Infusions, Extractions & Tinctures at Home: The Topic (Part 1)

[KatieLoeb]

Beans:

I have a bottle of Heaven Hill 7 yr. old bourbon at home that's had a big handful of "used" (scraped out) vanilla pods in it for about 4 months (for those of you that work in restaurants with a Pastry Department-it is an excellent source of these used pods that would normaly just be tossed out). The pods themselves still have quite a bit of flavoring left to give off and it makes a mighty tasty bourbon & coke or is nice for sipping on its own over ice

[Shannon Essa]

Up in San Francisco at 2223 Market, they served a Bloody Mary with "Gazpacho" infused vodka. I couldn't get the exact ingredients out of the bartender, but I want to try this. Do you think some chopped tomatoes and green peppers would work? I won't be able to infuse very long - I want to serve this January 1.

Any ideas for "Gazpacho" vodka?

[KatieLoeb]

Up in San Francisco at 2223 Market, they served a Bloody Mary with "Gazpacho" infused vodka. I couldn't get the exact ingredients out of the bartender, but I want to try this. Do you think some chopped tomatoes and green peppers would work? I won't be able to infuse very long - I want to serve this January 1.

Any ideas for "Gazpacho" vodka?

Shannon:

I think that you definitely need to infuse cucumbers and onion into the vodka as well. Infusing the tomatoes seems to be overkill since I presume this will eventually be mixed with tomato juice, right? I might even use red bell peppers rather than green so as not to get too "vegetal" a taste in the finished product with the cucumbers as well. Also some herbs like parsley or cilantro might be nice but I'm not sure how long you'd have to let everything infuse, or if the herbs might have to go in later.

[WolfChef]

Katie your post reminded me that i used to love vanilla coke in my Johnny Walker Black label over ice. I'd get lots of strange looks from bartenders when i would order it. Sure a few eGulleters out there raised a eyebrow or two my way also.

[beans]

Welcome to eG AgaCooker!

Yum. Vanilla.

I thought it was on this thread, however I searched to find something Sam did that I felt was a wonderful drink -- this

Cheers!

[and again, thank you for sharing that cocktail Sam!]

edit: checked on link -- not going where I thought it would -- Let's try again!

Edited December 29, 2003 by beans (log)

[KatieLoeb]

Katie your post reminded me that i used to love vanilla coke in my Johnny Walker Black label over ice. I'd get lots of strange looks from bartenders when i would order it. Sure a few eGulleters out there raised a eyebrow or two my way also.

Great minds think alike...

I confess I drink Diet Coke but the Diet Vanilla Coke just isn't that tasty. The vanilla tastes kind of "plastic" and fake. Diet Vanilla Pepsi is sonewhat better but I haven't had any in the house when I needed it to experiment with this cocktail. The vanilla infused bourbon is the perfect answer. And it's actually delicious over ice for sipping as well.

[beans]

edited to add: Welcome to eG Shannon!

[forgot my manners getting all excited about gazpacho bloodies and vanilla in whiskey.... ]

Up in San Francisco at 2223 Market, they served a Bloody Mary with "Gazpacho" infused vodka.  I couldn't get the exact ingredients out of the bartender, but I want to try this.  Do you think some chopped tomatoes and green peppers would work?  I won't be able to infuse very long - I want to serve this January 1.

Any ideas for "Gazpacho" vodka?

Shannon:

I think that you definitely need to infuse cucumbers and onion into the vodka as well. Infusing the tomatoes seems to be overkill since I presume this will eventually be mixed with tomato juice, right? I might even use red bell peppers rather than green so as not to get too "vegetal" a taste in the finished product with the cucumbers as well. Also some herbs like parsley or cilantro might be nice but I'm not sure how long you'd have to let everything infuse, or if the herbs might have to go in later.

Add to that -- hot peppers like a jalapeno, or perhaps using Absolut Peppar as the infusion vodka?

Nah. I'd throw in the jalapeno.

Yum.

