I don’t know about you, but I always forget to restock my pantry with ingredients like mint extract when I run out. Then the holidays roll around and I’m baking away, and of course the recipe calls for mint extract, which of course I’m out of. So I make a mad dash to the store at the last minute to find they are all out of the real mint extract and all they have left is the artificial stuff. Yuck!
This year, I decided to actually be ahead of the game for once and make some homemade mint extract. I’ve got a ton of mint growing in the yard right now so I don’t even have to buy any! And by setting it up now, it should be perfect for when December rolls around and holiday baking is in full gear.
I have three different mints growing in my yard this year- Spearmint, Peppermint, and Chocolate Mint. I decided I would make one bottle of each to see how each would turn out!
How To Make Mint Extract
You will need:
- Vodka (any brand will work)
- A bottle or jar
- Enough mint that when loosely packed will fill up the bottle/jar
- A funnel (optional, but makes things a lot easier)
- A chopstick or similar item if you’re using a bottle with a small neck
- label
Directions:
Rinse the mint and pat dry with a clean towel. Loosely pack the bottle with mint.
Fill the bottle with vodka so it completely covers the mint. Close the bottle and tap gently to loosen any air bubbles in between the mint leaves so they float to the top of the bottle. Add more vodka to the bottle if necessary.
Make a label to put on the bottle. I decided to get fancy and use some scrapbook labels and stamp the letters using a rubber stamp and ink pad. As you can see, my letter stamping technique leaves something to be desired! 🙂
Put the label on the bottle, put it in your pantry and forget about it for a few months. If you put one up now (July), it should be ready to use when holiday baking time rolls around.
I hope this will motivate you to try making some mint extract of your own so you don’t get stuck with the artificial stuff this holiday season! 😉
Please leave me any questions or comments you have about this below!
Michelle
This is such a wonderful idea thanks gonna try it
Thank you Barbara! 🙂
Love this idea. I have tons of mint growing and wanted to find some way to use it more. Thanks for sharing this. Stopping by from Favorite Things on Thursday.
Thank you! 🙂 I always have tons of mint growing too!
thanks for this helpful recipe! I love using mint and extracts are so expensive ♥
stop by and chat with me 🙂 http://storybookapothecary.com
Thank you Tianna! 🙂 And I will definitely swing by to chat!
This is great! Thank you for sharing. Pinning!
Thank you! 🙂
Wow! I always wondered how to do this! I will be trying really soon! Pinning and sharing!
Thank you! 🙂
This is great and just thinking it would make great Christmas gifts. I have an abundance of mint growing too. Thanks!
Thank you Carole! What a great idea to make them as Christmas gifts! 🙂
This is a great idea. I enjoy putting chocolate mint leaves in with my coffee grounds when I am brewing coffee. I think I will try making some mint extract!
Thanks Carol! I never thought of putting the chocolate mint leaves in my coffee grounds- what a great idea! I’m going to try it this morning!
Very cool! I might have to try this! 🙂 thanks for sharing, found you at the Pin Junkie Link Party.
Thank you! 🙂
We are growing mint in our garden this year. I have a post outlined and I’ll be sharing soon. Love this mint extract tutorial! Thank you for sharing at the Thursday Favorite Things blog hop. xo
Thank you Katherine! Thank you for hosting Thursday Favorite Things and I look forward to seeing your post! 🙂
Wonderful idea! I have a lush pot of mint in my terrace, this is a great way to use it. Thanks for the recipe 🙂
You’re welcome, and thank you! 🙂
I’ve done this before with vinegar to make mint sauce. Vodka is a brilliant idea for extract.
Thank you Stella! 🙂 But I can’t take credit for the idea of using Vodka- it’s been done before. 🙂
Thanks for sharing. I will definitely try this as my mint plants in the garden are growing like there is no tomorrow 🙂
You’re welcome Mei! And everyone having a ton of mint growing is becoming quite the theme! 🙂 I’m glad this gives everyone an idea of what to do it!
This is a fabulous idea! I have a huge mint bush growing in my front flower bed; now I know what to do with it. Thank you for sharing at Inspire Me Wednesday. Featuring you in this week’s issue.
Hi Mel! Thank you for featuring this! And everyone having a ton of mint growing is becoming a theme! 🙂 I’m glad this gives everyone an idea of what to do it!
Michelle, This is incredible – I never knew that vodka could be used to make an extract! Learn something new every single day in the blogsphere! Thank you for sharing with us at the Brag About It Link Party!
You’re welcome Laurie, and thank you- I’m glad you liked it! 🙂 Wish I could take credit for the vodka thing, but it’s been done before- just put my own spin on it! 🙂
This was the most viewed and will be featured on Thursday!! Thanks for sharing on My 2 Favorite Things on Thursday!! I love having you! Hope to see you again on Thursday! Pinned!
Wow! That’s the first time I’ve ever got “most viewed”! 🙂 Thank you so much, and I will definitely be there next Thursday!
Oh wow, this is such a neat idea!
Thanks for joining Cooking and Crafting with J & J!
Thank you Jess! 🙂 And as always, thank you for hosting Cooking and Crafting with J & J!
I am sorry, but where did you use this mint extract? Do you have kind of good recipe? Sorry for maybe stupid question, but in Lithuania we using mint in coctails and for tea 🙂 would like to use in baking but didnt have good recipe 🙂
Hi Elena!
It is not a stupid question at all! And we use mint for cocktails and tea too 🙂 I use mint in chocolate recipes, especially around the holidays. To give you an idea on how it can be used in baking, check out this link: http://www.somethingswanky.com/chocolate-mint-desserts/ I hope that helps! 🙂