How does maceration differ from enfleurage in essential-oil production?

In the production of essential oils, both enfleurage and maceration are historical extraction methods that utilize fats to capture plant fragrances, but they differ primarily in temperature and duration.1

• Enfleurage: This process uses cold fat to extract oils from flowers that are sensitive to heat or do not yield sufficient oil through steam distillation. Flowers are spread over a purified mixture of tallow and lard for 24 to 72 hours. The petals are removed and replaced repeatedly until the fat is saturated with the plant's essence, resulting in a product known as a pomade.1
• Maceration: This method is essentially a faster version of enfleurage. It involves immersing plant material in molten fat at temperatures ranging from 45° to 80° C (110° to 175° F) for one to two hours. The fat is filtered after each immersion, and the process is repeated 10 to 20 times to achieve the desired saturation.1

Both methods are considered expensive and have largely been replaced in modern commercial production by solvent extraction or steam distillation.1