Surely,
you have ever encounter a recipe, requiring extract from some herbs or spices -
vanilla, mint, almond and coconut are among the most common.
So, I decided to
teach you how to do it yourself at home. It’s easy.
For
this purpose, you need some small jars (with a screw cap) or glass bottles, vodka
and herbs/spices. I’ll show you how to prepare extracts from coconut, orange,
ginger, lime, vanilla and several mixed.
Here are some important things that's nice to know in
advance to prepare a good extract:
1.
To obtain qualitative extract, it should pass at least 2 weeks (in some cases
3-4 weeks).When the taste of vodka become unnoticeable, the extract is ready.
2.
Jars/bottles should be shaken every day during preparation of the extract, it
may take 2-3, or 4 weeks.
3.
After extract is ready, you can remove the herb (spice) / if you want/. Also, you
can leave it inside, especially if you think you'll use it more than six months,
because the taste can be reduced. This does not apply only to mint - its leaves
should be removed from the jar, after 2-3 days.
4.
Jars must be kept in a cool dark place. If you keep them on a shelf (ie not in
the dark), use jars of dark glass.
5.
The extracts will not spoil. The only danger is the weakening of taste, over
time.
6.
You can always refill vodka or to add more spices/
herbs.
7.
You can also use other types of alcohol, if you think that the flavors will fit
- such as rum or tequila. The important thing is to be strong alcohol, about
40%.
8.
You can use the extracts to flavor cakes, for cocktails or treatment.
1.Extracts from oranges, limes / or lemons/,
grapefruits
Proportion:
you can use the peel from one lemon/orange with 150ml alcohol.
Wash
well the fruit peel, then put it in the jar, pour vodka to the top, close
tightly and shake.
2.VanIlla
Proportion:
use 1 vanilla pod with maximum 100ml of alcohol
To
prepare vanilla, cut it in two, lengthwise. With the back of the knife, scrape the
seeds. Then cut the pods and put everything in a jar. Pour vodka and shake.
3. Mint
Proportion:
a handful of leaves with 150ml of alcohol
Get
5-7 stalks of mint, wash well and dry. Put the leaves (without stems) in a jar,
pour vodka and shake. The only difference with other extracts, is that mint
leaves should be removed after about three days.
Proportion:
half a coconut with 200ml of alcohol
Stick
a nail into one of the "eyes" of the coconut, empty the juice through
the hole. Then, using a hammer, crush " the equator" of the coconut.
The brown part is peeled with peeler and the white-grated or minced. Put it in
a jar, pour vodka and shake.
5. Cinnamon, clove, nutmeg and ginger
Easy
preparation-just put all these spices in the jar, cut ginger into chunks, pour
200 ml vodka and shake.
6. Ginger
Proportion:
root the size of a large walnut about 150-200m alcohol
It
is important to be well washed. Cut it into pieces, add vodka and shake.
7. Apple and cinnamon
Proportion:
1/4 apple and 1 cinnamon stick, 150ml of alcohol
Apple
and ginger does not need to be peeled. Just cut and put in a jar, add cinnamon
stick. And, of course, vodka.
8. Almonds
Proportion:
5 almonds with 150ml of alcohol
Peel
raw 5-6 almonds and put them in a jar with vodka.
Good luck and do not
hesitate to experiment!