Homemade Mint Extract is an easy and fun gift to give to people around the holidays, birthdays, wedding gifts, and more. If you plant to make mint extract for a gift or event, then remember that it needs to be started ahead of time. But, where as vanilla extract needs to steep at least 4 months, mint only needs 1 month. That’s over before you know it!
Then you can package it up in a cute little bottle and put it in with your other homemade gifts like the homemade vanilla extract, lotions, and maybe even some soap.
Extracts are always easy to make if you grow the plant yourself. And mint is a prolific grower. It will take over your yard if you let it.
So far I’ve made Vanilla, Mint, Stevia, and Lemon Balm extracts (the lemon balm is for a tincture I’m making), and they’ve turned out fabulous! What else should I try? I’d love some ideas.
Homemade Mint Extract
In a 32 ounce mason jar, add 2-3 cups of fresh mint leaves. Pour in non-gmo vodka and seal. Put the jar in a sunny windowsill and shake at least once a day for four weeks.
After one month, strain the mint leaves out of the extract by pouring the contents of the jar through a cheesecloth. Pour extract in a amber dropper bottle for easiest use. Store indefinitely.
Homemade Mint Extract
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2-3 cups Fresh Mint Leaves of choice peppermint, cocoa mint, orange mint, etc
- 32 ounces Vodka
Instructions
- Prepare mint leaves by making sure they are clean and dry. Remove stems and bruise leaves between fingers and add them to a jar, stuffing them down to 3/4 full.2-3 cups Fresh Mint Leaves of choice
- Pour in enough vodka to cover the leaves. You can use organic vodka if you are concerned about gmo’s. Or, just buy vodka that was made in a country that has banned gmo’s, like New Zealand or Ireland.32 ounces Vodka
- Close lid and store for 1 month. Shake every few days.
- After 1 month, pour mint extract through a cheese cloth to remove leaves. Store in the mason jar until use. Keeps indefinitely.
If you have dried mint leaves that you have kept from your garden, they can be used instead. Use the dried leaves in a ratio with the vodka at 1:4. So if you use one cup of vodka, use 1/4 cup of dried leaves. The dried leaves will need to steep for four months instead of one.
Uses
Use this wonderful mint extract in your favorite baked goods and candies. Apply it to your temples when you have a headache. You can even drink 1 teaspoon when your stomach is upset or if you have gas! It also helps with bad breath. So many uses, so don’t hesitate to make your own mint extract.
Let me know how yours goes.
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