Nature's Flavors has been producing natural flavors for over 30 years. We specialize in custom made Natural flavors for the food and beverage industry. Nature's Flavors makes all of its natural flavors from scratch using our huge library of inventoried raw materials. There is no middle man! We create custom natural flavors in our factory here in California the way our customers like them - fresh and on time! Some flavor companies formulate their natural flavors in advance, then store them on shelves for many months before they're sold. Not at Nature's Flavors. We believe the customer's natural flavor should be created new - from scratch - every time. Then, if you do decide to store it, the natural flavor will stay fresher longer. Our library of custom made natural flavors numbers over eight thousand varieties and grows daily. If you don't see a natural flavor you want, simply send us a request and we will do our utmost to create the perfect natural flavor sensation just for you. Natural flavors are made from plant materials and so variations can occur from season to season. If you are buying a natural flavor that is to be used year round, let us know so we can tailor a plan that will insure the least amount of variation from order to order. Natural flavors come in many styles, colors, forms and concentrations. Generally, a good rule for first time usage is .25% and up. Remember, natural flavor has an optimal usage point and getting to that point is more art than science. The goal is to never over flavor your application. Here are a few rules for initial flavoring. Let's say you're trying to flavor some cookies or ice cream with vanilla extract or vanilla flavor. First, start with a small amount - .25% to 1% of of your vanilla extract or flavor. Taste the natural vanilla flavor in the finished dough or ice cream. If the flavor tastes good and goes away after 3 to 5 seconds, then it's perfect. (note: If this a baked product that has not yet been baked, add 10% more to compensate for loss during baking). When making and freezing ice cream, it is also possible the vanilla extract will become diluted due to the 'whipping of air' into the product from the ice cream machine. As with anything, the more you experiment and 'create' with the vanilla, or any natural flavor extract, the more knowledgable you will become with its application. If, at any time, you experience a minty or medicinal taste on your palette, then you have over flavored your product. Also, if you are burping the natural vanilla flavor an hour or more after eating, then you have probably over flavored the product. The trick to making a product taste good, is to give the customer just enough flavor to tease their taste buds. This keeps your customers, or any taste tester, coming back for more!