Does it say food grade on the package or on their website? I wouldn't use it for eating unless it did.

eta, on the walmart website it says therapeutic grade, not food grade.

eta2: on the oil website it says external use only

Usage
Learn more about recommended use

• For external use only.
• For aromatherapy — apply 5-10 drops to your essential oil diffuser.
• For mice and bugs — apply to cotton balls and place around your house.
• For mosquitos — carefully dilute with water or a carrier oil, and apply to your skin.

Olychick, thanks! I realize that companies have to post such warnings, or they might get into trouble.

The bottle states "100% pure steam distilled" (and "therapeutic grade")

also: "nothing added or removed"

also: "always dilute before any use other than aromatherapy"

What i was wondering, is whether it's possible for your average layperson to purify essential oils.

If they're saying it's not for consumption, believe them. There are a bunch of ways it can be pure but not food grade. If nothing else, the standards for contaminants is probable a lot less stringent.

OK, y'all have me convinced! I'll mark it resolved now.

Sorry for tacking onto this, but i eventually bought McCormick peppermint extract, and then worked very hard to make the below mint brownies (the cake part appears to be a version of the well-known Hershey brownie recipe).

https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/chocolate-mint-brownies/

Note the extract tastes medicinal like Listerine (ugh) and seems to be more alcohol than mint!

The result was that each time i'd eat a slice, the following night, i'd get such terrible reflux, with burning-alcohol rising into my esophagus, that it was scary.

Now i'm trying to figure out if i can salvage both the extract and the brownies. I.E. anyone know how to best evaporate the alcohol from the extract (and perhaps from the brownies too)?

I already sliced the brownies - criss-cross - into the shapes shown in above link. I didn't remove them from the pan, rather the sliced-cake-inside-pan is in the freezer. I worked several days making the brownies, using coconut oil in the filling, and omitting the green coloring.

In fact, the 2nd time i ate a slice, the burning-reflux actually woke me up because i was gasping for breath from my esophagus closing. This never happened to me before.

So not worth it. Cut your losses and give them both away or toss them.

I don't want to cut losses. I prefer to salvage if possible [that which i worked many hours on], and I'd like to make future recipes with peppermint. So i'm seeking a remedy.

The flavor problem may be the coconut oil. I think cold pressed palm oil shortening tastes awful in baking, which is a similar product. And while some people make frosting with shortening in general, in my opinion if it's not at least half butter, it's disgusting. Taste of Home usually has good recipes, but if you want vegan, you're often better off with vegan recipes, than changing out uncooked shortening for butter.

That said, uncooked extracts can have that raw alcoholness that many dislike. I don't think it will help, but you can evaporate alcohol just by leaving the cap off the bottle. You can also hasten this by heating it. You could do that in a pan, or just put the bottle in a bowl of hot water. But I don't think it'll fix your problem. By definition extract has a lot of alcohol, and reducing it probably won't take away that flavor. I don't know how to get the flavor out of the brownies. You could carefully scrape off the mint layer. But you'd probably be best off giving them to someone with a less discerning palate, and trying again. A lot of bakers and cooks do test runs, knowing that new recipes don't always come out best the first time.

For the future, you can plant or buy some fresh mint, and infuse the leaves into water, syrup, cream, or whatever you need for your recipe.

The acid feeling may not be totally the ingredients’ fault. A lot could be distaste for the flavor creating an emotional reaction, or triggering an I don't like this, save me, physical reaction. Ot it could be an ingredient that you don't know you're sensitive to.

Good luck with it all. Remember, even if the brownies don't recover (freezing may mellow the flavor, too), you've gained experience and knowledge.

pillog, thanks for all the feedback! One thing i don't agree with is the psychological part, because the burning alcohol that regurgitated actually woke me from my sleep, when i was sleeping peacefully. I noted that it was worst when lying on my right side, and indeed i read that's true.

https://howtotreatheartburn.com/avoid-2-positions-to-prevent-nighttime-heartburn/

https://www.top10homeremedies.com/news-facts/reasons-sleep-left-side.html

As for the brownies, guess what, i'm pawning them off on a friend who is alot less sensitive and and is begging for more. She didn't have reactions, and actually loves alcohol. (note the cake part appears to be a version of the popular Hershey Syrup recipe)

But as for the extract, is there any site which offers detailed instructions as to how long to immerse the bottle in either hot water, or in the oven? Though it's a letdown that the medicinal flavor can't be evaporated altogether.

