Extracts & Flavorings

« WellTellMe • Forum • Natural Health • Nutrition & Food • Seasonings, Spices & Salt • Extracts & Flavorings »

(Read 1557 times) [1]

Extracts & Flavorings
« on: July 19, 2007, 01:02:18 PM » by healthybratt

Can you make your own orange extract like vanilla? Do you use the peels? How many? Anybody ever done this? What about lemon extract? Almond? Any others?

« Last Edit: July 19, 2007, 01:10:16 PM by healthybratt »
Logged

My favorite herb book!!

Re: Extracts & Flavorings
« Reply #1 on: July 19, 2007, 01:10:00 PM » by healthybratt

http://bakingdesserts.suite101.com/article.cfm/extracts_and_flavorings
http://www.cdkitchen.com/recipes/recs/9/Homemade_Extracts36658.shtml
http://www.hungrybrowser.com/phaedrus/m1230F05.htm#3

Found these, but your personal experience with this would be appreciated.

Logged

My favorite herb book!!

Re: Extracts & Flavorings
« Reply #2 on: December 18, 2007, 06:38:50 PM » by healthybratt

Anyone ever heard of or made coffee extract? I figure if you can throw vanilla beans in vodka, why not coffee beans?

Any ideas, recipes, thoughts?

Logged

My favorite herb book!!

Re: Extracts & Flavorings
« Reply #3 on: December 18, 2007, 06:58:18 PM » by ndmomof6

Quote from: healthybratt on December 18, 2007, 06:38:50 PM

Anyone ever heard of or made coffee extract? I figure if you can throw vanilla beans in vodka, why not coffee beans?

Any ideas, recipes, thoughts?

Never tried it, but your logic sounds good to me!

Logged

Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is his reward. Psalm 127:3

Re: Extracts & Flavorings
« Reply #4 on: December 18, 2007, 09:36:09 PM » by kper

Quote from: healthybratt on December 18, 2007, 06:38:50 PM

Anyone ever heard of or made coffee extract? I figure if you can throw vanilla beans in vodka, why not coffee beans?

Any ideas, recipes, thoughts?

Great homeschool science project! We may try that!

Logged

" Elections belong to the people. It is their decision. If they decide to turn their back on the fire and burn their behinds, then they will just have to sit on their blisters."

Abraham Lincoln

Re: Extracts & Flavorings
« Reply #5 on: January 24, 2008, 10:25:31 PM » by Mrs. B

I was wondering if anyone had any new thoughts on this, particularly for an almond extract...

Logged

Pain is mandatory; suffering is optional...
My Blog:
See The Blue Sky...

Re: Extracts & Flavorings
« Reply #6 on: September 03, 2008, 11:32:26 PM » by hi_itsgwen

could you use a food grade sweet almond oil in with the fats in the recipe? Just a guess, but maybe worth a try. It smells SO yummy

Coffee is a tricky one. The beans have bitter compounds in them that begin to extract out if the water is above 200 degrees, or if it sits for too long. I usually just use real coffee to flavor, and replace some of the liquid in the recipe with that.

For citrus flavorings, I like to just add the zest. It's the thin outer colored skin (not the white 'pith') and it contains all the oils and flavors. You could most likely extract the zest with good results.

A micropane or zester makes it easy to get all the zest off, and you can freeze it. This is great to do if you're going to use a bunch of lemons or oranges for juice...just zest them first and freeze the zest for later. Zest from lemons, limes, oranges, etc. is awesome in baked goods. Lime shortbread, orange cranberry bread, etc.

I also recently extracted a bunch of citrus (it was too past date to use in edibles) in Apple Cider Vinegar for my cleaning solutions. It's awsome! My hubby thought (hoped) that I was making Sangria.

So I call it Sangria Cleaner.

Logged

Re: Extracts & Flavorings
« Reply #7 on: September 04, 2008, 09:20:15 AM » by Whiterock

Can someone tell me what the difference is between vanilla flavoring and vanilla extract?

My mom says that the flavoring is just plain ol' vanilla and the extract is double strength so you have to use half as much if the recipe just calls for vanilla.

I know I could be wrong but I think the flavoring (which I've never even seen) is what they used to call artificial vanilla and the extract is the standard and is what recipes are talking about when they say vanilla. I can't find any info on the web, but I thought you ladies might be able to help me.

If I'm wrong, I want to apologize to my mom, since I have been arguing with her about this. And if I'm right, I want to tell her she can go ahead and add the full messure of vanilla extract to that old ice cream recipe she has. Grin

Thanks,
WR

« Last Edit: September 04, 2008, 09:22:08 AM by Whiterock »
Logged

Who Needs God?

My Blog - Yarb d'Farb Knarb Check out the Wellness Wednesday tag for your health-related blog posts!