Edited December 28, 2003 by beans (log)

[KatieLoeb]

Add to that -- hot peppers like a jalapeno, or perhaps using Absolut Peppar as the infusion vodka?

Nah. I'd throw in the jalapeno.

Yum.

Yeah - What she said.

I'll see your Yum and raise you to Yummy!

Welcome Shannon!

[beans]

only *fun* can be had here!!!

[Shannon Essa]

Thanks for the welcome, and the tips!

I'll use cucumbers, red peppers, red onion and jalapeno and throw some parsley in at the end. Will let you know how it turns out!

I am having a New Year's Day Party - the theme is hangover relief. So I'll serve Bloody Marys with the infused vodka, a pretty intense homemade eggnog, Bellini's, and Anchor Steam Christmas Ale. Anyone in the San Diego area is welcome!

[mjg]

I made Bloody Mary's on Christmas Day with my habanero-infused vodka. They were intense. The first one I made I didn't cut with any regular vodka and it was like drinking really tasty fire.

The turnaround time for your gazpacho vodka is pretty tight, but I'm sure that you'll pick up the stronger flavors from the onion and jalepeno at the very least.

[mjg]

Over the weekend I strained out three of my infusions. Here is a picture:

From left to right, they are Lemon, Cranberry, and Lemon Lime. I added some crystallized ginger to the lemon after straining out the lemon zest. We'll see how that works out.

On sampling, each turned out great. The Cranberry went well with Sprite. I mixed up a couple drinks using the Lemon Lime as well. One measure Cranberry, one half measure Lemon Lime, one measure Apple Pucker and one measure simple syrup was tasty, though my wife preferred the same concoction minus the Apple Pucker. Tasted quite a bit like pink lemonade.

I found the six ounce bottles at a craft store. I was hoping to find something a little larger, as the mason jars I use for the infusion hold 12 oz., but in the end I consider the extra 4 to 6 ounces left over the "angel's share" and will use that for testing out recipes before giving away the smaller bottles.

[beans]

Thanks for sharing mjg.

Those look fantastic.

In fact those look so lovely, I think I'm going to start a few new batches for "winter warmer" projects. I always want to make a bunch for the holidays, however infusions always get the short end of the stick on my homemade projects/gifts list. I always want to start them in the fall (or will think of it again around Thanksgiving), forget and get busy, then want them in a pinch come December! (I confess that the raspberry infusion I gave away was made last year and was one of the 750ml bottles that was stashed, hidden and sort of forgotten. ooops.)

If anyone finds a blend they really enjoy and wish to seek out some custom labels for these signature creations -- I've seen some nice work by this website, however I haven't ordered from them, yet. Again, this is one of those holiday things I always plan to do, but....

Alternatively, my Canon bubblejet is at a minimum -- fair on a good day with color printing and if I can sneak in and print a page on our office monster, mega color printer, a wonderful, powerful Minolta, they turn out beautifully. (And, the Minolta's toner doesn't run on contact with anything liquid). Today's MS publishing templates are almost as much fun as creating the infusion!

Edited December 29, 2003 by beans (log)

[cinnamonshops]

hi everyone, i'm new here & i have kind of a specific question about the whole vodka infusing thing:

a few days ago i bought a buddha's hand citron with the intention of infusing it. so. it's a weird fruit & i don't know too much about it, but i take it that there isn't much by way of actual fruit/flesh inside. so my question is, does anyone have an opinion about the best way to go about infusing it? in other words, would it make any sense to just leave it whole? or would i be better off cutting it up and scraping out whatever little fruit (and pith) it might have?

any ideas?

thanks in advance!

molly

ps: here's a link to a little information about the citron, and a picture:

http://www.daleysfruit.com.au/fruit%20pages/citron.htm

[JAZ]

hi everyone, i'm new here & i have kind of a specific question about the whole vodka infusing thing:

a few days ago i bought a buddha's hand citron with the intention of infusing it. so. it's a weird fruit & i don't know too much about it, but i take it that there isn't much by way of actual fruit/flesh inside. so my question is, does anyone have an opinion about the best way to go about infusing it? in other words, would it make any sense to just leave it whole? or would i be better off cutting it up and scraping out whatever little fruit (and pith) it might have?

