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Small glass bottle of lemon extract with lemon peels inside

How To Make Lemon Extract

No need to pay high dollar prices for a tiny bottle of lemon extract when you know how to make it. Learn how to make lemon extract at home!

Course Extract
Cuisine American
Keyword lemon, baking, lemon extract, extracts
Prep Time 10 minutes
Soaking Time 30 days
Total Time 30 days 10 minutes
Servings 1 1/4 Cups

Ingredients

  • 4 Lemons
  • 1 1/4 Cups Vodka or Everclear

Instructions

  1. You want to start by washing the lemons and then dry them.

  2. Then using a zester or a citrus twist peeler, remove the zests from all the lemons. You just want to make sure you are only getting the yellow part of the peel. The white part will make the extract bitter. If you get a few pieces of the white in there it is ok, just try and avoid as much of it as you can.

  3. Now simply add the zest to a jar and pour the vodka over it. You want to make sure that all of the zest is submerged in the vodka. Place the lid on the jar and keep in a dark area. 

  4. Every few days over the next four weeks give it a shake.

  5. After four weeks, strain off the liquid from the zest making sure to keep the liquid. Add the liquid to small bottles and toss the used zest.

Recipe Notes

NOTE: You can place the zest in small bottles and fill like I have done in the pictures if you want. The only issue with doing this is when it comes time to take the zest back out it is a little tricky, but can be done.