Wow, so easy!!! I've never used lemon extract in anything, but I'm sure it wouldn't be too hard to find some use for it!

So nice to make your own extracts. I make one with peppermint leaves.

Nicely done!

We talked about this not to long ago. Someone ask me for the recipe..I can't remember who it was but wonder if she made it.

I put some baking soda in a small cute glass container sprinkle a bit of homemade extract on top as a room air freshener. Or put a few drops on a old face cloth and put it in with your bath towels or bed linen. The more drops the stronger they will be. I love lemon in with my sheets and peppermint with my bath towels.

Very nice Debby. Did you print the label?

Mamapinky, you gave me the recipe for lemon and mint in a canning jar. To answer your question I have made both. I add lemon to lemon tea cookies and I also like it in white icing instead of vanilla. Sometimes I add a few drops of the peppermint to a cup of tea or to hot chocolate.

Ali sounds good.

That is a pretty label, Debby.

I went to avery.ca and printed a business card. ;) I found the picture of the lemons online. I just cut the business card smaller otherwise it was too tall for the bottle.

Thanks for the recipe, had no idea it was so easy to make lemon extract! You could probably make orange extract this way as well?

I wish I had stocked up on madagascar vanilla beans a few years ago when they were still affordable, current prices are outrageous.

The vanilla beans are out of this world $$$$....but if you use a lot of vanilla extract it would still be cheaper to make your own.

I've never made lemon extract and unfortunately just bought a bottle, but when I empty my almost empty bottle, I will save it and make your recipe for extract. I have been making vanilla for 40 years or more. I prefer rum -- it has more depth IMO than vodka (although I did try the vodka for one batch) -- it is THE BEST vanilla and you can get a lot of vanilla out of a few beans. I always have three jars in the larder -- one to use and two in the making -- quart size jars for the making. It's simple and oh, so much better than most boughten vanilla.

Martha Scott, can I get your vanilla recipe please?

To rub on skin, some people get steam distilled lemon. Lemon is one of those citruses that have a substance called furanocoumarin that can lead to photosensitivity issues if you put it on your skin and then go out in the sun. If the essential oil is derived from steam distillation (rather than the much more common cold-pressed) it leaves the furanocoumarin behind.

( just for comparison, lemon has about 6 times the level of the substance as grapefruit )

Thanks for sharing- I had no idea how easy it might be! Years ago I had a huge bottle of lemon extract and I used it in all sorts of cleaning recipes. Now I've been thinking about buying more, but even that extract has gotten expensive- but smells sooooo good.

Once you have strained it, do you just store it in the cabinet like you would any other extract?

I LOVE the label you put on the bottle :^)

quasifish, I store it in the same cupboard as the rest of my spices and extracts.

My vanilla beans run about $23 per bag, which has 3 beans each. They're the freshest beans I've ever gotten. Apparently the reason the beans are getting so expensive is because there was a typhoon and it wiped out the area when the vanilla is grown. It's like gold now.

I found the recipe in a quaint cookbook back in the early 70s -- Buttry Shelf Cookbook -- here it is -- I use more rum and more beans but it is one bean for every six ounces of rum.

Southerners often used bourbon (because it is their hard liquor of choice) and the vodka is a newer choice because in the "old" days there was no vodka (it became popular in the 60s -- 1960s).

LINDERHOF'S HOMEMADE VANILLA

The recipe is easy -- for each six ounces of alcohol (your choice of rum, vodka or bourbon), cut one vanilla bean lengthwise, then cut in pieces with scissors and drop into the alcohol.

Cover tightly (a cork is great) and keep at least six months before using. The light rum turns dark -- like the store vanilla that we are used to.

I thought of using bourbon or rum but already had the vodka. I am Almost tempted to try a batch though to see the difference.

Debby -- do -- I thought the rum was better. I use cheap white rum.

Debby, and others, thanks for the information. I may have to try this!

Thanks! I make my own vanilla. The longer you store vanilla the better the vanilla will be. I appreciate you posting this as I make vanilla to give to my daughter in law for her bakery business. Now I can help with her lemon flavoring! Great thread!