MATERIALS:
- Dried Juniper Berries
- 60 proof alcohol
- Jar Label
- Steel Spoon
- Mason jars
- Sieve
- Cheesecloth
- Funnel
DIRECTIONS:
- Measure your juniper berries and alcohol. They must be a 1:5 ratio in order for extraction to work.
- Crush juniper berries and mix them with the alcohol in a mason jar
- Store in a dark, cool place for at least 2 weeks and up to six weeks. Every couple days, stir the mixture. Check for flavor by putting a drop on your hand and rubbing your hands together and smelling. You can also mix a drop with some water and taste it to see how strong the flavor is.
- Once your berries are full extracted, remove from cupboard and line a sieve with a wet piece of cheesecloth. Strain the liquid and berries through the cheesecloth and sieve and into a jar. Be sure to squeeze all the flavor out of the berries in the cheesecloth
- Using a funnel, pour the liquid into a dark amber bottle to store.
TIPS:
If the extract is made with a high proof alcohol, it will last indefinitely. If you make it with water, it will last about 2 weeks.
There’s a lot of guidelines online for how much you should use and refer to that and remember that anything you ingest, you need to check with your doctor first.
If you want to flavor a mocktail or a cocktail, you only need a few drops. Even though we’re using a very high alcohol volume level, it’s similar to vanilla extract or any other extract in that it won’t be enough to get you tipsy.
Add it to some tonic water and enjoy that gin flavor without the alcohol by adding juniper berry and you have a nice tea. If you want to use it as a stomach aid, put maybe 15 dropperfuls in there.
The alternative of course is to use it as a base to your simple syrup and add a few drops to your simple syrup. Put some berries in equal parts water and sugar and simmer it over the stove for about 30 minutes and put it in your fridge and let it sit for 2 weeks.