Re: Extracts & Flavorings
« Reply #8 on: September 04, 2008, 11:25:55 AM » by ladyhen

Quote from: Whiterock on September 04, 2008, 09:20:15 AM

Can someone tell me what the difference is between vanilla flavoring and vanilla extract?

I know I could be wrong but I think the flavoring (which I've never even seen) is what they used to call artificial vanilla and the extract is the standard and is what recipes are talking about when they say vanilla.
Thanks,
WR

WR, I am pretty sure you are right about this. The 'vanilla flavoring' that I have seen has several ingredients listed, including artificial vanilla flavor and sometimes corn syrup! Vanilla extract is, in my experience, an alcohol extract (or tincture) of vanilla beans.

~ do we have the same Mom? I just had this same 'battle' three months ago with mine ~

Logged

Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Titus 2:13

Re: Extracts & Flavorings
« Reply #9 on: September 04, 2008, 12:29:46 PM » by Whiterock

Thanks Ladyhen.

I finally found some info on this! Here's the page http://www.vanilla.com/html/facts-extracts.html

Here are some quotes...

Quote

Natural Vanilla Flavor
People who prefer not to use an alcohol-based extract can substitute natural vanilla flavor found in natural and specialty food stores and some supermarkets. It usually is made with a glycerin or a propylene glycol base. Although the flavor comes from vanilla beans, it doesn't fit the FDA profile for extracts, so it must legally be called natural vanilla flavor.

Note: The texture of natural vanilla - especially in a glycerin base - is viscous and a little darker than vanilla extract. It also smells somewhat different. In uncooked foods and beverages it tastes fairly similar but with a slight aftertaste; in cooked or baked foods, it's more similar to extract.

Vanilla - Vanillin Flavoring
Vanilla flavor is a mixture of pure vanilla extract and synthetic substances, most commonly, synthetic vanillin. (Note: this product cannot legally have "natural" on the label.) There are a couple of common brands that contain a blend of natural and synthetic vanillas. If you grew up with a natural/synthetic blend, this may taste more familiar to you than a pure extract.

I have seen double strength extract before and I think this is what my mom believes regular extract is...

Quote

Single Fold, Double Fold, etc.
The word "fold" connotes concentration in liquid vanilla extracts and synthetics. Single fold (written 1x) is the standard concentrate of pure vanilla extract. Double fold (2x) is twice as strong, and so forth. Concentrations can go up to 20-fold, but the extract isn't real stable above four-fold. In candy-making, where liquids can change the chemistry of the finished product, a multi-fold extract concentrate is useful.

I think she is just confused about what the word "extract" means. I think she's under the impression that it has a similar meaning to condensed or concentrated.

WR

« Last Edit: September 04, 2008, 12:33:49 PM by Whiterock »
Logged

Who Needs God?

My Blog - Yarb d'Farb Knarb Check out the Wellness Wednesday tag for your health-related blog posts!

Re: Extracts & Flavorings
« Reply #10 on: September 04, 2008, 03:35:21 PM » by hi_itsgwen

On bulkherbstore.com, they do say that alcohol draws out more of the herb (or bean) than does glycerine. So there might be something to that. It probably also depends on how long your extract has been steeping

Logged

Re: Extracts & Flavorings
« Reply #11 on: September 04, 2008, 04:54:53 PM » by ladyhen

Quote from: hi_itsgwen on September 04, 2008, 03:35:21 PM

I'm not sure that this is accurate. Every herbal book that I have read agrees that alcohol is the best for extracting properties from the botanicals and has no exception made for length of time.

Logged

Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Titus 2:13

Re: Extracts & Flavorings
« Reply #12 on: September 04, 2008, 08:55:30 PM » by hi_itsgwen

Oh, that wasn't bulk herb store info...that was my own info.

The vanilla recipes that I've read say to steep it for several weeks to several months to get maximum flavor.

Logged

Re: Extracts & Flavorings
« Reply #13 on: September 05, 2008, 09:22:24 AM » by ladyhen

Quote from: hi_itsgwen on September 04, 2008, 08:55:30 PM

Oh, that wasn't bulk herb store info...that was my own info.

The vanilla recipes that I've read say to steep it for several weeks to several months to get maximum flavor.

Oops! I must have read your other post incorrectly and thought you were saying that alcohol and glycerine were the same if left for a longer time. My mistake. Embarrassed

And you're right that it takes months to extract vanilla properly. Also need to open the vanilla bean to get the best of flavor.

I had a disappointing experience this summer. Some friends of ours were going to Mazatlan, Mexico for vacation so I asked her to get me a BIG bottle of Mexican vanilla. I love that stuff! She brought back imitation vanilla. Sad