As we all know, vanilla absolute is one of the most demanding aromas people get mad for. It is euphoric with a rich, sweet vanilla odor that stimulates divine adoration and harmony.
Moreover, it promises a comfortable and soothing absolute for you. On the sweeter side, vanilla absolute comes with many synthetic substitutes, making it more precious to everyone. It represents you as green as a new spring that you would highly clasp with it.
Traditionally, the vanilla absolute is vastly preferable in perfumery products because it is highly aromatic. So, the fragrances industry uses it as a base note or fixative in perfumery.
How to Use Vanilla Absolute
Before making vanilla absolute, you have to know how to use it. You can use vanilla absolute in numerous ways. Manufacturers often use it in esteemed perfumes or other aroma-based merchandise like candles or soaps.
But you can also use the absolute in aromatherapy, natural perfumery, or many useful external requisitions.
Organic Vanilla Absolute
It is extraordinary that the vanilla absolute comes from vanilla planifolia, a native species of the Orchidaceae family. Magically, after turning the yellow-green flowers into pods, they get ready to formulate the pure and organic vanilla absolute.
The procedure of Preparing the Vanilla Absolute
As vanilla absolute is costly. It is not possible to make your organic vanilla absolute at the cheapest cost. For this reason, it is highly unpredictable to get 100 percent pure vanilla oil today.
Besides, some unethical manufacturers are commercially delivering cheap vanilla oils that contain many artificial substances.
Whatever, let’s know how we can formulate it. So far, you can extract the vanilla absolute in various ways.
The First Way
One of the ways of preparing the absolute is Vanilla carbon dioxide (CO₂). You can try it once.
- When you want to produce Vanilla carbon dioxide (CO₂) absolute, First of all, put the vanilla pods into a stainless steel pit and insert CO₂ gas.
- After that, the air of the pit would be pressurized. So, the gas CO₂ will turn into liquid, become an exceptional fluid, and help pull the oil from the pods.
- And eventually, the CO₂ turns into a gas again, and you will get your absolute vanilla left.
Here, keep in mind that do not process it more. Either you will get lower-quality and less pure vanilla absolute.
Still, more often, this process is not so applicable. Because, during this process, the absolute might lose its natural aroma or essence of vanilla.
The Second Way
- You may also try the second procedure for having some difficulties with vanilla carbon dioxide (CO₂).
- Here you have to take a can of pure butane and PVC pipe of 7-8 inches long x 1.5 inches.
- Then take two caps that fit the snug and drill a hole in the top cap to fit the butane can perfectly. Again, drill 4 or 5 holes in the bottom cap like a pepper shaker.
- After that, you have to fit a filter, your coffee filter, into the bottom cap that is secure to the pipe.
- You are accomplishing the above steps. Now time to cut up your beans into small pieces and let them dry.
- After drying them up, stuff the bean pieces in the pipe and close off with that top cap.
- Several times will pass, so you have to position the pipe over the bowl and clear the butane into the tube.
- When the bubbles are a couple of seconds apart, tap on the top to release what is left.
- In a while, let the solution boil off for almost 20 mins. Yes, it would be the vanilla concrete with you now.
- Finally, put this into a dark glass vial but don’t cover it. Then to evaporate the alcohol, keep it in the dark ventilated area for 2-4 weeks.
- I think your vanilla absolute is ready now.
The Third and Handy Way
Furthermore, you can do your absolute best according to some other convenient procedure. Here we are exposing another way.
- Firstly, for vanilla absolute, collect a lot of cured vanilla pods and cut them into tiny pieces. The process may work relatively fast while enough oil is in the pods.
- In due time, place the plant material into a drum and soak them in an odor-free mild solvent. They could be pentane or hexane. Because these two are most common.
- Subsequently, you can remove the vanilla pods. But you have to evaporate the solvent by vacuum distillation.
- After some time, you will get solvent removed.
- Then you get a sticky residue that can be recognized as a vanilla concrete or resinoid. Now treat this resin with alcohol as though the aromatic compounds get separated.
- After a considerable time, you have to filter it. Now, let the alcohol evaporate.
- And finally, you would obtain a liquid containing the absolute.
Chemical Components
You have to do serious research and have profound chemical knowledge while making absolute. It is better to learn from people’s experiences with perfume. Makers derive absolute vanilla by extracting some particular solvent.
They could be a non-polar solvent, benzene, attended by a polar solvent, ethanol. The vanilla absolute comprises nearly 150 aromas though most of them are in small percentages. Its fundamental chemical components vanillin, which traces other constituents.
They could be Vanillyl ethyl ether, eugenol, piperonal, acetic acid, p-hydroxybenzaldehyde, and caproic acid.
Most importantly, the flavorful taste of vanillin and piperonal is dynamic, which contains different positive health influences.
Vanilla Absolute VS Vanilla Extract
Sometimes vanilla absolute or vanilla extract gets confusing to the users, but remember they’re not the same.
The extract usually gets its unique vanilla flavor from Vanillin from vanilla beans. You can even make homemade vanilla extract easily. It is edible. So, you can use it for food. With a little bit of vanilla extract, you may enhance the flavor of your food.
But vanilla absolute is usually more demanding for its beautiful vanilla aroma. So it is most helpful in making admired perfumes. Mainly, the perfumery industry uses it in a large amount to make their perfumes more adorable.
Vanilla Absolute Benefits
Vanilla absolute can facile you in different ways. For your convenience, we are mentioning some positive findings of it.
- It fights against some categories of cancers.
- Also, Regulate menstruation.
- It helps to relieve nausea.
- It can even ease stress, anxiety, depression, and insomnia.
- Cure wounds.
- Improve your libido.
- Render your sleep and stimulate your dreaming.
Vanilla Absolute for Skin
Most Importantly, it is beneficial for skin treatment for its powerful antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial properties. You may even use vanilla absolute for skin damage caused by free radicals.
Additionally, vanilla’s Vanillin helps clean the skin through its antibacterial effects. It can deeply hydrate and nurture the skin. It also helps to slow down the aging signs.
Some Important Notes to Remember
To make vanilla absolute, you should remember several vital pieces of information.
- Vanilla absolutes are not like common absolutes. It comes with plant matter.
- Besides, its structures are highly delicate. So, You can not obtain the aromatic compounds of the vanilla bean with the process of distillation.
- If you want to release the aromatic compounds from the vanilla bean, you have to introduce a solvent because there is no other way to do this.
- But be careful while processing because the solvents are hazardous materials to manipulate. They may even cause lots of side reactions. Plus, to do this task, you need well-ventilated places.
- Moreover, it is relatively thick. So, you need to make it warm while using it to pour.
- Sometimes vanilla absolute vs vanilla extract gets confusing to the users, but remember they’re not the same.
Conclusion
When we derive any aromatic, concentrated oils from plants by introducing a solvent, that would be an “absolute.” It is not easy to make absolute because the procedure is complicated.
First, you have to learn the process correctly. Contrarily, you will waste the materials or not get a great one. Then practice making.
When you want to learn it, you better understand it from someone with experience. Otherwise, you have to do a lot of experiments before you even obtain a suitable product.