I speculate that maybe companies overdo the alcohol to disguise the fact that lately so many crops have become inferior due to all the chemical spraying. Or were extracts always this alcoholy? I know for a fact that eucalyptus essential-oil i once bought changed drastically for the worse within just a year of each other. The first bottle was heavenly, whereas the 2nd one was awful. I experienced the same phenomena with Rosemary oil, Peppermint oil, black cherry concentrate, and with coffee.

with burning-alcohol rising into my esophagus

Their peppermint extract is high in alcohol. 89% per the internet. Rough numbers: You’re making about 1.5 cups (12 fl oz) of filling. That half teaspoon is about 1/144 of the volume, or .7%. Multiply by alcohol content, .7x.89=.62%.

Perspective: Beer is called nonalcoholic if it has less than .5% ABV. Your entire pan has just a bit more alcohol than one nonalcoholic beer might have. Now divide that by how many pieces you cut that into. I doubt you’re reacting to the alcohol.

Perspective: Look up alcohol content in common foods and you’ll find that there’s more in a burger bun or banana, etc. than in a piece of your brownie from the mint extract.

I don’t doubt that the taste of the extract was strong though. McCormick’s site calls for 1/4 teaspoon in a 16 ounce can of vanilla frosting. That can is about 14 fl oz, more than your recipe makes. But you’re adding twice as much extract as they recommend.

Unless you’ve got a severe sensitivity to alcohol or peppermint, either of which should have kept you from using the product in the first place, I suspect you’re just reacting to having used too much.

It’s a cheap product. I wouldn’t waste time or energy trying to rid it of its 89% alcohol. I’d either ditch it or try using it in moderation. Flavorings can be added a drop at a time to your liking.

The high alcohol content in extracts is normal—definitional—but I don't know if there are current changes. I doubt there's a difference due to chemical spraying. 50 years ago, when McCormick/Schilling was king, there was a lot more spraying, Farmers want the best crops and most don't over spray. You can get organic, but it's expensive, and the farmers still spray, just with organic products.

Are all the products that changed on you from one company? That does happen sometimes. Usually when they change their recipes, it's an economic choice. One kind of oil, or sugar, or similar carrying product becomes too expensive, so they switch, and enough people don’t notice that it costs them less to lose the few that do than to keep the old recipe.

If they're all different companies, it may be that you're getting pickier as you use these products.

I wasn't saying that for sure you were having an emotional reaction. Just that it was a possibility to think about. I do think that the fat was more likely to cause your distress and bring the notable flavor of the extract with it, but it could be that the extract was just that irritating. Remember, everything you eat goes first into a big lake of acid in your stomach. It may not have been the brownies at all that caused your distress, but got the blame for being last in and recognizable flavor.

Good work finding a home for the rest of the brownies!

I doubt anyone has directions for reducing your extract. Don't use the oven. That is, not the part you bake in. I know some people use “oven” to mean what’s also called “range”. You can use a small non-reactive pot (enamel or Corningware, not metal) on the stovetop, at a low temperature to empty the extract in to evaporate the alcohol. It will take awhile, and you’ll have to decide for yourself when it's done. Or heat a dish of water and set the bottle in it, lid off, and repeat as it cools. Again, testing to where you like the results. But I don't think you’re ever going to like it.

Better to make peppermint syrup or paste yourself. Boil a cup of water—in a non-reactive pan if you can—reduce heat and stir in a cup of sugar and a cup of mint, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Let it steep off the heat to your desired level of mintiness. Strain out the plant solids. If you prefer paste or thicker syrup, return it to low heat, stirring occasionally, to get the desired consistency. Add water if you want to make it thinner. Store in a glass jar in the fridge. It will lose potency over time, but is easy enough to make when you know you'll be using it. In baking, dissolve the syrup/paste in the liquid for the recipe to make sure it distributes evenly,

Thanks so much for your help, pillog! I may opt for the bottle-immersion method, since i don't think i have small enamel or corning pans, having discarded them awhile back.

When you state "lid off" do you mean "unscrewing" or "unclicking" so that it evaporates thru the small hole? (I assume the mint and alcohol fumes would repel insects from dropping in.)

P.S. Consider this a tangent in response to the rest, but I'm practically sure my reaction is due to a combo of many factors: I.E. sleep position, pre-existing acidic system, pre-existing alcohol-intolerance (in fact there's a known connection between chem-sensitivity & EHS which i also have), pre-existing esophagitis, tendency to GERD, and the fact that mint and chocolate were combined with the alcohol, all of which are known to cause heartburn.

