The Ecuelle a piquer process

The whole fruit is rotated against the spikes around the rim in order to puncture the oil cells. These cells contain not only essentail oil but also cell sap and protoplasm. The essential oil released is mixed with cell contents from these and surrounding cells which were punctured in the process. This mixture of essential oil and other cell contents including pigment, is then empted into a collecting vessel, from which the oil is decanted after separation from the aqueous layer.