How To Make Lemon Extract With Just 2 Ingredients

With a potent, flavor-packed lemon extract, you can make so much complex culinary magic, from savory to sweet applications. But making the potent stuff from scratch actually requires very little effort — in fact, it calls for only two ingredients: lemon zest and vodka.

The peel of your lemon is the most important part of the fruit in this project, as the pebbled yellow skin boasts essential oils — and thus those signature aromatic compounds and major flavor. Alcohol is brought into the equation since it's a natural flavor carrier, hence the reason it provides the foundation for other oft-used extracts like vanilla, almond, and coconut. When combined, you have a powerhouse ingredient that can transform your creations with just a few drops. 

Pair this extract with fresh zest to turn up the flavor in your blueberry muffins, amp up the pucker power of your lemon shortbread cookies, or try it in other lemon-friendly recipes where you might only have used a vanilla extract in the past. This tasty elixir makes an ideal gift when packaged up into small bottles, too. And while you will need to be a bit long on patience for the best results, the short ingredient list makes it a snap to create your own lemon extract.

To make lemon extract, you'll need about five lemons for every cup of vodka. It's up to you if you want to opt for Meyer or regular lemons, but either way wash them and try to scrub off that grocery store waxy coating if applicable. Grab a grater (preferably a microplane if you've got one), and zest the entire fruit. You can also opt to peel the lemon with a knife or vegetable peeler, just be sure to leave behind the white pith to avoid its bitterness.

Your vodka should be no less than 80 proof (or 40% alcohol by volume). You may wonder if other spirits are acceptable, and the short answer is yes. (In fact, you may even find vanilla extracts with a bourbon whiskey foundation.) That said, other liquors will have distinctive profiles that may clash with lemon or whatever it is you're making with your extract, while vodka is relatively mild in flavor, and will allow the essential character of your lemon to shine.

Prepare a jar for storage, making sure it's clean and sterile, then combine the vodka with the lemon zest or peel and store in a cool, dark place. The hardest part is what comes next — waiting. Four weeks is a good start, although longer infusions will yield more lemon flavor; some people even recommend up to eight weeks of infusion. In the meantime, you can start planning your myriad lemony creations.