Welcome, cinnamonshops!

Whenever I've done any infusions with citrus fruit, I've only used the outside layer of the peel, not the fruit itself. I peel it off in strips, leaving the pith behind. So that's what I'd recommend for the buddha's hand as well.

[beans]

Welcome to eG Molly!

a few days ago i bought a buddha's hand citron with the intention of infusing it. so. it's a weird fruit & i don't know too much about it, but i take it that there isn't much by way of actual fruit/flesh inside. so my question is, does anyone have an opinion about the best way to go about infusing it? in other words, would it make any sense to just leave it whole? or would i be better off cutting it up and scraping out whatever little fruit (and pith) it might have?

any ideas?

Do you have a zester/channel knife? Pictured below is from the eGCI class Evolving Cocktails, Part I, that I've found to be the best tool for the job.

Sure, you could use one of those zesters with the tiny holes or a micro-planer, but then the zest will be a real bugger racking (filtering) out of the infusion, after the desired amount of time steeping all of that lovely goodness. However if you have the patience -- more surface contact of the fruit, in this case the zest, in the alcohol does provides optimal flavouring -- go for it!

The above pictured zester/channel knife provides the best and most attractive strips also leaving out the bitter pith. Plus you may find yourself curiously seeing exactly how long you can keep zesting one continuous strip (or maybe that's just me )! Also, removing the zest strips will be much easier and less of the alcohol will be sacraficed during the filtering process as you can simply use a pair of tongs to fish them out.

A restaurant/bar supply will have a "lemon zester" (look for one with the channel knife indent) at a most economical price, usually under US$5, making it a worthy investment to seek out. Restaurant/bar supply stores do sell to the public and welcome the business, so there is no secret handshake or piece of paper that keeps you from visiting them for some economical and practical home bar supply purchases.

The point being, have fun with it. The more fun you have making it the more fun you'll have enjoying your own creation.

I hope some of this helps.

Cheers!

[beans]

Oh! I almost forgot! Molly -- juice the remainder of that buddha's hand citron for use in a lovely cocktail and don't waste it after skinning the little thing!

Edited January 2, 2004 by beans (log)

[DrinkBoy]

When you are wanting to use citrus peels for "infusing", you probably -don't- want to use a channel knife.

The problem is that it is the oils in the skin of the citrus that are adding the flavors to the infusion, and the "stress" of using a channel knife will actually pre-release many of these oils. Carefully watch the next time you spin a zest using a channel knife, and you'll see a spray of oils fly into the air.

This is also why when you use a channel knife to cut a zest for a garnish that you should cut this "over" the glass that the garnish will be used for. This will allow these essential oils to be deposited into the drink where they can add a nice touch of flavoring.

For infusions, you can just slice the citrus into thin slices and put them into the vodka whole, although this will result in a slightly cloudy result. If you want to use just the peel, then my recommendation is to use a pareing knife and gently cut off the peel of the citrus, trying to avoid as much of the white pith as possible (but you can't avoid all of it).

-Robert

www.DrinkBoy.com

[beans]

When you are wanting to use citrus peels for "infusing", you probably -don't- want to use a channel knife.

The problem is that it is the oils in the skin of the citrus that are adding the flavors to the infusion, and the "stress" of using a channel knife will actually pre-release many of these oils. Carefully watch the next time you spin a zest using a channel knife, and you'll see a spray of oils fly into the air.

This is also why when you use a channel knife to cut a zest for a garnish that you should cut this "over" the glass that the garnish will be used for. This will allow these essential oils to be deposited into the drink where they can add a nice touch of flavoring.

For infusions, you can just slice the citrus into thin slices and put them into the vodka whole, although this will result in a slightly cloudy result. If you want to use just the peel, then my recommendation is to use a pareing knife and gently cut off the peel of the citrus, trying to avoid as much of the white pith as possible (but you can't avoid all of it).

