Homemade extracts

[Apple]

A nice way to recycle some small glass bottles, save money, and get more use out of some fruit  

Yesterday I made four kinds of extract: Orange, Lemon, Coffee/vanilla, and cinnamon (the big bottle of vanilla extract I had started shortly after Christmas, reusing vanilla beans I had used for a batch I gave out as Christmas gifts). I plan to use these in baking (cookies, brownies, pies...), French Toast (add a little cinnamon extract or orange extract to the egg mixture for another "layer" of flavor), smoothies, and who knows what else. 

When making extracts, you'll want some small glass jars (you can use larger jars if it's an extract you'll use often, like I did with the vanilla), some Vodka (around 80-100 proof, more than that and the alcohol will overpower the infused flavor), and your desired extract ingredient (you can use zests, dried or frozen fruits, vanilla beans, cocoa nibs, anise, whatever sounds good).  

Sterilize the jars by boiling in water for about 10 minutes (a "soft boil").  Remove from water and let them dry (I turn them upside down over a clean cloth).   

Add your ingredients to the jar, cover with vodka.  You'll want to store it in a cool, dark place, shaking once a day for the first week then once a week every week after that.  For best results, wait six weeks before using your extract. 

Dark jars are best, but if not available, you can use any jar, just store it in a dark place (in a cupboard with door closed, not on the counter). 

These make great gifts, and you can get small glass jars almost anywhere--save them from something store-bought, find them at the dollar store or a second hand store, or order some on-line.  You can print up a pretty label (I haven't done that yet, but I did make sure to put an "L" on my lemon extract and an "O" on the orange, so that I can tell them apart). 

You can continue to add more vodka as you use it so you don't have to start a new bottle from scratch.  If the flavor starts to get weak, just add more of your extract ingredient. 

 

And just because I like black and white



  Specific "recipes" to follow...

[Apple]

Orange extract 

I just used one orange for a 4 oz jar.  If my extract ends up too weak, I'll just add zest from another orange. Normally you would use a zest tool, but I don't have one. 

So, I just peeled the zest off with a vegetable peeler, then cut the wide strips a little more narrow, to provide lots of surface area for flavors to meld a little better. 

Pack the zest into the jar, then pour in enough vodka to cover (use a funnel for this part if needed--don't recommend taking a picture while you're trying to pour the alcohol, but it *is* possible). 

Put the lid on, shake once a day for the first week, once every week after that, and it should be ready to enjoy in six weeks. 

I use orange zest in my pumpkin pies and also sometimes add it to my french toast.  Now that I know how to make my own, cheap, I'll find more ways to use it up.

[Apple]

Lemon extract 

I used the same method with the lemons (on sale for 25 cents each this week...) 

Peel and slice the zest of one lemon, pack in a 4 oz jar, cover zest with Vodka.  Put the lid on, shake once a day for the first week, once every week after that, and it should be ready to enjoy in six weeks. 

I'm not sure what all I'll use this in yet.  I want to try making a lemon coconut cake today (saw the recipe in my "new" Pennsylvania Dutch cookbook--I love getting old cookbooks from the second-hand store), but the extract won't be ready yet.  I think I'll try it in a homemade frosting that normally calls for vanilla extract.  Seems like it would be good on some cinnamon rolls.

[Apple]

Ok, pictures take forever to load, so go here for more pictures with the recipes Homemade Extracts

As for recipes...

Cinnamon extract 

This one is really easy... 

Pack some cinnamon sticks into a small jar (I think I used 9 sticks.  We have a food supply store that had a 4 oz container for $2.87.)  Cover with vodka.  Put the lid on, shake once a day for the first week, once every week after that, and it should be ready to enjoy in six weeks. 

Not exactly sure what I'll use this one for either, but it smelled SO GOOD when I was learning how to make them.  I think I'll probably add a little to some hot cocoa or coffee.  Might even come up with a smoothie recipe that could use a little something different.  I think it would be nice in French Toast as well.  Or brownies...


Coffee and Vanilla bean extract(s) 

At this point, I had used up the three jars I sterilized (I bought them before Christmas for the original vanilla extract gift, had a few leftover).  But, I remembered I had a small jar of homemade vanilla extract on top of the big jar I started, so I decided to add the coffee beans to the vanilla (again, got to smell some coffee extract and it was just yummy, so I wanted to make some of my own). 

You can either make just coffee, just vanilla, or mix the two like I did. 

For just coffee, fill the jar half-way with coffee beans, then fill the jar with vodka.  If you want the extra flavor, add a couple vanilla beans.  Make sure to cut them open length-wise to expose all the tiny vanilla bean seeds.  Cut them in length to fit the bottle. 

For a large bottle of vanilla bean extract, you'll want to use 12-15 vanilla beans, cut length-wise to expose the beans.  This was my second use of the vanilla beans, so I threw in a few more.  I'm hoping to wait a few more months before starting to use it, but since I added coffee beans to my small bottle, I'll have to break into it earlier. 

