Carrot Seed Oil

#### Carrot Seed Oil. This oil is steam distilled from the dried seed (fruit) of the common carrot, **Daucus Carota**. Production of the essential oil is almost entirely concentrated in France, although Holland and Hungary produce minor quantities. In France, it is customary to crush the seed prior to distillation, but not all distillers do so. Like celery seed, carrot seed can be distilled without crushing, and this will minimize the carry-over of odorless fixed oil (palmitic acid, etc.) in the distillate. Superannuated seed which has lost its germinating power can also be used for distillation. This makes the distillation more economical. **Carrot Seed Oil **is a yellow or amber-colored to pale orange-brown liquid of peculiar drywoody, somewhat root-like, earthy odor. The initial notes are sweet and fresh, but the tenacious undertone and dryout is very heavy, weset-earthy, fatty-oily, slightly spicy. The flavor is warm- spicy, slightly biting at high concentration, but sweet and piquant. The suggested use level is 0.10 to 0.20 mg% and the **Minimum Perceptible **is 0.02 to 0.04 mg%. The oil contains large amounts of terpenes, particularly monoterpenes, but the characteristic odor and flavor is probably due to certain components related to those found in calamus oil and to certain materials with iononelike odor. **Carrot**** ****Seed**** ****Oil**** **is occasionally adulterated with d-limonene (although it should be l-limonene) or with oil from siftings, etc. The oil is used in France quite extensively for culinary purposes, e.g. in spice blends, seasonings, etc., and also in alcoholic beverages. In France and other countries, **Carrot**** ****Seed**** ****Oil**** **is used in perfumery for its fatty-woody notes which blend well with chypres, citrus oils, costus oil, cassie and mimosa, fougères, geranium oils, ionones and methylionones, cedarwood derivatives, etc. Many Oriental perfume types, modern aldehydic or fantasy type perfumes, etc. contain traces of carrot seed oil. For certain artificial essential oils, Carrot Seed Oil lends unique and indispensable notes. The oil could be produced in amounts of several metric tons per year in France alone should the demand continue to increase. Its low price and great power makes it useful and economical in a great variety of perfumes and flavors.