When you make something at home, you know it’s pure and rich with flavors! Try it now with our How to Make Mint Extract at Home guide!
Mint extract has a subtle spearmint-peppermint taste that works great in cookies! If you want to try it out, here’s a DIY on How to Make Mint Extract at Home so you can experience fresh flavor in every drop.
How To Make Mint Extract At Home
There are two ways to do this; both work well, so it’s more about your preference. You can make the mint extract with or without alcohol.
1. Mint Extract Recipe With Alcohol
For this recipe, you need only two ingredients–1 cup of fresh mint leaves and 1.5 to 2 cups of vodka (yes, even cheap stuff would work).
- After harvesting the mint leaves, rinse them quickly and pat dry. Then, separate the leaves from the stems and discard the latter.
- With a spoon, ladle, or your hands, crush and smash the mint leaves to help release some of the oils.
- Add your leaves to a glass jar and fill it to the top with vodka. The most crucial part is to cover the leaves with alcohol entirely so they don’t get moldy. Shake it well and store it away in a cool, dry place for a month or two to steep, depending on how strong you want the extract. Finally, strain the mint extract and bottle it up in a cute jar!
Pro Tip: Don’t be afraid to experiment with different ratios of ingredients and steeping times to find your preferred strength and flavor profile. It’ll help you find what works best for you!
2. Making Mint Extract Without Alcohol
If you don’t prefer to use alcohol, we have an alternative for you, too. You can use apple cider vinegar or glycerin for a non-alcoholic mint extract.
- When using apple cider vinegar, you will need to dilute a cup with a cup of water. Add the vinegar and one to two tablespoons of honey to a glass mason jar with 1 cup of fresh mint leaves.
- The vinegar serves a similar purpose as the alcohol in the previous recipes; it helps the mint leaves release their oils without decaying. After shaking once in a while for a month or two, strain the mint extract into cut-up jars and store it in your pantry away from sunlight.
Alternative: You can also use glycerin instead of vinegar. Mix two parts of food-grade glycerin with one part of distilled water. Then, fill your glass mason jar with the leaves, glycerin solution, and water three-quarters of the way to leave some room for shaking. Let the mixture steep for about six weeks, shaking once in a while. Finally, you can strain out the mint extract and store it in your pantry.
Are you confused about which recipe to use? The alcohol-based version might be a better choice if you want a strong, concentrated mint flavor. For a milder taste, the non-alcohol-based options could be more suitable.
Since the extracts take about a month or two to make, starting them early is best! Well, what are you waiting for?