Hi, darlings! Tom is off today so I am stepping in. But I’m still a bit illin’ (not a lot but …y’know…this is like weight-loss. I didn’t gain this sick in a day and I sho’ ain’t losing it in a day, either!). My chest has lightened up but I am still quite limited in my ability to taste or smell anything.
So. If you’re looking for a perfume review, fuggedaboutit. It’ll be awhile before I can do any perfume justice.
I can, however, talk about citrus. It’s one of the few things I can smell and taste so I’ve been doing a lot of citrus work these past few days (when I can find the energy to stand up and do stuff – as March said to me “you got up and got a shower? You’re good to go”) – but Big B brought in a large sack of Cuties (those charming little clementines that show up around this time of year) and a bag of Meyer lemons.
Omg. Meyer lemons. Is there anything more delightful? I was going to use them to make a Japanese Cotton Cheesecake but I can’t muster the energy to lift the mixer (yes, it really is that simple. The mixer is on the shelf across from the counter and…well..it might as well be on the moon). So I decided to make extracts instead. I’m thinking most of you know how to do this but just in case – here’s what you need:
- Cheap vodka (at least, that’s what I’ve always used. The rotgut stuff means I won’t drink it and it’s a waste of simoleans to get the good stuff for this)
- some citrus. I used Meyer & reg lemons for the lemon extract and the clem rinds for the orange
- A comfortable peeler. I use my mother’s old Ecko peeler which I’ve been using since Moses ( I actually have two: mine and hers). It’s narrow, which means I can control all aspects of movement. After 50 years working this thing, I can ooch the rind off pretty much anything and leave every last ounce of pith. You can read a newspaper through my peelings! lol! I tried one of those newfangled, wide peelers and nearly cut my thumb off!
good enough for Mom. good enough for me
- A very clean (I sterilize but it’s not essential) jar/lid
- A cool dark place to store the extracts while they sit and consider themselves. My clothes closet is so cold you could hang a side of beef in there – I put the jars in a brown paper bag and that’s that.
- Patience. I let the rinds steep for a minimum of 30 days (for citrus – 60 days for vanilla). Occasionally I will check them and possibly add a bit of rind (or bean) but other than that, I leave them alone.
30-60 days later? Booya! Extract. 
then comes the fun part! Dispensing it into pretty little jars. I read a blog where it was confessed that a big reason the writer does the tinctures/extracts/cordials/etc….the pretty little bottles. I nearly wept. MY PEOPLE!
I’m on the hunt for Pretty Little Bottles – there are thrift store just waiting for me and my extracts!
What about you guys? Do you make anything like this? I know I can’t be the only maniac on this blog! lol!
Ooh! and WINNERS from the Stalker post!
Feral Jasmine
Kathryn
gmail your evilauntieanita and I’ll get stuff out to you. I’m still beat from this pneumonia so it’ll prolly be a bit late but I WILL Get it OUT! I promise.
These peelers are the best! Funny how even a simple peeler gets passed down from generation to generation.
I love that peeler! I still have my grandmother’s and it’s truly the best, as well as the memories.
I just went through the same process or similar one for limencello. I made the mistake of using a vodka that wasn’t as high a proof though and I subbed in a little honey flavored whiskey. The result is good—not great. I needed really strong proof since it later gets diluted with h20 and sugar. You can definitely order bottles through Amazon. You can get all kinds of pretty little bottles and glass jars in almost any shape you could desire with matching lids. I even got heat sealed wrappers to make my bottles look more pro.
I’m IN! xoxo
Glad to hear you’re on the mend and hope you’ll be in full bloom soon. My favorite infusion is raspberries in vodka. After a month or two I drain off an amazingly gorgeous ruby red liquid. It’s wonderful mixed with lemonade or sparkling water and verging on dangerous mixed with white wine. No need to enter me in this draw since it appears that I’ve won the last one. Thanks so much!
omg. Pink! and in a pretty bottle!
I love this! I actually think this is something I could accomplish. how fun – sounds like it would make a great gift too – thank you!
if you can make a vodka cocktail you can make extract. The only difference is you’re using a jar – so I guess it would be something more in line with moonshine! lol! xox
Aww, honey, I hope you will feel a lot better very soon! I love my old peeler–just like Mom’s.–and her ancient wire pastry cutter with the wooden handle. I use it a lot.
The only extract I have made is vanilla: pods and vodka go into a little brown glass bottle and wait for a few weeks. Now I want to do citrus! Those clementines are really good just now. I searched on Etsy for little glass bottles and some cute things came up. Liquers…hmmm!
LOL! RABBIT HOLE! xoxoxox
Abso-floggin’-lutely! Hahaha
Well, it’s very common here in my corner of the world to do something to keep you warm during wintertime. The brave ones distill their own plum or apricot or grape brandy but we, normal folks make our own liqueur, you know with sugar, and let it rest in the sun, in the end add some possibly good brandy from the guys first mentioned. Even my 82 years old mother does her 2 liters of cherry brandy per year.
I am in awe. I was ready to receive the Medal of Honor because I do the extracts and sugars. And here YOU come with the liquers & brandies! 😉
xoxoxo
I HAVE THE EXACT SAME PEELER. My mom had 2 of them for as long as I can remember, and I stole one when I moved out in the early ’90s. Still rockin’ it! Your extracts sound amazing. Have you ever tried making limoncello? I’ve toyed with it, but then I get lazy and just buy a bottle.
LOL! I have the PERSACK same response to limoncello! Omg. Soooo close…then I say ‘feck it’ and go buy a bottle! MY PEOPLE! 😉
and isn’t that peeler the BOMB? I could perform surgery with that thing – and often do, I guess, the way I use it. I can do a lemon like folks do apples (all one peel) though I am not always as successful with apple, go figure! xoxoxo
NO! That’s MY mom’s peeler and you ladies need to get OUTTA MY KITCHEN DRAWER, dang it! 😉 Same vintage even, I ‘spect. That thing is old as the hills, seasoned with just the correct amount of rust – which may be holding it together come to think of it – and razor sharp. I can whip through 5 lbs of potatoes in under 5 minutes if I push.
And I have made limoncello, but I did it the quickie way – no peeler strips, used a hard cheese grater. Shortened the time a whole bunch. However, I’m at that point in life where I’m ready to pay others do the work so I don’t have to. Liquor store, here I come.
Oddly the extract person in our house is the male. He makes vanilla and French farmhouse liqueur recipes using coffee beans, orange, sugar, and a few other things. And if you really want to get fancy, beyond the cute bottles, there’s always this.
http://www.theportholeinfuser.com
Nothing so exotic as extracts… I just jam a couple of vanilla beans into a jar of sugar to make vanilla sugar. But those extracts look mighty fine!
I do that, too (though I take a bit of the seeded pod and whisk it in the food processor with some of the sugar, then add it to the rest of the sugar and whole bean) – but Tara, if you do the vanilla sugar you can do the extract. It’s the same thing! Just sub vodka for the sugar! xoxoxo