Butter essence is a wonderful ingredient that imparts the delicious taste of butter to baked treats. While readily available in supermarkets at an affordable price, certain brands may contain additional additives besides butter and alcohol. Let’s explore creating our homemade version with just two simple ingredients! This homemade essence can be utilized in various cooking and baking recipes as a versatile flavoring agent.
Choosing the Right Ingredients for Your Homemade Butter Extract
Vodka is by far the most common choice for DIY extracts as it is flavorless and has a high alcohol content, which helps preserve its potency over time. However, if you prefer something sweeter, such as brandy or rum, those work too! I use vodka with an alcohol percentage of 40, which is about 80 proof. Anything less will mean a less flavorful extract.
For the butter, you want a good, unsalted variety. The higher the quality of the butter, the better your extract will taste. If possible, opt for organic or grass-fed butter, as it tends to have a richer flavor.
Step-By-Step Guide to Making Butter Extract at Home
You will need:
- ½ cup of butter (unsalted)
- 1 cup of alcohol: I used 80-proof vodka
Method:
Step 1. Start by gathering the butter in a saucepan.
Step 2. Add all the vodka to the saucepan and mix thoroughly with a stirring spoon.
Step 3. Place the saucepan on low heat and let the mixture warm up together. This is crucial to ensure proper blending without alcohol evaporation. Keep it on low heat for around 5 minutes.
Step 4. Move on to the infusion phase, where the ingredients should blend effectively. Cover the saucepan and let the mixture sit at room temperature for 5 to 6 hours.
Step 5. Transfer the mixture to a bowl or airtight container and place it in the freezer overnight. Freezing helps the butter’s fat infuse all its flavor into the vodka. The fat layer will separate the next day.
Step 6. Strain the mixture using a strainer to remove the hardened fat, ensuring the filter removes any residue.
Step 7. Your butter extract is now ready. Pour the obtained butter extract into a bottle and refrigerate right away. It should last at least 6 months.
Do I Have to Use Alcohol to Make Extracts?
Using vodka offers a significant benefit as it is both odorless and tasteless, allowing the rich butter flavor to shine. Alcohol also aids in preserving the extract by halting the growth of bacteria, resulting in a more stable product compared to alcohol-free glycerites. For those opting for non-alcoholic extracts, simply swap the alcohol in any extract recipe with three parts food-grade liquid glycerin and one part water. Mix the two liquids thoroughly before continuing with the recipe.
Tips For Storing and Using Your Homemade Butter Extract
Store butter extract in the refrigerator to preserve it for as long as possible. It should last a minimum of 6 months, maybe even longer. Avoid heat and direct sunlight exposure, as these can hasten flavor deterioration.
How to Adjust Your Butter Extract’s Strength
The rule of thumb to follow for most extracts is: The flavor intensifies the longer the extract rests. Once the extract reaches your desired strength, filter it through cheesecloth and dispose of the butter.
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FAQs
Smooth and rich, it complements cakes, cookies, pancakes, and waffles perfectly. Its flavor is also ideal for light cooking.
The butter extract boosts or imparts a buttery flavor to dishes. It does not substitute butter in recipes; rather, it serves as a flavor enhancer like vanilla extract or other extracts.
It adds a buttery flavor without the fat content, which is why some people like it. Remember that substituting real butter with butter extract can alter the texture of your dish since butter extract lacks the fat content of real butter. Therefore, reserve butter extract for recipes where you want to enhance the buttery flavor or for dishes that do not include butter!
How To Make 2-Ingredient Butter Extract
Ingredients
Instructions
You will need:
- ½ cup of butter (unsalted)
- 1 cup of alcohol: I used 80-proof vodka
Method:
Step 1. Start by gathering the butter in a saucepan.
Step 2. Add all the vodka to the saucepan and mix thoroughly with a stirring spoon.
Step 3. Place the saucepan on low heat and let the mixture warm up together. This is crucial to ensure proper blending without alcohol evaporation. Keep it on low heat for around 5 minutes.
Step 4. Move on to the infusion phase, where the ingredients should blend effectively. Cover the saucepan and let the mixture sit at room temperature for 5 to 6 hours.
Step 5. Transfer the mixture to a bowl or airtight container and place it in the freezer overnight. Freezing helps the butter’s fat infuse all its flavor into the vodka. The fat layer will separate the next day.
Step 6. Strain the mixture using a strainer to remove the hardened fat, ensuring the filter removes any residue.
Step 7. Your butter extract is now ready. Pour the obtained butter extract into a bottle and refrigerate right away. It should last at least 6 months.
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