White blossoms absolute

White blossoms like jasmine, tuberose, and orange flower contain delicate aromatic molecules that heat destroys, ruling out steam distillation. Perfumers use solvent extraction instead. Workers harvest flowers in early morning when the petals hold maximum fragrance, then process them within hours to prevent degradation. They layer flowers in percolators and wash them with food-grade solvents, typically hexane, which dissolve the aromatic compounds. This yields a waxy substance called concrete. Technicians then wash the concrete with alcohol to separate the actual aromatic material from inert waxes. After alcohol evaporation, what remains is the absolute: a viscous, intensely aromatic material with a color ranging from pale gold to deep amber. The yield is remarkably low—around one to three kilograms of absolute from one tonne of blossoms, which explains both its concentration and its cost.