Unless you have a still you’re not going to get rid of all the alcohol. Buy some glycerin based extract

Oh! Well, yes, given your particulars, even that small amount of extract could have given you the trouble! But in which case, as FOAS said, there's No way you're getting rid of sufficient alcohol to make it better enough for you. Find another friend to take it off your hands. I didn't know about the glycerine version, but you can make your own of that too. For this particular recipe, you could pulverize the mint with a mortar and pestle and use it, to taste, instead of the extract and coloring.

"Consider this a tangent in response to the rest, but I'm practically
sure my reaction is due to a combo of many factors: I.E. sleep position,
pre-existing acidic system, pre-existing alcohol-intolerance (in fact
there's a known connection between chem-sensitivity & EHS which i
also have), pre-existing esophagitis, tendency to GERD, and the fact
that mint and chocolate were combined with the alcohol, all of which are
known to cause heartburn."

With all your health issues and with chocolate and alcohol being irritants for several of your problems, why would you even think of making and eating this dish? Seems foolhardy. Most people I know with a myriad of issues (or even just one) don't tempt fate and their comfort or health by combining and ingesting things they know are a problem for them.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/LorAnn-Peppermint-Oil-Super-Strength-Natural-Flavor-1-dram-bottle-0125-fl-oz-3-7ml-Twin-pack-blistered/23554451?wmlspartner=wlpa&selectedSellerId=0&wl13=1828&&adid=22222222253447309553&wl0=&wl1=g&wl2=c&wl3=468184119748&wl4=aud-430887228898:pla-294493680140&wl5=9019181&wl6=&wl7=&wl8=&wl9=pla&wl10=8175035&wl11=local&wl12=23554451&wl13=1828&veh=sem&wl18=showcase&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIzMPWxbCx7QIViNzICh34XQsgEAQYAiABEgKGQvD_BwE

I would try the LorAnn Peppermint oil. Just one ingredient: Natural Peppermint Oil

That said, I think it more likely that the brownie component caused the reflux. Peppermint is great to use to calm queasy tummies. We keep peppermint candies on hand as first aid for when our stomach goes out of whack.

Oh dear

I hope your friend enjoys your ‘mistake’.

Whether you reacted to the mint alone or to mint flavored very rich brownies the experience sounds really unpleasant. I don’t usually get indigestion but occasionally. It is usually flavored by a caustic version strongest taste in my last meal. Deeply unpleasant.

I don’t think you try to dealcohol a flavoring extract. Extracts are flavoring suspended in alcohol. It could either damage the flavor or make it not food safe. A quick Google showed there are non alcoholic options. I love vanilla paste for giving a serious punch of nonalcoholic vanilla punch to foods.

You might try making that filling with 1/2 or 1/4 the amount of extract. And making a thinner layer of the filling.

In any case hope you have a lovely healthy holiday. And figure out a mint chocolate solution.

If you are prone to reflux, there are 2 things that will make it worse - chocolate and peppermint. Ask me how I know. 😉

cilantro, thanks for the tip re: LorAnn's oil! Though i want to wait until i've racked up $35 of goods, and by then everything is subject to change.

Meanwhile, i'd still like to try the evaporation method (plus reducing the amount), so i still have the Q to pillog:

I.E. when you state "lid off" do you mean "unscrewing" or "unclicking" so that it evaporates thru the small hole? (I assume the mint and alcohol fumes would repel insects from dropping in.)

Mint is not good for GERD and it is recommended to avoid it if you have reflux:

some foods to avoid:

"Mint and Chocolate

Like coffee, these foods can chemically cause the lower esophageal sphincter to loosen, triggering acid reflux. But while mint—and mint gum—can cause problems, chewing gum in general has been shown to have a beneficial effect on GERD because it increases saliva, which helps neutralize stomach acid. Just choose a flavor other than mint if it bothers you."

https://www.fishertitus.org/health/foods-to-avoid-with-gerd

Mint

You might think this refreshing herb would cool down heartburn and soothe reflux. Surprisingly, it does just the opposite. Mint relaxes the muscles in your esophagus, including the sphincter, so acid and other food remnants can flow back up to worsen reflux. Unfortunately, this includes anything mint flavored, such as tea, gum or candy.

https://www.healthcentral.com/slideshow/common-acid-reflux-triggers

pros and cons of taking peppermint oil:

"Q. What are the pros and cons of taking peppermint oil?

