Improvements in or relating to Vegetable Extracts.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Aug.,
1899
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Vegetable Extracts.
1, JULES PROVOYEUR, Merchant, of 49, Rue Basse-des-Champs, Ghent, Belgium,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The present invention relates to a process by means of which vegetable sub-
stances, whether dried or not, are freed of the disagreeable bitter or acid ingre-
dients contained in them, or produced or increased in them owing to the process
of drying, for the purpose of extracting from them exclusively the aromatic and
other principles useful or agreeable to taste, for the purpose of finally obtaining
a concentrated extract or essence of perfect taste and aroma infinitely superior
in quality to the original substance, and which can be used more economically
and conveniently than the original substances.
The extract thus obtained is reduced to a minimum in volume, can be preserved
indefinitely without any special care, and can be directly employed without any
previous preparation, conditions which render such essences of great value.
The above process can be applied to the treatment of chicories for use with
coffee and forms a great advance in this important industry whether from an
industrial, commercial or alimentary point of view. By this process any quality
of dried chicory may be worked up without loss, whether the said chicory be in
a fine or coarse state of division, and the result obtained will be an extract very
superior as regards quality to the raw roasted chicory.
In countries where roasted chicories are used in the form of grain, the use of
which is always accompanied with great loss, the present process will produce
a real need.
great economy and there can be no doubt that the process supplies
In the following description we shall limit ourselves to the application of the
process to the treatment of chicories, this being in fact its most important
application.
The roasted chicory, whether in a coarse or fine state of division and in the form
of powder, or paste, is first macerated in a suitable quantity of water cold or hot
as preferred to obtain a decoction which is decanted when the maceration is
completed. The liquor thus decanted is then heated to boiling point and mixed
with a certain quantity of magnesia (MgO) which produces greater effervescence
and neutralizes the bitter and sour principles of the substance. When the effer-
vescence has ceased the liquor is allowed to cool and to settle; it is then decanted
acquires the consistency of
again and the liquor thus obtained evaporated until
syrup, or the evaporation may be continued until a firm paste is produced, which
can then be formed into tablets in the same manner as the extracts of meat.
This final extract contains almost no trace of the bitter and acid ingredients.
When added to milk it tastes like real coffee and milk, thus constituting an agree-
able beverage of exquisite taste. Added to coffee instead of and in place of the
ordinary decoction of chicory even in small doses it imparts to it colour, strength
aroma, and good taste without rendering it bitter.
It is evident that the present process can be applied with advantage to the
treatment of different substances such as acorns, beans, chestnuts, figs, maize

page_text: malts and other substances, dried or not, which are at present commonly used
as imitation coffees. When applied to roasted and ground coffee it will produce
concentrated extract for the instantaneous preparation of coffee far superior to
the ordinary coffee obtained, and without necessitating cumbrous filter and
cafetiers. Finally it can be also used in breweries for the production of malt
extracts which may be used in the production of beers, having a less acid and
better keeping quality.
I reserve to myself the employment, instead of magnesia of any other neutra-
lizing, inoffensive substance, producing similar effects, I reserve also to myself
any modifications in the method of treating the substances so long as the principle
of the invention is not departed from.
I reserve also to myself the combination with or addition to the concentrated
essences obtained by my process, whether in a liquid or solid state, of such
ingredients as will strengthen them and are easily assimilated or will add to their
aroma and taste.
Dated this 21st day of August 1899.
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements in or relating to Vegetable Extracts.
I, JULES PROVOYEUR, Merchant, of 19, Rue Basse-des-Champs, Ghent, Belgium,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement:.
The present invention relates to a process by means of which vegetable sub-
stances, whether dried or not, are freed of the disagreeable bitter or acid ingre-
dients contained in them, or produced or increased in them owing to the process
of drying, for the purpose of extracting from them exclusively the aromatic and
other principles useful or agreeable to taste, for the purpose of finally obtaining
a concentrated extract or essence of perfect taste and aroma infinitely superior
in quality to the original substance, and which can be used more economically
and conveniently than the original substances.
The extract thus obtained is reduced to a minimum in volume, can be preserved
indefinitely without any special care, and can be directly employed without any.
previous preparation, conditions which render such essences of great value.
The above process can be applied to the treatment of chicories for use with
coffee and forms a great advance in this important industry whether from an
industrial, commercial or alimentary point of view. By this process any quality
of dried chicory may be worked up without loss, whether the said chicory be in
a fine or coarse state of division, and the result obtained will be an extract very
superior as regards quality to the raw roasted chicory.
In countries where roasted chicories are used in the form of grain, the use of
which is always accompanied with great loss, the present process will produce
great economy and there can be no doubt that the process supplies a real need.
In the following description we shall limit ourselves to the application of the
process to the treatment of chicories, this being in fact its most important
application.
The roasted chicory, whether in a coarse or fine state of division and in the form
of powder, or paste, is first macerated in a suitable quantity of water, cold or hot
as preferred, to obtain a liquid extract which is decanted when the maceration
is completed. The liquor thus decanted is then heated to boiling point and mixed

page_text: with a certain quantity of magnesia (MgO) and causes great effervescence and
neutralizes the bitter and sour principles of the substance. When the effer-
vescence has ceased the liquor is allowed to cool and to settle; it is then decanted
again and the liquor thus obtained evaporated until it acquires the consistency of
syrup, or the evaporation may be continued until a firm paste is produced, which
can then be formed into tablets in the same manner as the extracts of meat.
This final extract contains almost no trace of the bitter and acid ingredients.
When added to milk it tastes like real coffee and milk, thus constituting an
agreeable beverage of exquisite taste. Added to coffee in very small quantities in
place of the ordinary decoction of chicory it imparts to it colour, strength aroma,
and good taste without rendering it bitter.
It is evident that the present process can be applied with advantage to the
treatment of different substances such as acorns, beans, chestnuts, figs, maize,
malts and other substances, dried or not, which are at present commonly used
as imitation coffees. When applied to roasted and ground coffee it will produce
concentrated extract for the instantaneous preparation of coffee far superior to
the ordinary coffee obtained, and without necessitating cumbrous filters and
cafetiers. Finally it can be also used in breweries for the production of malt
extracts which may be used in the production of beers, having a less acid and
better keeping quality.
I reserve to myself the employment, instead of magnesia of any other neutra-
lizing, harmless substance, producing similar effects. I reserve also to myself
any modifications in the method of treating the substances as long as the principle
of the invention is not departed from.
I reserve also to myself the combination with or addition to the concentrated
essences obtained by my process, whether in a liquid or solid state, of such
ingredients as will strengthen them and are easily assimilated or will add to their
aroma and taste.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
1. The process for obtaining vegetable extracts consisting in heating the liquid
extract obtained by maceration to the boiling point, adding magnesia (MgO) or
a similar neutralizing agent then decanting the liquid when effervescence has
ceased and concentrating the decanted liquid by evaporation substantially as
described.
2. The concentrated vegetable extract or essence prepared substantially as and
in the manner described.
1.
1000
BOULT, WADE & KILBURN,
Agents for the Applicant.