Homemade extracts are such enjoyable and beneficial concoctions to have in your kitchen apothecary.
They add complex flavours to drinks, desserts and savoury recipes alike. These extracts also contain many healthful beneficial ingredients to support your overall health. It's a little bit of magic in a teeny bottle.
Mint is a perfect example of a multi-use extract. Mint adds lovely flavours to food and beverage and it aids in digestion.
With a collection of extracts at your disposal you'll be delighting people with your plant based kitchen wizardry.
Extract VS tincture
Before we move forward I am going to confess that I find the terminology extract and tincture a bit confusing. Technically we are extracting the oils and beneficial properties of the plant into the vodka. I've always used the term extract for ingredients I consider culinary in type and tincture for more specific herbal preparations such as chamomile, yarrow and nettle, which is not exactly correct.
The difference between tincture and extract as far as I can determine is this: An extract is considered 1 part herb to 1 part alcohol and a tincture is considered 1 part herbs to 3 parts alcohol.
Being as most culinary choices are labelled "extract" for the purpose of this post that is what I am sticking to. Feel free to smack me if you disagree. ♥
Always Use Organic, High Quality Ingredients!
On our homestead good nutrition is really important to us. We spend a lot of time growing organically. Making our own tinctures ensures that the best possible ingredients are used when making them. This saves us money while also providing a superior product to anything we could buy. Even if you don’t grow your own, sourcing the best quality ingredients will ensure that you end up with a product you’ll enjoy and feel proud to gift to others.
Who wouldn’t want to amplify their culinary creations with the essence of vanilla and coffee or explore old world classics such as rose petals and lavender? Long before our great grandmothers had heard of vanilla they were using roses to enhance the flavours of sweets, now we can do it too!
Why Alcohol?
Alcohol acts as a preservative and prevents contamination of the herbs by fungus & bacteria. This is why it is important that the ingredients that you use are dry before you steep them in the alcohol.
Easy Home-Made Culinary Extracts
Extracts are impressively simple to make. All you need are a few ingredients and time will do the rest of the work for you.
Ingredients
80 Proof (40% alcohol by weight) vodka
herbs and flavourings of choice
fresh herbs Fill jar 3/4 full
dried herbs Fill jar 1/2 full
General Directions
Place the fresh or dried leaves (roughly chopped if fresh) into a small glass jar. If picked fresh allow them to air dry for several hours before using. This will eliminate the risk of water and mould. Pack the herbs in nice and tight. You want to cram as much as you can into the jar with enough space for the vodka to cover the plant material.
Fill the jar with vodka making sure the material you are using is covered.
Place a paper cupcake liner or wax paper over the jar and tighten the lid. The paper liner will help prevent corrosion. Alternatively you can use plastic lids.
Let the mixture macerate. Shake the jar every day and store it in a cool dark cabinet. Daily shaking will prevent any material that has floated above the vodka from spoiling.
Most extracts will be ready in 8-10 weeks but it never hurts to leave them a bit longer.
Strain out the plant material using a fine mesh strainer covered with cheesecloth. Decant the extract into small bottles and label them clearly.
Extracts don’t need to be refrigerated and should keep indefinitely if stored in a cool dark location.
The options for extracts run far and wide. Coffee, mint, floral, herbs, or even a combination of these things.
Ginger root, turmeric, chamomile, lemon verbena, the choices are endless! Feel free to get creative or follow these recipes for the classics.
Here are some extract recipes for you to try!
Classic Vanilla Extract
5-6 vanilla bean pods & 80 proof vodka.
split the vanilla beans open by cutting them lengthwise. If necessary cut them to size to fit your jar or bottle. Infuse for 8-10 weeks and then strain and bottle the extract.
Did you know that vanilla has antioxidant and antibacterial properties? You can learn more here.
Mint Extract
1 cup fresh chopped mint leaves and 80 proof vodka
Make sure the leaves are dried thoroughly. Moisture can promote mould. Pack the jar ¾ full of mint and cover the mint with vodka. Infuse for 8-10 weeks. Strain and bottle the extract.