A. Peppermint oil is extracted from parts of the peppermint plant, an herb that's been used as a digestive aid since ancient times. Nowadays, it's a flavoring agent in many over-the-counter health products, including toothpastes and mouthwashes. Menthol, a component of peppermint, is an ingredient in topical preparations for conditions ranging from congestion to muscle aches.

Peppermint oil relaxes the smooth muscle cells that line much of the gastrointestinal tract. It has been most extensively studied as a treatment for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and indigestion. Although clinical studies in people with IBS have shown mixed results, two major analyses found a modest benefit. People with IBS who took peppermint oil reported less flatulence, abdominal pain, and bloating compared with those who took a placebo. Given by enema, peppermint oil can help relieve intestinal spasms in people under going a barium examination of the large intestine.

Unfortunately, peppermint also relaxes the sphincter between the esophagus and stomach (the lower esophageal sphincter), so it can cause gastroesophageal reflux and heartburn. It can worsen reflux symptoms in people with hiatal hernia and — not surprisingly — those with gastro esophageal reflux disease (GERD). In studies of people with IBS, peppermint oil (generally 0.2 to 0.4 milliliters three times a day) is taken in enteric-coated capsules, which allow it to bypass the esophagus and stomach before it is broken down and metabolized.

Peppermint oil has other downsides besides its effects on the lower esophageal sphincter. At high doses, it can be toxic to the kidneys, and you should not take it if you have gallstones or active gallbladder inflammation. Finally, check with your doctor if you take any other medication, because peppermint oil can boost the blood level of some medications, including the antidepressant amitriptyline (Elavil, others) and the statin simvastatin (Zocor).

— Celeste Robb-Nicholson, M.D.
Editor in Chief, Harvard Women's Health Watch "https://www.health.harvard.edu/newsletter_article/By-the-way-doctor-What-can-you-tell-me-about-peppermint-oil

If you have insects in your kitchen, maybe don't try it. I agree entirely about the potential effect of trying to get rid of the alcohol on the flavor. I was only offering ways to do it since you asked, not recommending it. I meant lid off as in open neck. The cap, of course, but if there's a flow restrictor, that too. I used to do this with French cosmetics to get rid of the stink. The question will be how much mint flavor will you lose in evaporating off the alcohol to suit. You obviously have to leave enough to still have liquid (unlike the makeup which had an oil base).

An idea I had just now for a way around it would be to leave the bottle alone, but measure out the extract you want to use and soak it up with a little piece of the middle of white bread, then leave that to evaporate. With luck, the mint will stick to the bread and the alcohol will evaporate. Then just mush up the bread in the liquid for the recipe. That could work better.

But are you sure the medicinal taste is the alcohol? I still think fresh mint is your best bet.

Pour it into a pan and with the greater surface area it will evaporate more quickly.

Wow, how opportune. I was just going to run a quick experiment and found that an improperly closed bottle of vanilla extract leaked all over my cabinet. I licked the sticky residue on the sugar bag. What I don’t do for you, jally. Really bitter. Maybe dissolved finish from the cabinet? Anyway, there was no hint of vanilla. Probably because the vanilla flavor had evaporated off with the alcohol in which it had been suspended.

FOAS, gold star for your dedication to science! Vanilla extract is pretty darned bitter, and so, too, probably was the wrapper, so I'm not so sure it's melted varnish.

I see, but I'd like to try evaporation anyway, as well as using alot less next time.

pillog, thanks for clarifying.

foodonastump, thanks for your "taste-test" sacrifice. FYI, Freshburst Listerine tastes bitter to me,and certainly is burning, indicative of extremely high alcohol content.

See: https://www.livescience.com/47970-alcohol-taste-perception-genetics.html

Olychick i appreciate your concern, but i never experienced this with peppermint patties, so its gotta be the alcohol combined with the rest which gives it the multiple-whammy.

BTW, I just came across the below, and wondering if this pulverized starlight method is adaptable to the above-linked taste-of-home recipe.

https://www.thriftyfun.com/Mint-Brownie-Recipes.html

Yes, that method will work from a baking point of view. I think it’ll taste like crAp, though, and probably is meant for people with strong stomachs.

I can't say often enough, use fresh mint.

I see, pillog, thanks again for the tip. So lets say i'd find fresh-mint at the store, how best to apply it to the mint brownie recipe?

I.E. buy XX amount of fresh-mint.

Then infuse the mint in XX for XX amount of time.

Then mix it with the filling ingredients.

