From Summer Jars to Christmas Gifts: 13 Homemade Extracts

21 hours ago

2 min read

THE PRINTABLE IS NEAR THE BOTTOM OF THIS PAGE ⬇️

Some Christmas gifts begin long before December.

This summer, I tucked thirteen homemade extracts into jars. Today, I’m opening them, straining and tasting each one, and bottling them for gifts. It’s the part of the project I’ve been looking forward to: seeing the colors, discovering how the aromas have developed, and deciding how to share them.

Opening the Summer Extracts

There is quite a collection on the counter:

Raspberry rose
Triple berry mint
Peach vanilla
Maple
Vanilla orange
Mixed berry vanilla
Chamomile
Strawberry lemonade
Four citrus
Banana vanilla
Blueberry lemon
Lemon verbena
Pineapple coconut

In the video, I demonstrate the complete strain-and-bottle method once. Then we go jar by jar, looking at each extract and talking about its aroma and flavor.

Two Ways to Give Homemade Extracts

I like to think about how the person receiving the gift will use it.

For someone who enjoys trying different flavors, I group small bottles into an extract flight. They can explore several varieties without committing to one large bottle.

When I already know someone’s favorite, I give them a larger bottle of that extract. It’s a simple, personal gift chosen with their kitchen in mind.

A Bottle, a Sugar Jar and a Recipe Card

The extracts also become part of homemade baking sets.

In this video, I pair sugar blends with the extracts that complement them best in baking. Each set includes a bottle of extract, a jar of sugar and one recipe card.

The recipe card gives the recipient a place to begin. They can open the gift and know what to make with it.

Thinking Ahead to Next Year

We also revisit the vanilla we started last year.

If you’ve been meaning to begin your own vanilla, this is a lovely time to start a batch for next October. A little work now becomes something to look forward to in next year’s kitchen.