EPISODE 129:

Almond Extract

Recipe Source

How to Make Homemade Almond Extract (Crème de Noyeaux) - Forager | Chef


Ingredients 

3 oz Stone fruit pits approximately ½ cup

12 oz Vodka or flavorless alchohol 80 proof

¼ cup Simple syrup or maple syrup simple syrup is equal parts sugar and water

Equipment 

1 Pint mason jar, glass bottle or other nonreactive container

1 Non-reactive mason jar lid

Mallet or Hammer

Towel

Sheet Tray

Steps

  1. Remove the fruit pits and put in a dehydrator at 150 F for 12 hours or until brittle. (Also can heat in the oven at the lowest temperature for a few hours and then left in the oven to completely dry. )

  2. Crack the fruit pits and remove the stones. Discard the shells.

  3. Cherry pits can be cracked or crushed whole as they're very small. I use the shell and seed if I'm making it with them.

  4. Roughly chop or crush the fruit pits, then put in a mason jar, add the vodka and sugar. Screw on a tight, non-reactive lid. Put the jar in the fridge and allow to infuse for 4 weeks.

  5. I've had extracts become usable after a week, but you'll want to wait a month or two for the best flavor.

  6. Strain the extract into a bottle, add the sugar or maple to taste.

  7. label it with the name and date and refrigerate until needed. Discard the fruit seeds.

  8. Unlike some extracts that are stored in a cool dark place, this should always be refrigerated for the strongest almond flavor.

Gretchen’s Notes

My original pits had been stored at room temperature for a few weeks. Which seems to have allowed the flavor compounds to dissipate. When I added my plum pits right after jam processing, these had a distinct almond aromatic to them when I was crushing them and really amped up the almond aromatics in my extract once added.

Sources

How to Make Homemade Almond Extract (Crème de Noyeaux) - Forager | Chef

Almond Extract Recipe - Vanilla Pura

Previous
Previous

EPISODE 128: Carbonara