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Non-Alcoholic Vanilla Extract & Fruit Extracts

Partial and close shot front on 4 glass bottle of homemade alcohol free extracts labelled vanilla, orange, lemon & almond, on day one 1 with clear liquid.
Easy to make & only 10 minute active-time recipe for alcohol-free extracts for your baking needs. Try non-alcoholic vanilla, orange, lemon, or almond extract. Let me show you how:
Caro @ Caroline's Easy Baking Lessons
Prep Time 10 minutes
Extracting Time (inactive) 56 days
Total Time 56 days 10 minutes
Serving Size 48 tsp

Equipment

  • Jug
  • Spoon
  • Knife & chopping board
  • Jam/Jelly/Mason Jars or Bottles

Ingredients

For Alcohol-free Vanilla Extract

  • 4-6 Vanilla Pods
  • 180 ml Food Grade Vegetable Glycerine (¾ cup, 6 fl oz-US)
  • 60 ml Water (¼ cup, 2 fl oz-US)

For Alcohol-free Orange Extract:

  • 1 Large Orange (Peel only)
  • 180 ml Food Grade Vegetable Glycerine (¾ cup, 6 fl oz-US)
  • 60 ml Water (¼ cup, 2 fl oz-US)

For Alcohol-free Lemon Extract:

  • 2 Medium Lemons (peel only)
  • 180 ml Food Grade Vegetable Glycerine (¾ cup, 6 fl oz-US)
  • 60 ml Water (¼ cup, 2 fl oz-US)

For Alcohol-free Almond Extract:

  • 50 grams Flaked Almonds (1¾ oz, ½ cup Almond slices/slivers)
  • 180 ml Food Grade Vegetable Glycerine (¾ cup, 6 fl oz-US)
  • 60 ml Water (¼ cup, 2 fl oz-US)

Orange, Lemon & Almond Extract (3 x 8oz/240ml jars):

  • 1 Large Orange (peel only)
  • 2 Medium Lemons (peel only)
  • 50 grams Flaked Almonds (1¾ oz, ½ cup Almond slices/slivers approx.)
  • 360 ml Food Grade Vegetable Glycerine (1½ cup, 12 fl oz-US)
  • 120 ml Water (½ cup, 4 fl oz-US)

Vegetable Glycerine : Water ratio 3:1

Instructions

Preparing Jar/Bottle(s):

  • Decide which jars or bottle(s) you want to use & clean well. No need to sterilise. Just ensure thoroughly dried first.

Prepare The Vanilla/Orange etc

  • Open the vanilla pod packet only when ready to use, & use a small sharp knife to cut along the length of the pod. Make sure to cut through just one side, & use the knife tip to open the pod, exposing the beans. If the vanilla pod is too tall for your jar/bottle, you can cut in half after you have sliced the pod.
  • For orange or lemon extract, simply save or freeze the peel. (No need to defrost the peel). Slice the fruit peel into slim strips (roughly 3mm, ⅛" thin).

Prepare The Base Mixture:

  • Prepare the extraction mixture by measuring out the food grade vegetable glycerine and the water.
  • Combine & mixing together really well.

Bringing It Together:

  • As soon as the mixture is prepared, add the vanilla pods, orange/lemon peel or almonds, to the clean jar/bottle. Give the glycerine mixture another mix, before adding to the jar/bottle, ensuring that the vanilla or fruit peel is completely covered. Close tightly and give a really good shake.
  • **Note that the flaked almonds/almond slivers will quickly be pulled to the surface by the glycerine. In the video you will see the bubbles & the almonds moving up. Fruit peel will settle towards the top half of the bottle but not as noticeable as the almonds.

Storing:

  • The extract should be stored in a cool dark area like a cupboard or pantry. Leave for at least 8 weeks (almond extract can take longer), but be sure to give a good shake, every other day for the first 2 weeks, then every week. You can shake the almonds more if you can manage.
  • Without any contamination, & stored properly, the alcohol-free extract will be fine for up to 4 years1

Using The Extract:

Video

Notes

Vegetable Glycerine - must be FOOD GRADE vegetable glycerine, and at least 99.5% glycerine.
Making Different Amounts - this is a guide for making extract, but larger or smaller amounts can be made.  Use a 3:1 ratio of vegetable glycerine to water for best results. 
Yield - listed is amounts for making just one flavour extract, or 3 in smaller amounts.  Yield for nutritional purposes is making 8 oz/240ml vanilla extract only.
4 photo collage showing alcohol-free extracts day 1 and after 5 weeks showing colour changing from clear.
Gluten-free - should be safe for people with celiac/gluten-related disorders if puree vegetable glycerine of at least 99% glycerine.
Colour of The Extract - **Just note that it won't be as dark as when using an alcohol base for your extract**
See information before this recipe card for more details, photos & best way to source vanilla pods as well as recommendations.
Partial and close shot front on 4 glass bottle of homemade alcohol free extracts labelled vanilla, orange, lemon & almond, on day one 1 with clear liquid.
Reference: 1 - How long alcohol-free extracts last, information from TheSpruceEats.com-how to make no-alcoholic vanilla extract
Nutritional Information: I am not a qualified nutritionist and all values are approximate.  Values based on making the amount using all the ingredients listed for making 8 oz/240ml Vanilla extract, where one serving is 1 tsp (teaspoon).  All values calculated on MyFitnessPal.com.
Nutrition Facts
Non-Alcoholic Vanilla Extract & Fruit Extracts
Serving Size
 
1 tsp
Amount per Serving
Calories
17
% Daily Value*
Carbohydrates
 
4
g
1
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.