Super Easy Moonshine Extracts-4 Recipes Provided

Super easy moonshine extracts are so easy to make and I will show you how to make four of my favorite moonshine extracts with recipes provided.

Once you succeed in making just one extract, I bet you’ll be hooked like I was after my first bottle of vanilla bean extract. That was decades ago. I haven’t stopped making a wide variety of extracts. Some I know I will not make again, and others I should sell in a market! But the whole process is so much fun to experiment with and develop your own type of extracts.

Why Make Homemade Vanilla Extract?

Once you make your own vanilla bean extract you will never go back to buying that stuff in the store with the plastic bottle and paying ridiculously high prices.

You can choose the depth of the strength in the alcohol and the vanilla bean grade to use. Not to mention bragging rights for making your own vanilla extract!

Making something unique such as an extract is widely received as a gift from everyone! Giving little bottles of this liquid gold will have a spot on everyone’s “wish list” for the holidays.

What Type of Alcohol is Used to Make Extract?

You may use many types of alcohol but they should be at least 80 proof. The most common alcohol used to make extracts is vodka. Whiskey, bourbon, rum, and even brandy can be used. Of course, you don’t want alcohol that will compete with the beans. But you may choose something that will blend well with the beans.

I make all my extracts with local moonshine. I have, however, used a store boughten white lightening that was aged in whiskey barrels and I absolutely love it! Did you know another name for moonshine is white lightning or corn whiskey?

I know that many people choose to use vodka for a more economical version of alcohol but since I have access to free pure-grade moonshine all the time, that is why that is my go-to for the alcohol base.

But the main reason that I choose to use moonshine is that the proof is between 100 to 160 which in turn gives you a higher concentration of vanilla extract.

Super easy moonshine extracts are so easy to make and I will show you how to make four of my favorite moonshine extracts with recipes provided. Let’s get started!

What Type of Vanilla Bean Should Be Used to Make Extract?

Start with the best ingredients attainable. Find the truest vanilla beans possible because over the last 30 years I have purchased some real duds. Since I use the best vanilla beans, I can actually reuse them 2 to 3 times for making more batches of moonshine vanilla bean extract.

I have heard that some will split the vanilla bean (Grade A) open and scrape out all the seeds before making extract. That is something I would never do. My way is simple, leave the beans whole and snip them into pieces. By using the Grade B beans, it’s impossible to split, these are truly meant to make vanilla extracts.

An interesting read on the different types of vanilla beans can be found Types of vanilla beans.

Moonshine Extract Video Tutorial

Homemade Moonshine Extract Recipes

Vanilla Bean Moonshine Extract

• 12 to 14-ounce UV jar with a swing top
• Add 2 to 3 chopped whole vanilla beans to the bottom of the jar
• It’s best to snip the beans into half-inch pieces
• Use scissors that have been sterilized
• Top off the jar up to a half-inch from the top with the highest-grade moonshine that you can purchase or acquire from visiting a local farmer
• Keep in a cool, dark place
• Shake once a week or twice a month

Moonshine Lemon Zest Extract

Homemade lemon extract is so much better than that stuff from the store. If the first ingredient is “alcohol” why not use the best and local alcohol there is? If I have an 8-ounce UV jar, I will make a larger batch of this since I love to make lemon pound cake and other lemon desserts throughout the year.

• 4-ounce UV jar
• Zest from at least 6 lemons (wash them first)
• Top off the jar up to a half-inch from the top with the highest-grade moonshine that you can purchase or acquire from visiting a local farmer
• Keep in a cool, dark place
• Shake once a week or twice a month

Interested in the benefits of lemons? The whole post can be found in Lemon Health Benefits.

Moonshine Cacao Extract

This is another quick and easy extract to make. As with all extracts, the flavor will become more intense as time passes. Be patient. I do not use a lot of cacao extract throughout the year so I like to make a 4-ounce bottle. When that bottle gets halfway done, I make a new one.

• 4-ounce UV jar
• 2 ounces raw fermented cacao beans, coarsely ground
• Top off the jar up to a half-inch from the top with the highest-grade moonshine that you can purchase or acquire from visiting a local farmer
• Keep in a cool, dark place
• Shake once a week or twice a month

You should try this extract in brownies, my recipe can be found on the blog, One-Bowl Brownies.

Homemade Moonshine Cinnamon Extract

Cinnamon extract is used much more during the winter months for all the desserts being made with cinnamon. During the month of June; if I do not have enough made, I will make a batch to be used that fall and winter. Once you use cinnamon extract, you’ll wonder how you ever lived without it!

• 4-ounce UV jar
• 3 large organic cinnamon sticks, broken in half
• Top off the jar up to a half-inch from the top with the highest-grade moonshine that you can purchase or acquire from visiting a local farmer
• Keep in a cool, dark place
• Shake once a week or twice a month

Try this in my Molasses cookies, that recipe can be found in Molasses Cookies. How about a cinnamon zucchini bread recipe? They can be found in Zucchini Bread Recipes-Cinnamon and Chocolate Coffee with individual printable PDF recipes.

Should You Top Off the Extract?

There are many people and I am not included in this, that will keep topping it off as the vanilla extract is being used by adding more alcohol. For instance, when they get down to half a bottle, they’ll add more moonshine or alcohol to refill the bottle without adding more vanilla beans. 

I find that by doing this you’re constantly weakening the extract. I’d much rather have a strong extract all the time than a weak one most of the time.

You can, however, re-use the vanilla beans 2 to 3 times to make more extract as described in step number one. Just add another half-bean or a full bean or so to the beans you are reusing for a second and third brew.

Reusing Vanilla Beans in Sugar

After using or reusing the vanilla beans several times, don’t discard them! Put the beans in your sugar. Yes, it may make your sugar moist like brown sugar but that does not bother me it is a personal preference thing. I put the beans in my pure cane sugar and also my sugar in the raw.

You may dry them out beforehand if you want but all the vanilla bean liquid that dissipate or evaporate will be in the air and be wasted. I’d rather have all that extra liquid in my sugar.

Aging Extracts

Let the mixture “age “ for at least 3 to 6 months before using. Once a week or so, give it a shake. Go ahead and smell it and you will notice how strong the vanilla aroma will appear in each month than the month before. Make a double batch; in a year from now, you’ll be glad that you did.

Try using this extract in my recent post in Cacao Mousse and Homemade Whipped Cream, which is beyond delectable!

How to Store Extracts

Storing extracts should be the same as storing spices. I personally think that UV jars are a must since they will be housing your extract for months and even years to come. Any form of light will weaken the extract.

Keep all the extracts in a cool, dry, and dark place as possible. If you use extracts daily, it’s best to a little bottle in a nearby closet that you refill once it becomes empty to keep the majority of the bottle in a dark place. I have a little bottle I leave on the counter for my steel cut oat breakfasts.

In Conclusion for Super Easy Moonshine Extracts

You may like the mini-series blogs and videos I created, check out the links below.

Part 1: Moonshine Vanilla Extracts this blog post

Part 2: How to Make Homemade Raw Milk Butter

Part 3: How to Make Buttermilk DIY

Part 4: Cacao Recipes with Whipped Cream

Part 5: Pound Cake

Part 6: Jams With and Without Pectin

Part 7: 2 Free DIY Cooling Rack Options

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