P.S. I just noticed it costs $8.90 for 3 oz. on Amazon. No thanks, I'd rather try the Lorann which is in my Walmart shop-cart, for however long that price lasts. Meanwhile my friend has been in heaven from the cake i gave her. As the link above explains, some people are just genetically alcohol lovers. And i still remain disillusioned by McCormick, though get a load of this: I love rumballs which are somewhat alcoholic, and those do agree with me.

Here’s what I’d do: buy a bunch of mint. Add about a cup of it to 2 cups of sugar and process in FP, to make a minty powdered sugar. Taste it. If it needs more mint then add more. If you think it’s too strong then add confectioners until you’re happy. Add a tbsp of corn starch per cup of sugar if you think it matters.

Try a gardening supply store for a mint plant. Don't plant it in the ground—it’ll take over. https://herbsathome.co/how-to-grow-mint-indoors/

Amazon isn't a great place to buy fresh herbs. Try your local grocery store. You should be able to get a small box, which is enough, for a couple dollars.

FOAS’s method for mint sugar sounds good. I explained how to make mint simple syrup (sugar syrup) in a previous post.

Here's a blog post with how to make your own extract, including one way with vegetable glycerine rather than alcohol: https://natashalh.com/homemade-mint-extract-recipe/

For your brownies, you can also just melt the butter or shortening, put a couple of torn mint leaves in and let it steep. When it's minty enough, warm the mixture enough to remove the leaves.

Here's an article on storing, drying or freezing mint, so if you buy fresh, you can get the most out of it: https://adamsfarms.com/blog/2012/01/storing-drying-freezing-mint/

You can also store cold the mint sugar or simple syrup, if you want to keep them long term, but they should a week or two as is.

I'll have to see if i can get hold of fresh mint. My house is not conducive to growing stuff inside (or outside for that matter), because the only room where there's a table at the picture-window on south side, is a big, drafty room, which gets sunlight mostly in the winter (because other seasons, its shrouded by trees.

My one foray at trying to plant a garden in one of the few sunny areas in the backyard, was horrible. For one thing, it probably took a toll on my fingers and wrists (i have arthritis and trigger finger) by using an augur drill-bit which wound up hitting such extremely tough tree-roots, and boulders, that it proved impossible to clear that plot.

But even worse, was that i developed a horrific case of bodywide poison ivy. Long story, but suffice that there's no gardening gloves which fit my small hands (ditto in that i need little-boy socks for my feet), and because my hands were sorta flopping inside the gardening gloves, i discarded them in disgust, because i couldn't maintain a good grip on the drill.

Voila! Major poison-ivy was the result. BTW, my finger arthritis was further worsened at a physical-therapy center, where they had me pulling on a rope as part of their "therapy" regimen. But it more resembled one-size-fits-all primitivity.

Well, the only help I have for that is to recommend anti-inflammatory diet, if you're not already on one, and cheap Chinese gloves which are made for smaller hands by standard. Oh, and if you really want to get into growing your own herbs, aero gardens, tabletop growing system including light, is supposed to be good. Also the kind of thing people get as gifts then chuck, so you may be able to get an unused one at a used price in a few weeks. But you should be able to buy fresh mint for a good price locally.

At this stage, i lost my taste for trying to grow things. I also don't have time. Long ago, i tried planting roses from Michigan Bulb Company, and they didn't grow in my front yard, no matter how hard i tried. I have more stories, but its beyond description, unless you live it. I'm exhausted by now. The truth is, all i had really wanted were peppermint edibles (similar to thin mints) which are affordable.

Aha! Well, Sally's recipes are usually good. I haven't made this, but it reads well. Sally says to use peppermint extract, in small amount, in her Thin Mints, not mint extract.

https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/homemade-thin-mint-cookies/

Thanks for the recipe, pillog! I'll put it with the other mint-recipes i'd printed out.

Y'know, she mentions spearmint toothpaste, but interestingly, I happen to prefer spearmint to peppermint toothpaste! But when it comes to the so-called "spearmint" Listerine YUCK. No matter if it's blue or green, it's all alcohol-tasting.

Update:

(1) attached pic.

(2) splurged on York mints (on sale this season). They didn't at all cause me what the cake did, and they're yummy. Not just that, but for anyone who has a laryngitis/flu etc. they're the best - because mint & chocolate are THE most cooling+healing combo. See this re: chocolate:

https://www.creativehealthyfamily.com/chocolate-is-the-best-natural-cure-for-your-sore-throat/

Though FYI, milk-choco is for me a better balance, since lysine is good for me.