I think the coffee extract would work well in chocolate cookies, brownies, a regular cup of coffee...

Just use the vanilla extract like you would with store-bought.

[mrsdutt]

APPLE:  Great post.  You're livening up the board.  Pepperdoo and I were just saying we've been bored lately on the boards.

I do make the vanilla.  Like you I give it as a gift.  But, how easy is it to think how to make orange and lemon, but it never occurring to me?  I now have a new project to keep me out of trouble.

Thanx!

I just bought 2 large bottles of vodka at the NEX that were clearance items.  I spent 4.47 for each one.  I do need to get more vanilla beans though.  The ones I have are on their second use.

I also have dried orange and lemon peels in the stock.  So I will be busy for a little while.

[Apple]

Glad I could inspire you

I'm going to be stopping by the bulk spice section of Fred Meyer today to see what they have.  When I took a class, the lady had some anise star pods and those smelled good too.

I really want to learn to make almond extract, but the instructor had tried and it didn't turn out.  She had just used almonds, but when she looked at the ingredients list on a bottle it said it used "bitter almond oil".  That stuff isn't cheap (although, if you don't have to use much for an extract it might not be bad).  I kept reading, and found that you can use ground apricot and peach pits to get the almond flavor (you need to roast them first to kill off some of the toxin found in them).  Thought that was interesting...  I think I'm going to try that this summer when the fruit is in season.  Wish we had the old peach tree (and the neighbor who had an apricot tree), but I'll find some good ones at a farmer's market...

[mrsdutt]

APPLE:  My grandfather on my dad's side was  right off the boat from Italy.  His yard was set up the same way it was in the old country.  Cherry, apricot, apple and trees I can't remember.  We use to climb on the garage when no one was looking and eat the fruit from the top of the trees.  I can still taste it.  So good.

One time there was a peck of picked cherries by the back porch.  My brother created a pulley system (he ended up being an mechanical engineer) and we hoisted the basket up to the 2nd story porch.  We ate most of them in quiet and were sick for days in the bathroom.  Too much fiber?

[Opti]

Could have been too much fructose. Recently read up on why agave syrup is bad(most of it is processed like corn syrup) and one of the authors I read said too much fructose can make you sick. He even listed amounts in various foods.

[Apple]

Haha, cherries and apricots are known for that effect...  We were lucky as kids that we could eat cherries by the bucketful without issue

[Apple]

So far the extracts smell incredible.  I found a Jif Mocha Cappuccino Hazelnut Spread at Grocery Outlet yesterday afternoon for a dollar a jar (in actual glass jars).  I'm going to try making cookies with the coffee vanilla extract I made earlier, just have to wait a few more weeks for the extract to be ready.  I'm going to try substituting the spread in my easy PB cookie recipe. 

Yesterday, I made an anise extract.  I finally found some star anise with the Mexican bagged spices at one of the local grocery stores.  A 3/4 oz bag was $1.29.  Another store had the seeds in bulk, but not the star pods--I just like the look of the star pods.  I used the last of the brown bottle jars, so I used an old jelly/canning jar.

        

[mrsdutt]

OH, I love anise and am looking for it too.  I make Italian cookies at Christmas and anise is a must.

I just reread your posts and saw you use orange rind in your French toast.  Sounds good - I'll try it this week.  As a matter of fact I have some cream cheese so I'll make one large stuffed French toast.

My vanilla is only 4 weeks in the making, but I had to use some in Amish chocolate frosting today for a birthday cake.  It worked OK, but in 2 more weeks it'll be yummy.

[Apple]

I might not have used enough anise--I tried to leave enough room to add another packet later if needed. 

I've also used orange zest in my pumpkin pies, I've had several people say it was the best pumpkin pie they've eaten

You can get a stronger flavor quicker by simmering the spices in the alcohol for a little while, then cooling and putting in a jar, but it would evaporate some of the alcohol.

I just leave the spices in the jar, that way the flavor will get more intense the longer it sits.  I think I'm going to cheat with the coffee and use it today--the vanilla part of it had already been going for a few months, so there would be at least that flavor, but it already smells like coffee.

[Apple]

Ok, another extract... 

Cherry Extract

Wash, stem, and pit the cherries (I don't have a pitter, so I just cut them out from the top.  You could also cut them in half to get to the pit more easily.)  You could also use dried cherries if you can't get fresh ones. 

Fill container with pitted cherries, cover with Vodka. 

Put the lid on, shake once a day for the first week, once every week after that, and it should be ready to enjoy in six weeks. 

Not sure what I'll use this for yet, but I wanted to get the cherries while they were in season.  Maybe some kind of shortbread cookie, or for use in a quick bread.






ETA: I checked in on this one after a couple weeks and it wasn't strong enough so I added more cherries than are in the picture.  So, if you do this, pack the cherries in really tight or use dried ones.