Essential oils and absolutes perfectly capture the qualities of the living plant. They are quite intense and should be used sparingly, as a drop or two goes a very long way. The absolutes have a rounder and more intense aroma and taste than the essential oils.
Start with a drop, then taste to see how many more drops to add. First, dilute the essence in a small amount of the liquid you want to season -- butter, oil, sauce, vinaigrette, soup, stew, etc. -- then add the seasoned liquid back into the larger amount. Chef's essences should be added as close to the end of cooking as possible, to preserve the volatile components of their scent.
Please store the citrus oils -- bergamot, grapefruit, lime, orange -- in the refrigerator. Citrus oils should be used within four months and then discarded. Citrus oils are packaged without droppers and will be shipped with pipettes. All other oils can be stored at room temperature and will keep indefinitely.
Chef's essences can also be used for creating perfumes
