THE MANUFACTURE OF LEMON ESSENCES.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 2701, 2 November 1889, Page 6 (Supplement)

THE MANUFACTURE OF LEMON ESSENCES.

Tiik United States Consul at Messina, in a report on the cultivation of oranges and lemons in Sicily, describes the mode of manufacturing lemon essences. With three strokes of a sharp knife the cutter peels the lemon lengthwise, and lets the peel fall into a tub under the chopping block. He then cuts the lemon in two, and throws it from a knife into a bucket. Me works with wonderful rapidity, and fills from ten to twelve tube with peel a day, and is paid2Ada tub, weighing 771b. His left hand and right index finger are protected with bands of osnabnrgs or leather. The fresh peel is soaked in water 15 minutes before the essence is extracted. Peel that has stood a day or two remaios soaking from 30 to 40 minutes, that it may swell, and offer a greater resistance to the sponge. The workman holds a small sponge in his left hand, against which ho presses each piece of peel two or three times—simple pressure, followed by rotary pressure. Tho women employed in this work run a piece of cuno through their sponges, to enable them to hold them more firmly. Tho outside of tho peel is pressed against the sponge, as the oil glands arc in the epicarp. The crushing of tho oil cells liberates Iho essence therein contained. Tho sponge, when saturated with the essence, is squeezed into an odrthom vessel held in tho lap. The peel is eo thoroughly pressed that not a single coll escapes. This is ascertained by holdiusr tho pressed peel to the flume of a candle; should it Deither crackle nor diminish the brilliancy of tho ilame, the cells are empty. This process yields, besides tho essence, a small quantity of juice and feccia (dreg*). The separation of the essence juice and feccia soon takos placo if the vessels art) not disturbed; the oil floats on the juice, and the dregs fall to the bottom. These three products derived from the peel have no affinity with each other. As the essence rises to tho surface it is skimmed off, bottled, and left to settle for a few days. It is then drawn off with a glass syphon into copper cans, which are hermetically sealed. After tho essence has been expressed a small quantity of juice from the peel.", which are then given to oxen or goats or thrown on tho immure heap and well rotted, or they would make too boating a fertiliser. Tho yield of essence is variable. The industry is carried on five months iu tho year. Immature fruit contains the most oil, From November to April in the province of Messina 1,000 lemons yield about 14oz. of essence and 17 gallons of juice. The essence is so valuable that the workmen are closely watched, for they are most ingenious in secreting it about their persons. Six men work up S.OOO lemons a day; two cut off the peel, while four extract the essence and obtain 130 gallons of lemon juice and 71b of essence. Dealers sometimes adulterate their essences with fixed oils, alcohol, or turpentine, but these mixtures may be easily detected. The essence of sour orange mixed with the essence of lemon produces an aroma similar to that of the essences of bergamot.