How To Prepare 8 Cheap Healing Extracts From Herbs And Spices At Home. Do It Yourself.

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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.

4. Coconut

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!