Spices and Condiments (1+1)

Production

• The spice is ground before distillation, using a suitable mill. The crushed material is distilled as quickly as possible to avoid any loss of oil. The distillation of oil should be carried out using stainless steel instruments to avoid metallic and other contaminations which are undesirable in materials used for food flavouring. The ground spice is kept in a cage with a perforated bottom. From an external source, steam is let in through the bed of the material. As the steam passes, it carries with it the volatile components of the spice by entrainment. The mixture of steam and oil passess through a water-cooled condenser, gets condensed and the mixture of water and oil enters the oil-water separator situated at the other end of the condenser. Since most of the essential oils are lighter or heavier than water, they are separated out and the oil can be collected easily.
• Precautions have to be taken regarding the rate of flow of steam, condensate temperature, rate of distillation, etc., to ensure the best results. The distillation time should be sufficient to ensure complete recovery of all the important constituents of the oil.
• The oil collected from the separator is filtered and dried over anhydrous sodium sulphate. The oil is packed in brown glass or tinned metal containers. The containers are filled to the brim to exclude air, since oxygen can cause deterioration. The oils are then stored in a cool place.