LH 67: Infused Gifts – Homemade Vanilla Extract and More

This episode is about making infused gifts to give away at the holidays.

These are all simple recipes that do not take much effort. However, infusing does take a little bit of time because the flavorings must sit for a while.

So be sure to start these infusions as soon as possible. That way, you will have several nice gifts ready at holiday time.

You learn:

• How to make a simple spiced rum
• How to make a Grand Marnier (orange liqueur)
• Some simple tips for packaging
• The steps to creating a homemade vanilla extract
• Why you can use bulk vanilla
• What to add to each vanilla bottle to keep the flavor strong

As a bonus, there is a PDF below for creating a simple cranberry liqueur as well.

The complete instructions are in the transcript for making:

• Spiced Rum
• Grand Marnier (orange liqueur)
• Vanilla Extract

But it also lovely to make a festive cranberry liqueur using fresh or frozen cranberries.

What I like about this liqueur recipe is that you can make it the traditional way (using a granulated sugar syrup). Or you can make a tart (unsweetened liqueur) to use in mixed drinks. Or you can sweet the liqueur with apple juice and avoid the granulated sugar completely.

You can get my cranberry liqueur recipe here:

Note:

When bottling up your creations, you need to pour the finished alcohol infusions into clean bottles that have been washed with hot, soapy water. You do not have to “sterilize” the bottles by boiling for 10 minutes because the alcohol is a pretty good preservative. But you certainly can boil the bottles if you want to. You can also run your bottles through the dishwasher.

Resources Mentioned in the Episode:

Bulk Vanilla Beans – from Mountain Rose Herbs (fair trade & organic)

Cardamum pods – from Mountain Rose Herbs

Bottles for gift giving – Fillmore Container

More Bottles for gift giving – Specialty Bottle Company

Recommended for Further Reading:

Homemade Liqueurs Book* by Andrew Schloss

Cordials From Your Kitchen* by Rich Gulling

Transcript:

Click here for the full transcript of Episode #67 

Other Episodes You May Be Interested In:

Making Fruit Liqueurs (Episode 33)