Extracts - making your own

[oneoffour]

I just bought a bottle of mint extract for $3.95. The lable says it is alcohol (89%), water, oil of spearmint and oil of peppermint. It is a 1 ounce bottle. Has anyone played with fresh garden mint and vodka to make their own extract? How about any other extracts home made?

Can you use an oil ( which oil?) and draw out the flavor to make your own oil of peppermint, spearmint, watermint or roman mint..and other flavors across the board ?

[mcnerd]

I make my own Vanilla using 1 cup Bourbon and 2 slit vanilla beans. How about your own Kahlua using coffee and vodka.

Mint is a good one, but you need a lot of it, which is probably no problem if you have let it run wild in your yard.

I don't have much need for extracts, except for the vanilla, but I do make my own condiments, rubs, sauces, and such.

[GhettoRacingKid]

You can infuse the flavors into the oil but either letting it sit or lightly heating it with the flavoring for a littel while.

[oneoffour]

The mint is all over. I guess I could talk in pounds of leaves. I was thinking of vodka and doing it as if sun tea. The oil seems more focused maybe stove work but is it good to use peanut oil or pharmacy grade mineral oil?

[Michael in FtW]

The flavors in things like mint are alcohol soluable essential oils (the natural oils in the leaves) ... that is why they are soaked in alcohol to "extract" the flavor (solvent extraction). If you want to make mint oil - you might want to read this article on essential oils to get you started.

Here is a google search result for essential oil extractors

Boiling mint leans in oil would not give you mint oil - it would give you mint infused oil. Not the same thing.

Hope this is enough information to get you started.

[Dave Hutchins]

I make all of my vanilla 3 beans and a pint of vodka 6-8 weeks I have very good vanilla, good aroma, great taste in frosting, good all around

[frgsonmysox]

ooooh... I so want to try to make my own Vanilla. Do you find it's cheaper to make your own rather than buying it?