Wayne Gisslen

Extracts and Emulsions

Appears in
Professional Cooking: 10th Edition
Professional Cooking

By Wayne Gisslen

Published 2025

  • About
  • Extracts are flavorful oils and other substances dissolved in alcohol. These include vanilla, lemon, and bitter almond.
  • Emulsions are flavorful oils mixed with water with the aid of emulsifiers such as vegetable gums. Lemon and orange are the most frequently used emulsions.
The flavorings of extracts and emulsions may be natural or artificial. Natural flavorings give the best results, but they are often expensive. Artificial flavorings must be used in moderation to avoid creating strong or undesirable flavors in baked items.