Homemade Mint Extract!
It is a fact that I went to the store last week with one purpose: To buy liquor. Not fruit, not vegetables, not butter…but rum. And also vodka.
I grabbed one bottle of each and walked to check-out. I certainly would have taken a selfie to show you all, but obviously that would have been impossible since I only have but two hands and they were both clearly full…of liquor bottles.
I should be used to this by now, but even after so many years of making Homemade Vanilla Extract, I still feel awkward about buying large quantities of liquor. Since I typically make so much extract at once, my cart full of liquor makes it look like I’m hosting a party for half the city.
Whatever. It’s just weird. But the worst (and I do mean worst) part is this:
The past three times I’ve purchased liquor for extracts – I have not even been carded. What?? Do I look like I’m over 21? Sheesh. (says the woman who has an almost 18 year-old son.)
Well, anyway. It seems that I just need to get used to it and deal. Why? Because it occurred to me as of late: Since it’s so easy and so cost effective to make Homemade Vanilla Extract – why have I not tried making other extracts?
Why indeed. Therefore, I bought rum and made Cinnamon Extract – which took a grand total of about two minutes (not counting the time it took to not get carded at the store). Last week I stole some fresh mint from a friend’s yard (and by stole, I definitely mean that she cut some for me, put it in a bag, and handed it to me with the promise that there was more where that came from and to feel free to help myself at any time) – and started a batch of Mint Extract.
This stuff is too easy. Why do we think homemade goodies are difficult? Do we know how to open a bottle of liquor and pour? Well then.
Be watching for instructions for making Orange Extract and Almond Extract. Click on the following to learn to make Vanilla Extract and Cinnamon Extract. And now…
How to Make Mint Extract
1. Cut fresh mint leaves (or buy them at the grocery store), rinse, and pat dry.
2. Pull leaves off the stem.
3. Place about 1 cup worth of mint leaves into a pint-sized jar.
4. Pour in about 2 cups of vodka (the cheap kind is fine).
5. Cover and place in a dark cabinet for 1-2 months, shaking occasionally.
Make enough for your family to use, and enough to offer as gifts. Wow your family and friends. They’ll be so impressed, and inside you’ll be thinking, “Well all I had to do is rip leaves and pour vodka. But yeah, I’m awesome.”
Have you tried making extracts? Which homemade extract recipes would you be interested in learning to make next?
Anitra says
I have made mint extract in the past. It tends to come out very boozy unless you boil off some of the alcohol after extracting the mint essence.
Laura says
Thanks for the tip!
Abbi says
I tried Peppermint extract once. It ended up a little strange -like maybe the leaves fermented during all that soaking time. I made lot because I was pretty excited about the idea but I think I ended up throwing it out as it didn’t smell or taste like peppermint extract. I hope yours works better.
Laura says
I hope so too! I’ll update this post once it finishes brewing. :)
Donna says
I have made vanilla, lemon, orange, and stevia extracts. So easy and far superior to store bought. My next experiment is coffee extract….so yummy àdded to brownies! I will have to get some mint from my dad’s place to try the mint. Mmmmmmm….,
Laura says
I’m really excited to try stevia extract! Just have to get my hands on some stevia leaves… Where did you get yours?
Donna says
Mountain Rose Herbs…….I used dried leaves. Jacqueline at http://www.deeprootsathome.com has instructions on her site that I followed. She gives directions for both the straight extract and boiling off the alcohol that you might want to try with the mint. The straight extract is not as potent as the boiled extract, however the boiled extract does not keep as long either since the alcohol is a preservative. I keep trying to grow stevia from seed but have yet to be successful.
Charlotte Moore says
I have made vanilla, mint, lemon, orange, almond, cherry, coconut, peach,and blackberry. The mint didn’t taste much like mint nor did the almond taste like almond. I haven’t used any of the other except vanilla of course. Not sure how the other will do. None of it is as good as the vanilla. It seems to be more alcohol smell.
Laura says
Wow, you have been so adventurous! I never thought about making coconut extract. What do you use it for? Have any good recipes for me?
