Extract
An extract is a substance made by extracting a part of a raw material, often by using a solvent such as ethanol or water. Extracts may be sold as tinctures or in powder form.
The aromatic principles of many spices, nuts, herbs, fruits, etc., and some flowers, are marketed as extracts, among the best known of true extracts being almond, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, lemon, nutmeg, orange, peppermint, pistachio, rose, spearmint, vanilla, violet, and wintergreen.
Extraction techniques
The majority of natural essences are obtained by extracting the essential oil from the blossoms, fruit, roots, etc., or the whole plants, through four techniques:
Expression when the oil is very plentiful and easily obtained, as in lemon peel.
Absorption is generally accomplished by steeping in alcohol, as vanilla beans.
Maceration is used to create smaller bits of the whole, as in making peppermint extract, etc.
Distillation is used with maceration, but in many cases, it requires expert chemical knowledge and the erection of costly stills.