-Robert

www.DrinkBoy.com

Robert,

So would the channel knife over the desired infused liquor, catching all of the citrus essential oils, be best? I find that paring knives make removing zest from pith to be a real pain, stressing me out!

Edited January 2, 2004 by beans (log)

[flacoman]

How would dried cherrires work as an infusing element?

I got a big bag of 'em and am getting tired of eating them out of hand

TIA

Flacoman

[beans]

Welcome to eG flacoman!

Yes, yes, yes! Dried cherries would work beautifully. Give it a try and post back. The cherries would most likely impart a lovely jewel like colour to the vodka.

[cinnamonshops]

thanks for all the great advice, everyone!

i guess i was just thinking that it would be tricky to actually peel this particular type of citron, since it's so full of little wrinkles and grooves and whatnot. which is why i was wondering if it might be easier to cut it up and sort of pare away the pith from the inside. so maybe robert's suggestion is the best in this case. huh.

i'm also wondering what a good amount of vodka would be, if i'm just using this one citron (which weighs about 3/4 lb, if that helps). would it be enough to infuse a whole bottle, or should i start with less?

thanks again!

molly

[beans]

i guess i was just thinking that it would be tricky to actually peel this particular type of citron, since it's so full of little wrinkles and grooves and whatnot. which is why i was wondering if it might be easier to cut it up and sort of pare away the pith from the inside. so maybe robert's suggestion is the best in this case. huh.

i'm also wondering what a good amount of vodka would be, if i'm just using this one citron (which weighs about 3/4 lb, if that helps). would it be enough to infuse a whole bottle, or should i start with less?

You are very welcome Molly.

Yikes! I didn't remember that this was the unique, wrinkly finger-like oddity of citrus! (You think we get these fruits in Cleveland???! However I do vaguely remember seeing them in the markets of south east Asia).

Yes, pare away the skin from whatever pith, however it may still be a bit of a challenge -- but well worth the effort. I'm guessing not to expect too much flesh to juice, either.

I tend to believe this citron is a strong and intense fruit. It may be enough to use a whole 750ml, but that would depend upon how much peel and how fragrantly flavourful it is. In the event of needing a second one, are they easily accessible at the market where you reside?

Really there isn't a right or wrong way to do this. Working with small batches (say 16 ounces), shaking the infusion daily and storing in a cool, dark place until the desired depth of taste is easily adjustable if it becomes too strong in flavour -- dilute the infusion a bit with some of the same neutral vodka. Or alternatively, if you do decide to try the whole 750ml and after a week of steeping it isn't strong enough in flavour as you would prefer, add more citron peel.

This has motivated me to visit some of our more exotic markets tomorrow and see what I can find.

Please post back with a tasting note or two on your results!

[Shannon Essa]

A report on my "Gazpacho" infused vodka -

I used one cucumber, one red onion, one jalapeno, and one red bell pepper in one fifth of vodka. It steeped for three days.

It was good, very smooth, and excellent in Bloody Mary's. Next time I would use less red onion and more jalapeno. It was pretty oniony.

I also served the vegetables at my party (marked well so people knew what they were getting into.) They were quite the topic of converstation. Everyone who tasted them had a pretty funny look on their face.

Thanks again for all the tips.

[beans]

A report on my "Gazpacho" infused vodka -

I used one cucumber, one red onion, one jalapeno, and one red bell pepper in one fifth of vodka. It steeped for three days.

It was good, very smooth, and excellent in Bloody Mary's. Next time I would use less red onion and more jalapeno. It was pretty oniony.

I also served the vegetables at my party (marked well so people knew what they were getting into.) They were quite the topic of converstation. Everyone who tasted them had a pretty funny look on their face.

Thanks again for all the tips.

Excelllleeeent. Sounds like it was a hit.

So, you'd make it again and recommend to others, eh? (sans some onion, unless you crave onion!)

Oh, keep them coming!

The ideas! The creativity! So delicious.