How to Make Homemade Extracts - Flavored Extracts - Baking Basics
Mary's Nest・33 minutes read
Mary teaches how to make various extracts like vanilla, coffee, coconut, and mint using vodka, emphasizing monitoring for rancidity and flavor intensity, aiming for homemade extracts surpassing store-bought quality. It's essential to check extracts periodically for flavor strength, adjust steeping time as needed, and strain out solids to prevent degradation, with leftover citrus membranes useful in making broths or stocks for added nutrients.
Insights
- Mary teaches how to make a variety of extracts at home, emphasizing the importance of monitoring for rancidity due to fat content in coffee, cacao, and almond extracts, providing a cost-effective and flavorful alternative to store-bought versions.
- The process of making extracts involves steeping ingredients like vanilla beans, cinnamon sticks, or citrus zest in vodka for a specific period, with flavors intensifying over time. It's crucial to strain out solids, refresh mint extract with fresh mint, and change out zest and mint extracts annually to prevent degradation and maintain quality.
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Recent questions
How can I make vanilla extract at home?
Use split vanilla beans and vodka, steep for 6 months.
What is the process for making coffee extract?
Fill jar with espresso beans, add vodka, steep.
How can I make almond extract without alcohol?
Use glycerin, water, or low-alcohol homemade wine.
What is the key to maintaining the quality of homemade extracts?
Regularly check for rancidity and monitor flavor strength.
How can I intensify the flavor of coconut extract?
Fill jar with shredded coconut, top off with vodka.
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Summary
00:00
"Mary's Homemade Extracts: Nutrient-Dense Flavors"
- Mary teaches traditional cooking skills for making nutrient-dense foods like bone broths and sourdough.
- Extracts to be made include coffee, chocolate, cinnamon, almond, coconut, mint, orange, lime, lemon, and vanilla.
- For vanilla extract, use 10 split vanilla beans in a jar with 3-4 cups of vodka, steep for 6 months, decant, top off with vodka, and repeat every 6 months.
- Coffee extract uses espresso beans or dark roast coffee beans, fill jar halfway, add vodka, steep for 6-8 weeks to 6 months, decant, top off with vodka, and monitor for rancidity.
- Chocolate extract uses crushed cacao beans, fill jar halfway, add vodka, steep for 6-8 weeks to 6 months, decant, top off with vodka, and monitor for rancidity.
- Cinnamon extract uses cinnamon sticks, fill jar, add vodka, steep for 6-8 weeks to intensify flavor, decant, top off with vodka, and monitor for strength over time.
- Almond extract uses slivered almonds without peels, fill jar with almonds, add vodka, steep for a prolonged period, decant, top off with vodka, and monitor for bitterness.
- Mary mentions an alternative method for making extracts without alcohol using glycerin and water or low-alcohol homemade wine.
- She emphasizes the importance of monitoring extracts for rancidity due to fat content in coffee, cacao, and almond extracts.
- Extracts can be continually topped off with vodka for perpetual use, with flavors intensifying over time.
- Mary's approach allows for homemade extracts to match or surpass store-bought quality, providing a cost-effective and flavorful alternative.
15:28
Homemade Extracts: DIY Flavors with Vodka
- To achieve a strong almond flavor in almond extract similar to store-bought versions, steep almonds in a dark pantry or cupboard with vodka for about six months, shaking occasionally.
- Check the almond extract periodically to ensure it maintains a fresh almond flavor and hasn't turned rancid due to the fat content in almonds.
- For coconut extract, fill a jar halfway with shredded unsweetened coconut, top it off with vodka, leaving an inch of headspace, and shake well. After six to eight weeks, the coconut flavor should be noticeable, but it can be left longer for a stronger taste.
- When making mint extract, use a generous amount of peppermint, filling the jar with it and vodka, leaving an inch of headspace, and shaking well. Mint extract may be ready in six to eight weeks, but it's essential to check for a strong mint flavor.
- Strain out solids from extracts after a year if not decanting regularly to prevent the extract from becoming overly strong or degrading. The solids can be repurposed for baking or beverages.
- Citrus extracts, made similarly to other extracts, involve zesting organic citrus fruits, avoiding the bitter pith, and filling the jar with zest for a rich flavor. For oranges, removing the pith and segmenting the fruit can yield additional culinary uses.
- Washing non-organic citrus with a baking soda and vinegar mixture before zesting can help reduce pesticide residue.
- Mint extract may need refreshing with fresh mint after a year to maintain flavor and color, as the original mint may start to degrade.
- Regularly check extracts for flavor strength, adjusting steeping time as needed, and strain out solids if not decanting regularly to maintain quality.
- Leftover citrus membranes can be saved for making broths or stocks to extract additional nutrients.
30:58
Homemade Citrus Extracts: Tips and Tricks
- To create orange extract, remove zest from 4 oranges, 7 lemons, and 8 limes, giving each piece a squeeze to release oils. Use the orange zest for fruit salad, freeze lemon segments with pith for recipes, or blend pith with honey or in fire cider for added nutrients.
- Fill jars with citrus peels, add vodka, shake, and store for 6-8 weeks, checking for flavor. For intense zest flavor, let it sit for up to 6 months, decanting and topping off with vodka as needed. Strain out solids after a year to prevent degradation.
- While extracts like vanilla and cinnamon last, zest and mint may degrade after a year. Consider changing them out annually to maintain quality. Explore more traditional cooking methods on the channel for detailed recipes like vanilla extract and natural food coloring.
