How to make your own cherry extract at home. It's so easy to make and the flavour is out of this world.
When the Sunday Supper crew announced we were doing Holiday Gifts from the Kitchen as our theme this week I may have jumped for joy. I mean just a little. I love giving home-made gifts so I knew this was going to be fun. The possibilities are endless when it comes to gifts you can give people from the kitchen. Cookies, bars, bark, snack mix, chocolates, bread, candy, alcohol and the list goes on and on. You can also make gifts in jars that the recipient just adds some wet ingredients to in order to bake, cookie mixes and breads are perfect for this.
Last year I gave away vanilla extract, vanilla salt, vanilla sugar, vanilla brown sugar and vanilla oats. I also did up some cookies in a jar for some people. Then I whipped up some Turtle Bark, Black Forest Bark, Coconut Bark, Hot Fudge Sauce and Slow Cooker Snack Mix for some family members. Yup, being in Lunie's world during the holidays is a good thing. And sorta fattening.
I made this extract eons ago. The downside to that is there is no fresh cherries to use as props in the photo. I intended to photograph this before I went out west. But I was too busy. Then I intended to photograph this when I returned home from the vacation of doom. But I was too sick. So I finally photographed this but the timing meant no cherries to add in the shot. Such a big old cherry bummer.
The upside to making cherry extract is it is so much cheaper than buying it. A tiny bottle of it costs a fortune. I love using cherry extract whenever possible in my baking. So I go through quite a bit of it. Making my own made good economic sense. Plus it was fun. I mean who doesn't love playing with vodka. It's how all good weekends start right.
Homemade Cherry Extract
Ingredients
- 1 375 ml bottle vodka
- 2 cups fresh cherries
Instructions
- Pit and cut your cherries in half.
- Pour vodka into a mason jar.
- Toss cherries in the vodka.
- Give it a shake.
- Store in a cool, dark place for about 2 weeks.
- Give it a little shake now and then.
- After 2 weeks time remove and discard the cherries. You can pour it through a sieve to remove any particles. Pour back into jar and store in a cool, dry place.
- Give as gifts with a big old cherry smile!
Notes
Yes I realize it's not cherry season. You may need to wait awhile to try this one. If you're wondering if you can use dried cherries, well, I'm on that. I've got a batch brewing as I write this. So stay tuned for results.
Hope you enjoy this. Thanks to our hostesss this week, Susan from The Wimpy Vegetarian. She really came up with the perfect theme. As always a huge thank you to our fearless leader, Isabel of Family Foodie. Make sure you stop by all the other Sunday Supper crew to see what amazing gifts they made for you.
Breads/Breakfast:
- Pumpkin Biscoff Bread – Dinners, Dishes, and Dessert
- All-in-One Beer Bread Kit – girlichef
- Banana Coconut Coffee Cake with Macadamia Nut Streusel – The Lovely Pantry
- Pancake Mix With Apple Cider Syrup and Candied Walnuts – Tora’s Real Food
- Cranberry Hootycreeks – Baker Street
Condiments/Ingredients:
- Apple Butter – Hezzi D’s Books and Cooks
- Herb Vinegars – Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
- Harissa – The Wimpy Vegetarian
- Homemade Vanilla Extract – Flour on my Face
- Nutella Powder – I Run For Wine
- Apricot Pineapple Rum Sauce – Vintage Kitchen Notes
- Spiced Cranberry Apricot Almond Chutney – Sue’s Nutrition Buzz
- Pumpkin Butter – Family Foodie
Soup/Snacks:
- A Soup For You – Momma’s Meals
- Maple Nut Granola - Girl in the Little Red Kitchen
- Sweet and Spicy Curried Nuts – Soni’s Food for Thought
- Sweet and Spicy Pecans – Supper For a Steal
- Maple Pumpkin Spice Granola Bars – Cupcakes and Kale Chips
- Orange Spiced Chickpeas – Home Cooking Memories
- Turtle Pretzels – The Messy Baker
Sweets:
- Rocky Road Candy – Magnolia Days
- Dairyfree Vegan Caramels – Galactosemia in PDX
- Peanut Butter Cookies in a Jar – Mama’s Blissful Bites
- M&M Cookies in a Jar – Damn Delicious
- Monster Cookie Mix in a Jar – What Smells So Good?
