HELP! Anise extract...making my own?
Lori L
Hello everyone!
I'm really frustrated. I have several recipes for anise biscotti
which call for anise extract. I live in a medium sized town in
Sweden, have searched everywhere, and have come to the conclusion that
Swedes don't use anise extract. No one has even heard of it.
However, I have a big bag of star anise in my pantry and am willing to
try to make my own anise flavoring. Does anyone out there know how I
should proceed? Better yet, are there any Swedes out there who know
where I could get the real thing? Thanks in advance!
Lori Linstruth
Catherine E. Bean
Lori L (ll...@mailbox.swipnet.se) wrote:
: Hello everyone!
: Lori Linstruth
Hi Lori--
I don't know too much about making one's own extracts, but I DO know that
lots of people make their own vanilla extract with vanilla beans and
vodka, and you can make Kalhua (coffee liquor) with espresso and sugar
and vodka. So I bet you could do the same with anise, but I don't know
how long you would need to let your extract steep (or ferment, or
whatever) for it to become extract, or how much anise you should use for
how much alcohol. Maybe someone else has a suggestion?
Catherine
--
-|------------------------------|- "To laugh at your enemies--what sweeter
-|- Catherine Bean -|- laughter can there be than that?"
-|-c...@simoneau.phast.umass.edu-|- -Sophochles, _Ajax_
-|------------------------------|-
Arthur A. Simon, Jr.
Lori L wrote:
>
> Hello everyone!
>
> I'm really frustrated. I have several recipes for anise biscotti
> which call for anise extract. I live in a medium sized town in
> Sweden, have searched everywhere, and have come to the conclusion that
> Swedes don't use anise extract. No one has even heard of it.
> However, I have a big bag of star anise in my pantry and am willing to
> try to make my own anise flavoring. Does anyone out there know how I
> should proceed? Better yet, are there any Swedes out there who know
> where I could get the real thing? Thanks in advance!
>
Lori, I believe the anise extract you're referring to is an alcoholic extract of ground anise seed. Anise seed
is used to make strong anise-flavored *brandies* in Greece, Lebanon and Turkey.
Star anise is a different plant that happens to have a similar flavor. Fennel seed is another.
Suggestion: Proceed to your local purveyor of alcoholic spirits and buy a bottle of OUZO (Greek anise brandy)
or RAKI (Lebanon, Turkey). Both of these can be substituted for anise extract except that the true extract will
be stronger with anise flavor.
If you wish to make your own, purchase dried anise seeds wherever you buy your spices, grind them in an
electric coffee mill (Krups, Braun are good) or mortar. Put into a small jar and cover with medicinal alcohol
(95%) if available to you. In the US there is a brand called *EverClear*, sold in alcoholic spirits shops.
Cover the anise seed with about 1.5 x the volume of alcohol, cover (airtight) and allow to sit for about a
week. Shake every now and then. After a bit, you should see some color developing in the liquid above the
seeds. Filter through a paper coffee filter or a funnel lined with polester cotton wool (to catch the seed
residue) into a small bottle, preferably one that has a polyethylene or other solvent-resistant cap liner. DO
NOT DO THIS IN THE PRESENCE OF SPARKS OR FLAME. THIS ALCOHOL IS AS FLAMMABLE AS GASOLINE!! Discard the seed.
Cover the bottle, label and store away from light.
This procedure can also be used to manufacture extracts of caraway (as in akavit), dill, dried lemon peel, etc.
You will not be able to judge the strength of your anise extract in comparison to the product described in your
biscotti recipe, so you may have to adjust the recipe a little. Good luck. If you need more detail, please
email me back.
CPFOODS
Anise extract is not made from star anise but from anise seed. Oil of
anise is used in medicine like cough syrup. Your pharmacy should have oil
of anise. Cut the oil with vodka or other drinking alcohol; 1 part oil of
anise to 7 parts alcohol. Or use it directly in a recipe by use 1/8 of
what the recipe calls for.
This is a favorite flavor of Italian desserts. My local store in
Pittsburgh PA USA has this right on the shelf, of course, their name is
The UnCommon Market.
Hope this helps!
cpfoods
Greg Wallraven
cpf...@aol.com (CPFOODS) wrote:
>Hope this helps!
>cpfoods
If you have difficulty finding the oil of anise at your pharmacy, or
if you are interested in an alternative, I have a suggestion. I
frequently make my own extraction by steeping several tablespoons of
bruised anise seeds (not star) in a pint of inexpensive brandy for
about a month. The result is a strong anise flavor, although I
prepare it primarily for medicinal purposes. One teaspoon of the
extract in a cup of coffee will generally stop my son-in-laws asthma
attacks cold.
Hope this is helpful.
unicor...@gmail.com
Put 4or5 star anise into a half pint jar, cover with vodka and let that sit for 3-4 months.
Happy Spicing!!
Thomas
Terry Coombs
doesn't take anywhere near 3-4 months , you can get OK flavor/scent in a
couple of weeks . Longer is better though .
--
Snag
Yes , I'm old
and crochety - and armed .
Get outta my woods !