2. (Oxley’s ‘Concentrated essence of Jamaica ginger,’ The same as the preceding, with the addition of a very small quantity of essence of cayenne. The above possess only about 4 times the strength of tincture of ginger (Ph. L.); and though vended in the shops as essence of ginger, scarcely deserves the name.
3. As No. 1 (next article, below), but using double the quantity of spirit. Very fine.
4. (Kitchener’s.) Ginger (grated), 3 oz.; yellow peel of lemon (fresh), 2 oz.; brandy, 11⁄2 pint; digest 10 days. For culinary purposes, &c. See below.
Essence of Ginger (Concentrated). Syn. Essentia zingiberis concentrata. Prep. 1. Jamaica ginger (best unbleached, in coarse powder) and siliceous sand, equal parts, are sprinkled with rectified spirit of wine, q. s. to perfectly moisten them, and after 24 hours the
mass is placed in a ‘percolator,’ and after returning the first runnings 2 or 3 times, the receiver is changed, and more rectified spirit poured on gradually, and at intervals, as required, until as much essence is obtained as there has been ginger employed.
Obs. The quality of the product of the above formula is excellent, but the process is somewhat difficult to manage. The mass remaining in the percolator is treated with fresh spirit until exhausted, and the tincture so obtained is employed, instead of spirit, for making more essence with fresh ginger. The last portion of spirit in the waste mass may be obtained by adding a little water. Coarsely powdered charcoal is frequently used instead of sand, in which case the product has less colour; at the same time, however, a little of the flavour is lost.
2. (Wholesale.)—a. Best unbleached Jamaica ginger (as last), 12 lbs.; rectified spirit, 21⁄2 galls., are digested together for 14 days, and the expressed and strained tincture reduced by distillation, in a steam or water bath, to exactly 1 gall.; it is next cooled, and transferred as quickly as possible into stoppered bottles, and the next day filtered.
Obs. The product of the last formula is a most beautiful article, of immense strength, and the richest flavour. The assertion made by a recent writer on pharmacy, that ‘the product is very strong, but has lost some of the flavour of the ginger,’ is evidently made in ignorance of the preparation. “We were the first to introduce and publish this formula, and have employed it for years on the most extensive scale, and can conscientiously assert that, for inexpensiveness, and the quality of the essence produced by it, it is unequalled by any other. The process, though apparently complicated is, in reality, easily performed. The spirit distilled over contains none of the fragrant or aromatic principles of the ginger; on the contrary, the little flavour it has received (apparently from a species of ethereal oil) is rather disagreeable than otherwise, and is better got rid of than retained in the essence. The spirit is used with advantage for preparing the common tincture of ginger, and several other articles. The cause of failure when this process is adopted is careless or awkward manipulation. When possible, hydraulic pressure should be employed to express the tincture, 2 oz. of this essence are regarded as equivalent to 3 oz. of the finest ginger, being fully twenty times as strong as the ‘TINCTURE OF GINGER’ (Ph. L.). A single drop, swallowed, will almost produce suffocation.” Cooley.
b. From ginger (as last), 24 lbs.; rectified spirit, 6 gall.; make a tincture, as before, and reduce it by distillation to 1 gall.; then cool as quickly as possible out of contact with the air and add, of the strongest rectified spirit of wine, 1 gall.; lastly, filter, if required. Quality resembles No. 2, a (nearly). “We are in the habit of applying the method developed in the last two formulæ to the preparation of the essences of several other substances, the active principles of which are not volatile at a low temperature.” Cooley.
Essence of Grape. Prep. From grape oil, as ESSENCE OF ALMONDS. It is used to flavour brandy and wines. See Oil (Volatile).