Homemade Extracts
For the masses when they hear “extracts” they automatically think of vanilla. Why wouldn’t you? Vanilla extract is found in countless baking recipes because it enhances the other flavors in the recipe. I remember a couple of decades ago when I was making my first chocolate cake from scratch and I saw “vanilla extract” on the ingredients list, I was thoroughly confused. My concept of “vanilla” was “the opposite of chocolate.” Not having the current functionality of the internet at my disposal to quickly look up the information I desired, I learned about its contribution the old-fashioned way - trial and error.
I did indeed follow the recipe, which I think was on the back of a can of Hershey’s cocoa powder, as given the first time and it was wonderful. However, the next time, not so much. I intentionally left out the vanilla and just like removing cocoa powder from a recipe does not automatically make a vanilla cake, removing it from the recipe completely flattened the flavor. It went from a decadently rich chocolate cake to…….. blah. It was then that I learned one, to never make that choice again and two, that vanilla does to sweet items what salt does for savory ones.
In today’s day and age, the availability of different flavored extracts isn’t just relegated to specialty shops. You can find things such as almond, coffee, lemon, raspberry extracts, and much more. However, did you know that these are easily made at home, taste better, and for a better price point? Now depending on how much you bake, you may think “wow, I am never going to use this much,” but, not only will you possibly be more apt to use them, possibly start to expand your baking repertoire, or give them as gifts, most importantly, you can make any quantity you wish!
The process is simple. Take whatever you wish to make an extract from, add it to alcohol, and wait…
What is the ratio of ingredients?
I take a very relaxed approach to extract making with the exception of vanilla, which you can read about here. I take what I want to extract and loosely fill whatever container I am using up with 1/2-3/4 with the item and then fill the container the rest of the way with alcohol. You can use any sized container that you wish. I tend to make large amounts as I bottle the finished extract and give them as gifts to loved ones. However, you can take a 2oz bottle, shove the peel of 1/2 lemon into it, fill it with vodka, wait 4-6 weeks, and voila, you have lemon extract. Many recipes use the minimum amount of product to get a result which is fine to do, however, I prefer putting a bit more in to ensure a well-rounded, strong flavor, especially with fruit extracts.
What alcohol should I use?
Well for one, you don’t actually have to use alcohol if you absolutely are against it. I’ll mention that you use such a small amount of extract in your sweets that you absolutely do not taste the alcohol. And while you will not get tipsy from normal use of the extract, you do want to keep it safe as you can indeed drink it as a flavored spirit. As for the type of alcohol, the most common to use is plain old vodka. If you chose not to use alcohol, you can use a 3:1 vegetable glycerin to water mix. For example, if you were going to use 8 ounces of alcohol you would use 6 ounces of glycerin and 2 ounces of water in its place.
There is no need to get fancy, cheap bottom shelf vodka will do, but you can use any brand. Vodka is used as it’s said to be “flavorless” and well, that is not exactly true. Vodkas have undertones of various flavor notes, but it’s still as flavorless as you’re going to get, except for grain alcohol, which, I do not recommend personally. Why? Because different items extract optimally at various alcohol percentages and the very high proofs destroy the subtler flavor notes of the item you’re extracting. The average optimal content to use is 40% alcohol by volume (80 proof). There is a trend in Facebook extract groups to use very high proof Everclear thinking that you need to have a high ABV% in order to keep bacteria at bay. I was confused (and frustrated) by this and ended up leaving a few groups as I couldn’t take the misinformation. Anyway, from what I could gather, the trend started during the CoVid-19 pandemic when they comingled the abv% for killing bacteria for homemade hand sanitizer and the amount needed for preservation. The bottom line? Use what you are comfortable with. I am comfortable using 80 proof alcohol from both a safety perspective as well as a flavor perspective. Can you use alcohol other than vodka? Sure! You just want it to pair nicely with whatever your making. For instance, using bourbon or rum for vanilla can complement it beautifully but it is too overpowering for citrus extracts. After you have mastered your first extracts with vodka, start experimenting!
How long does it take?
Well, it depends on the extract and the conditions in which it was stored, but generally, most extracts take 4-8 weeks to mature. How do you know it is ready? Taste it! While yes you know it’s alcohol with the “burn” or whatever other sensory experience you have, it should taste primarily of whatever you are extracting. I will mention that you use the same method if you wish to simply flavor your vodka, you just don’t need to wait as long. Within 2-3 weeks, most have a lovely flavor and can be used as a flavored spirit. Once it is to your liking, filter out the solids and keep your extract in a cool dry place away from light. It should keep well for at least a year. If you find the flavor not strengthing, after a few weeks you can replace the solids with fresh items. It isn’t always needed, but it can make a difference, especially with berries.