Mint extract is great for calming digestion
Coffee Extract
½ cup chopped organic coffee beans & 80 proof vodka
Roughly chop the coffee beans to release the oils and flavours. Place the coffee beans in a jar. Cover with vodka, shake well and allow to infuse for 10-12 weeks. Strain and bottle the extract.
Chocolate Extract
1/2 cup crushed raw cacao nibs and 80 proof vodka
Roughly chop the cacao nibs to release some of the flavour and place them in the jar. Cover with vodka, shake well and allow to infuse for 10-12 weeks. Strain and bottle the extract.
Lemon / Orange Extract
the peel of 2 organic lemons or oranges and 80 proof vodka
Remove the yellow zest of the lemon (the skin) and place it in a jar. Avoid the white pith beneath the skin as this can make the extract bitter. Cover the lemon skin with vodka. Shake well and allow to infuse for 8-10
Lemon peel extract can be used to help build the body's immune system and ward off infection
Rose Petal Extract
1 cup of fresh organically grown petals or ½ cup dried and 80 proof vodka
Fill your jar ¾ full with petals and cover with vodka. Shake well and allow to infuse for 8-10 weeks.
rose petal extract makes an excellent astringent and can be an aide to alleviate colds and sore throats.
Rose Hip Extract
Fill the jar 3/4 full with chopped rose hips top up with 80 proof vodka. Shake well and allow to infuse for 8-10 weeks. Strain well and bottle the extract.
Rose hips have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties and are loaded with vitamins and nutrients. I use this to alleviate respiratory issues but please do your own research
Lavender Extract
½ cup lavender flowers & 80 proof vodka
Pour the lavender flowers in a small jar and cover with vodka. I don’t chop these as it can make it hard to strain after. Shake well and allow to infuse for 8-10 weeks. Strain and bottle the extract.
We’ve been thrilled with the results of our home-made extracts.
They’ve inspired creativity in the kitchen apothecary. The lemon extract is truly lemony and coffee extract is intoxicating. Extracts are well worth the small effort they take to make!
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I have never heard of Coffee Extract before... do you know the uses for it? Benefits?
For some reason I am thinking it can be used for baking (maybe a replacement for vanilla bean). I made my first vanilla bean extracts about to months ago; one bottle in vodka and the other in spiced rum.
you can use it as a flavouring in many food recipes and cocktails too! I personally use it to aid in respiratory issues because it is a stimulant - I am not suggesting this of course without doing proper research because breathing is not something to be taken lightly ... but when I am having an asthma attack it helps alleviate the symptoms for me.
this is a fantastic article, you have packed so much amazing information in here, I do like the sound of the cacao extract and the lemon one oh and you mentioned ginger, I love ginger, now I just need to get me some vodka xxx
I LOVE ginger extract I think it's my #1 favourite. Thank you for reading such a long post! This got a little sloppy but I really do get excited about concoctions like this.
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I never knew the difference between extract and tincture, so this is fantastic. I have so much mint, I might have to try that one! They'd make great Christmas gifts too! Love this post - so useful and informative, as well as darn pretty!
They would make lovely gifts. I am terrible on terminology so I hope to study up a little this winter and become a bit more professional in how I write about stuff. :)
I can't wait to try this! Excellent read, and gorgeous pics.
Thank you! It really is a fun project.
Hmmmm..... cacao extract.... this could get very interesting indeed.
I've always wanted to make a Goji berry extract... but allegedly the alkaloids that are alcohol-soluble are slightly hallucinogenic.
I have no evidence to back that up. 😉
just slightly? Hmmm. That could be a rather interesting potion to have in the cupboard! :)
Cacao extract really adds something to chocolaty recipes. The flavours are more intense and complex. Here's a great article describing it better than I ever could. https://www.davidlebovitz.com/chocolate-extract/
Chocolate extract seems like something I HAVE to have around the house :) Thank you for these lovely recipies 💚
I made some earlier this year and will need to get more cacao nibbs soon as I've been rather generous with my pouring of it into recipes. It really is nice.
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Somehow I missed this post when it posted. :(( Lots of good info, wished I'd seen so my vote would count.