mint extract Archives | Heavenly Homemakers

Am I the only one who, as a little girl, loved the smell of vanilla so much that she just had to take a little taste – and then she gagged? Surely I’m not the only one. I remember the moment clearly. It was oh-so disappointing. The taste of vanilla extract was nothing like the smell. Bleh.

So now here we are, a few decades and a few gallons of Homemade Vanilla Extract later. I know now what I didn’t know as a little girl: vanilla extract is made with alcohol. Well, no wonder.

Still, one would think that after 4-6 months of sitting in vodka, the all-amazing vanilla beans would overpower the alcohol. Plus, how can something that tastes so terrible by itself be such a delicious flavoring in recipes?

My well thought out answer is, of course, this: I dunno.

All I know is that after you follow all the directions and make vanilla extract, you can take a little taste and think, “Oh no! I did something wrong. This tastes awful!” But you’ll be wrong. You did everything right and vanilla extract just smells good (in small whiffs) and tastes bad (by itself). See? Look.

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It smells soooooo good.

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But it tastes soooooo bad.

How about Cinnamon Extract?

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Mmmm, smells good.

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Wow. That tastes bad. And whoa – it also burns the tongue. I guess it is cinnamon, after all.

So what about Mint Extract?

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Well, mine doesn’t even smell good at this point, so I didn’t dare taste it. In its defense, I only started it last week. Therefore, it still smells strongly of vodka. It’ll get better in a few weeks.

Now, if you take a deep, long whiff of your homemade extracts, the smell of alcohol will overpower the vanilla bean/cinnamon stick/mint. So waft gently, my friends, waft gently.

All these words and ridiculous selfies to say this: If your extracts smell strong (but good) and taste terrible, you have done a fine job. Well done. You’ve made delicious extracts.

What extracts do you have in the works right now? How do they smell? Good? Strong? Nasty? Do feel free to send me a extract sniffing or tasting selfie.

Homemade Mint Extract!

Homemade Mint Extract 2

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 ExtractYum

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.

Homemade Mint Extract

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?