Part 202

The excellence of this extract of coffee, from the manner of its preparation, will be found by experience to be incomparably superior to that made by the {314} formulas usually recommended, the reason being apparent in the first step in the process.

«Coffee Essence.»—

Best ground Mocha coffee 4 pounds Best ground chicory 2 pounds

Boil with 2 gallons of water in a closed vessel and when cold, strain, press, and make up to 2 gallons, and to this add

Rectified spirit of wine 8 ounces Pure glycerine (fluid) 16 ounces

Add syrup enough to make 4 gallons, and mix intimately.

«Cucumber Essence.»—Press the juice from cucumbers, mix with an equal volume of alcohol and distil. If the distillate is not sufficiently perfumed, more juice may be added and the mixture distilled. It is said that the essence thus prepared will not spoil when mixed with fats in the preparation of cosmetics.

«Fruit Jelly Extract.»—Fill into separate paper bags:

Medium finely powdered gelatin 18 parts Medium finely powdered citric acid 3 parts

Likewise into a glass bottle a mixture of any desired

Fruit essence 1 part Spirit of wine 1 part

and dissolve in the mixture for obtaining the desired color, raspberry red or lemon yellow, 1⁠/⁠10 part.

For use, dissolve the gelatin and the citric acid in boiling water, adding

Sugar 125 parts

and mixing before cooling with the fruit essence mixture.

«Ginger Extracts.»—The following is an excellent method of preparing a soluble essence or extract of ginger:

I.—Jamaica ginger 24 ounces Rectified spirits, 60 per cent 45 ounces Water 15 ounces

Mix and let macerate together with frequent agitations for 10 days, then percolate, press off, and filter. The yield should be 45 ounces. Of this take 40 ounces and mix with an equal amount of distilled water. Dissolve 6 drachms of sodium phosphate in 5 ounces of boiling water; let cool and add the solution to the filtrate and water, mixing well. Add 2 drachms of calcium chloride dissolved in 5 ounces of water, nearly cold, and again thoroughly shake the whole. Let stand for 12 hours; then filter.

Put the filtrate in a still, and distil off, at as slow a temperature as possible, 30 ounces. Set this distillate to one side, and continue the distillation till another 40 ounces have passed, then let the still cool. The residue in the still, some 18 ounces, is the desired essence. Pour out all that is possible and wash the still with the 30 ounces of distillate first set aside. This takes up all that is essential. Finally, filter once more, through double filter paper and preserve the filtrate—about 40 ounces, of an amber-colored liquid containing all of the essentials of Jamaica ginger.

Soluble Essence of Ginger.—II.—The following is Harrop’s method of proceeding:

Fluid extract of ginger (U.S.) 4 ounces Pumice, in moderately fine powder 1 ounce Water enough to make 12 ounces

Pour the fluid extract into a bottle, add the pumice and shake the mixture and repeat the shaking in the course of several hours. Now add the water in proportion of about 2 ounces, shaking well and frequently after each addition. When all is added repeat the agitation occasionally during 24 hours, then filter, returning the last portion of the filtrate until it comes through clear, and if necessary add sufficient water to make 12 ounces.

III.—Jamaica ginger, ground 2 pounds Pumice stone, ground 2 ounces Lime, slaked 2 ounces Alcohol, dilute 4 pints

Rub the ginger with the pumice stone and lime until thoroughly mixed. Moisten with the dilute alcohol until saturated and place in a narrow percolator, being careful not to use force in packing, but simply putting it in to obtain the position of a powder to be percolated, so that the menstruum will go through uniformly. Finally, add the dilute alcohol and proceed until 4 pints of percolate are obtained. Allow the liquid to stand for 24 hours; then filter if necessary.

IV.—Tincture ginger 480 parts Tincture capsicum 12 parts Oleoresin ginger 8 parts Magnesium carbonate 16 parts

Rub the oleoresin with the magnesia, and add the tinctures; add about 400 {315} parts of water, in divided portions, stirring vigorously the while. Transfer the mixture to a bottle, and allow to stand 1 week, shaking frequently; then filter, and make up 960 parts with water.

V.—Fluid extract of ginger (U. S. P.) 4 ounces Pumice, powdered and washed 1 ounce Water enough to make 12 ounces

Pour the fluid extract of ginger into a bottle, and add the pumice, shake thoroughly, set aside, and repeat the operation in the course of several hours. Add the water, in the proportion of about 2 ounces at a time, agitating vigorously after each addition. When all is added, repeat the agitation occasionally during 24 hours, then filter, returning the first portion of the filtrate until it comes through bright and clear. If necessary, pass water through the filter, enough to make 12 fluidounces of filtrate.