- Chocolate Chip Cookie Biscotti – Meal Planning Magic
- Snickerdoodle Snack Mix – Pippi’s in the Kitchen Again
- Butter and Jam Thumbprint Cookies – Crispy Bits & Burnt Ends
- Peppermint Stick Cookie Truffles - The Weekend Gourmet
- Nutella Truffles – Small Wallet Big Appetite
- Peanut Cajetas (Peanut Fudge) – Basic and Delicious
- Cookie Cutter Fudge – Chocolate Moosey
- Pumpkin Roll – Shockingly Delicious
- Homemade Chocolates – My Trials in the Kitchen
- Hot Chocolate on a Stick – Juanita’s Cocina
- Chocolate Toffee “Crack” – Ruffles and Truffles
- Holiday Tree Cake – Noshing with the Nolands
Drinks:
- Applepie Moonshine - My Catholic Kitchen
- Holiday Spiced Mocha - Daily Dish Recipes
- Homemade Peppermint Mocha Mix - In the Kitchen with KP
- Homemade Kahlua - That Skinny Chick Can Bake
Thanks for visiting today!
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Toodles! xx
Lyn @LovelyPantry
We should have been friends before, Kim!!! LOL I'd love to get on your list 😀 I was looking for the rest of the ingredients for this... simplicity at its best! Nicely done, Kim!
Toni | Boulder Locavore
Kim I expected to find an ooey-gooey lick-your-computer-screen dessert and instead this fabulous find! Tis the time of year to consider gift making and this is so clever! I've made Kahlua and Creme de Menthe but somehow it never seems appropriate to gift to teachers for instance! This will be going on my list!
Katherine Martinelli
I don't think I've ever used cherry extract but it sounds delicious!!! Love the food gifts theme.
Sarah
I just learned how to make cherry extract in 2 minutes. Love this idea for a gift.
Stephanie @ Eat. Drink. Love.
This would make an excellent gift! I'm trying to think of all things I could use it in!
Jamie (Mama.Mommy.Mom)
How is the dried cherry version coming??? Inquiring minds want to know!
Anna @ hiddenponies
I've never had or used cherry extract, weird hey? Love this - and love gifts from the kitchen.
Nami | Just One Cookbook
I'm still working on homemade gifts as they are still relatively new to me and I always doubt myself who wants something homemade from my kitchen... I need to learn and find good gifts like this one. I'd be happy to receive this as a gift, so I hope I can do the same to others! Great idea, Kim!
Katerina
This is the perfect way to aromatize sweets even when cherries are not in season!
Kristen
This is absolutely brilliant! I think I'd just take the jar and chug it down 😉
Dara
I love this! Homemade gifts are incredible. I expect to see more of these recipes in the coming weeks. Great job.
Carla
I love this idea!! Usually I see homemade vanilla but not cherry. Going on my list for next summer when I pick fresh cherries.
Susan
I've never seen/heard/used of cherry extract but what a wonderful gift! This is definitely great for any cherry lover.
Kiersten @ Oh My Veggies
This is awesome! I was wondering if I could do something like this with oranges and lemons, so now you've convinced me that I can. What a great Christmas gift too!
CJ at Food Stories
What a great idea 🙂
Brandie (@ Home Cooking Memories)
I love how you think! I would never have thought to make such a thing. This is awesome...I would love a gift like this.
Dianna
So what do you do with the cherries after the 2 weeks is up? I bet they'd be good in more than a few drinks or even adding that extra zing to a fruit salad! Do you need to refrigerate the extract or does the vodka take care of any issues? Now I'm thinking of all kinds of things I could do with cherry extract!!!
Kim Bee
Hi Dianna. Thanks for stopping by. I threw mine out to be honest. I was so busy the day I drained the jar it never occurred to me to use them. I would think a vodka cobbler would be killer good. I did not refrigerate mine. It's in a cool, dark closet. The smaller jar is in my pantry. There's a new version posting soon. Used dried cherries for that one. So good.
teresa
Hi,
I just ran across your website,very helpful....I do however have a question,do you strain the cherries out when the 2 weeks is up and how long does the extract stay good for?
Thanks,
Teresa
Kim Bee
Hi Teresa. Yes you strain the cherries out and discard them. The extract should be stored in a cool, dark place with a shelf life of between 6 - 12 months. Depending on how you store it the flavour should last a good 6 months minimum. After that time I usually give my extracts a good swirl in the bottle then smell them. If the smell is off toss it, it should have that strong cherry smell every time you open the bottle. All extracts work the same way. They should have a strong scent of the flavour inside. Hope that helps.
Rae of Sunshine
I use dried fruits soaked in booze all the time! Never tried to make extract tho.
Cheryl
I've been brewing mine for 2 months. And it still smells very alchohol-y. Any suggestions? What does it smell like when done?
Kim Beaulieu
It should smell like cherries and booze, depending on which booze you used.