What can I extract?
You can extract almost anything, but below are a few suggestions with some extra information. With all extracts (except vanilla) straining them through a coffee filter is very beneficial to give a nice clear extract. You can use fresh fruit which is what below is based on, however, dehydrating the fruit can yield a more concentrated flavor as you don’t have the dilution from the water content. When I make my extracts I simply fill up the jars as described below and then remove the fruit and dehydrate it a bit in a dehydrator or the lowest your oven can go for a few hours and then continue on. You don’t need the items to get completely dried, just enough to remove a portion of the moisture.
Apple Peel- Fill your container loosely with apple peels that have been washed and dried and cores. (if you packed them down it should only fill 1/3rd of the jar) Add alcohol and wait 4-6 weeks.
Cherries- Fill the container 1/2-2/3rd’s of the way with chopped cherries in 1/4'“ pieces. Add alcohol and wait 6-8 weeks.
Coconut- Fill the container halfway with grated fresh coconut and fill with vodka. Coconut extract historically is a quick turnaround and can be ready in as little as a week but it’ll get more intense as it sits.
Lemon Peel- Loosley fill the container halfway with lemon peel, trying to avoid the white pith and fill with vodka. Let sit for 6 weeks. Make sure to buff the lemon to remove any wax. if you see a milky substance at the bottom of the alcohol, it’s wax. Simply strain the alcohol through a coffee filter to remove it.
Lime Peel- Loosely fill the container halfway with lime peel and fill with vodka. Let sit for 6 weeks.
Orange Peel- Loosley fill the container 2/3rds of the way with orange peels, avoiding the white pith as much as possible (although the pith on oranges is flavorless for the most part despite the bitter myths). Let sit for 6-8 weeks. I find that orange extract needs a bit more peel than the other citrus in order to carry in a baked item
Raspberries - Fill the container 2/3rd’s of the way with chopped raspberries. Add alcohol and wait 8 weeks. Please note that the raspberries will become white as they sit!
Strawberries- Fill the container 2/3rd’s of the way with chopped strawberries in 1/4” pieces. Add vodka and wait 6-8 weeks. Please note that the strawberries will become white as they sit! The longer you wait, the better the strawberry flavor will be and can benefit from replacing them with fresh berries after a few weeks. The longer extracting time is needed as the strawberry flavor is one of the more difficult to impart on a baked good.
Almond- I am going to put this here… almond extract that is actually made from almonds is made from bitter almonds, not the sweet almonds that we eat here in the US. The sale of the unrefined bitter almond is prohibited in the US. Also to properly get the flavor that we associate with almond extract is made from using the bitter almond oil which you get from crushing the almond. I saw this for one, using sweet almonds will not give you what you’re looking for but especially using sliced almonds does not allow for the compounds to be extracted. So does this mean you can’t make “almond extract?” No, actually the use of stone fruit kernels will, most notably bitter apricot kernels, will get you the flavor you are looking for. However, because it’s not a straightforward process the way the others are on this list, I will create a separate post about it and come back and link it here.
Chocolate- Easiest is getting raw cocoa nibs and lightly crushing them. fill up half your container with them and then fill with Vodka. Rum or Bourbon. Allow it to extract for 2-6 months depending on your preference. When you are happy with the flavor, strain out the nibs and place the extract into the freezer overnight. Skim off any fat and store.
Cinnamon- place 6, 3” cinnamon stick in a jar and submerge in 8 ounces of vodka. Make sure they are fully submerged. You’ll have a usable extract in 2-3 weeks but the longer you leave it, the stronger it’ll be.
Coffee Beans- Lightly crush whole dark or espresso coffee beans and fill container 1/2 way with them. Fill the rest of the container with the vodka and let sit for 4-6 weeks. When you are happy with the flavor, strain out the beans and place the extract into the freezer overnight. Skim off any fat and store. Coffee beans can be reused to make another round of extract. DO NOT dry and use beans for brewing coffee.
Mint Leaves (any variety)- Fill container halfway with mint leaves and fill with vodka. Let sit for 4-8 weeks.
Vanilla- Use .83 of an ounce of grade B vanilla beans per 8oz of alcohol. Allow to extract for 6-8 weeks or beyond. For more information, click here.