Charlotte Moore says
I used uns. dried coconut flakes. Haha!! Good recipes I am not sure about. Everything except vanilla has bee more alcohol smell to me. I only tried very small portions as to not waste anything.
Allison says
That’s so funny. The worst part of it was that you didn’t get carded. Thanks for the laugh. You have a great sense of humor!
Laura says
Aw, thanks for appreciating my ridiculousness. :)
Paula H erbstreit says
I feel the same way about buying the alcohol. I waited until nobody was in the liquor aisle, walked down slowly squatted down behind my cart to get what I needed, hid it in the cart. My husband helped me put the groceries on the belt at the check out, and said ” Oh here honey, here’s your vodka ????” I was so embarrassed .
I have a lot spearmint, I will have to give it a try. Back to the liquor aisle! Without the hubby.
Laura says
THAT is an awesome story. Way to go, hubs. :)
Kathy says
I started a batch of mint extract last year when the mint was at its peak and the leaves are still sitting in the vodka. As Anitra said, it tastes very boozy. The mint flavor isn’t that strong, either, even though mint leaves from the same plants made great mint tea. I’ll have to try Anitra’s idea of boiling off some of the vodka and see if it becomes usable.
Laura says
I’m really glad to have feedback on this idea from others who have tried it. I’ll update once I know how mine is doing!
Vanessa says
Yum. I finally got around to making my own vanilla extract after lots of years of thinking about it, and it tastes amazing! This is next on my to do list
Laura says
You will LOVE your homemade vanilla!!
Amanda says
My mom just gave me some mint leaves so I could make mint extract, but I think I have a total of two recipes to use it in–so you have to give us a whole list to get us started!
:-) My vanilla, on the other hand, I go through like crazy!
Laura says
Ooh, I have lots – especially Christmastime recipes. :)
Alyssa B. says
Can I ask what type of mint you are using? I have two mint plants in my yard, but neither of them has leaves that look like the ones pictured above (mine are much shorter). Does it even matter what type of mint we use?
Laura says
I used peppermint. A couple of my friends have chocolate mint and spearmint in their yards, so if this peppermint works, I may try those too. :)
Donna says
My embarrassing moment in a liquor store. My daughter (over 21) and I were out running errands when I decide to swing into a Liquor Barn to price vodka. Turns out they have a rather large size gourmet food section so we were slowly working our way through looking and ahhhhhing over things we have heard about but not seen before. A friendly employee comes over to see if we needed any help. We thanked him and told him we were just browsing and continued looking. He came back by every ten to fifteen minutes to make sure we did not need any help. We decide to go price what we came to the store for before he came back then we left. The following week we were out with my dad and he wanted to go check out the cool food section we were telling him about so we go back to Liquor Barn. My dad wears a retired Navy ball cap everywhere so a couple in the store stop him to thank him for his service and we are there chatting just inside the front door. After about ten minutes the friendly employee comes up to ask if we need help then he notices me smiles and says, “Oh I see you are with our new regular customer she can show you where everything is!”. Now I send my sweet husband in!
Susan P. says
We were out today at the local nursery getting Romaine lettuce plants, both green and red. I never even knew they had red romaine. My youngest was on the hunt for chocolate mint. Sure enough she found it. She wanted to buy it, so we did. I told her “I have no idea what to do with it”. Then I remembered I saw your post about mint extract.
So we will be trying that, then if brave enough, try and use it in homemade chocolate chip mint ice cream. I sure hope it come out ok.
Thanks for the recipe Laura.
Susan
Pam D says
I love the taste of hazelnut and wonder if hazelnut extract would be too difficult. I like to add a tiny bit to my coffee occasionally as a treat.
Kathy says
What “proof” strength of vodka do you use to make your extracts? I found a pepper juice recipe (hot peppers, garlic, ginger, onion, and horseradish fermented in vodka) to help boost our immune systems and it specifically called for 80 proof vodka – to keep it from spoiling. Our grocery stores carry around 40 proof vodka in the grocery section, but to get the 80 proof you have to go into the closed off section where they sell the whiskey and other higher alcohol content liquors (which makes it more uncomfortable for non-alcohol consumers to shop).
Laura says
Mine is also 40 proof…whatever that means. :) I am liquor illiterate.