical standard fluid extract). It should be kept in mind, however, that certain flavor components of the vanilla fruit are not extracted at all with high-proof alcohol, and that the 1—10 tincture above mentioned thus will have a richer flavor than the tinctures prepared with pure ethyl alcohol. (See also **Vanilla**** ****Absolute**** **and **Vanilla**** ****"Oleoresin"**** **(resinoid)). Vanilla tinctures are used to a decreasing degree since they are not sufficiently standardized. Most large consumers prefer to prepare their own tinctures or extracts after thorough analysis of the purchased lots of vanilla fruits, particularly with respect to moisture content. Unfortunately, **Vanilla Tinctures **are so extensively and commonly adulterated that many consumers have completely forgotten what a true tincture smells and tastes like, a fact that makes this business difficult for the vanilla growers as well as for the manufacturers of true tinctures and extracts. See also: **Vanilla**** ****Preparations**, use of —.