Jasmin Absolute from Pommade

#### Jasmin Absolute from Pommade. Also known as **Jasmin**** ****Absolute**** ****from**** ****Enfleurage,**** **this product is obtained by alcohol extraction of the fat from the trays in the enfleurage process (see **Pommade**, Part One of this book). The application of the **Enfleurage **process to the jasmin flowers is an old and well-known method of extraction, but it has become increasingly impractical or uneconomical due to the higher cost of labor. The method is employed almost exclusively in the Grasse region of France where the industry and its people have a century-old experience and inherited skill for flower treatment. It is estimated that less than 10 percent of the world's crop of jasmin flowers (from cultivations and regular fields) are treated by enfleurage, the balance being extracted with hydrocarbon solvents to yield jasmin concrète. Minor quantities of jasmin flowers are treated in India by liquid fat extraction (hot oil infusion) to yield the so-called "attars", local flower oil concentrates. **Jasmin Absolute from Pommade **is a dark orange colored to dark reddish-brown, viscous liquid with a highly true-to-nature jasmin flower odor. By the nature of things, this perfume material has no odor of solvent, but upon ageing it may develop a slightly fatty off-note due to the extraction-fat. Modern anti-oxidants usually keep the fat from becoming rancid. The jasmin pommade-absolute varies in odor according to the method of extraction, (and this process is a delicate one!), the quality of the flower material, the age after picking, the location of the field, etc. Generally, the indole note is more pronounced in the pommade-absolute than in the absolute from concrète. The use of the pommade-absolute is similar to that of the latter product, but the poor availability of the pommade-absolute prevents general use. The very good yield in the enfleurage process is one of the main reasons for continued production of this fine concentrate of the fragrance of the jasmin flower. Jasmin absolute from pommade is likely to disappear slowly from the perfumery market because of the extremely elaborate process and huge amount of human hand-work involved in the production of this 200-year old natural perfume material.