About a week ago, one of our fabulous Facebook group members named Beverly shared her recipe for Cranberry Orange Extract. In the extract, she added our Indonesian Vanilla Beans which added such a rich and wonderful touch. We are so excited to share her recipe in her own words and picture. I can already think of all the holiday treats and drinks this would be the perfect addition to!
Ingredients:
- 12 oz. Dried Cranberries ( I used unsweetened)
- 12 Blood oranges - peels only (additional 8 oranges can be frozen to use when doing the 2 exchanges - other orange varieties will work as well)
- 2 tsp. Whole Cloves
- 1 Vanilla Bean - split and cut in half (I used Indonesian, but any variety will work)
- 8 oz Bacardi Gold Rum - make sure all ingredients are covered with the Rum. Depending on the shape of your jar, you may need an additional ounce or so of Rum. (White Rum would be a good choice as well)
- Pint Glass Mason Jar with a tight-fitting lid
Instructions:
- In a pint glass jar, layer 4 oz. dried cranberries, split and cut vanilla bean, peels from 4 of the oranges (all white pith removed), whole cloves, then cover with Rum.
- Do TWO exchanges with the cranberries (4 oz), and oranges (peels from 4 oranges). Strain the mixture and discard, (or *save and dry) the used cranberries and orange peels. Save the vanilla bean and whole cloves. Place fresh dried cranberries and orange peels, along with the whole cloves and vanilla bean back in the jar and cover with the Rum at each exchange. You may need to top off with an additional 1/2 to 1 ounce of Rum as the cranberries will absorb a small amount of the alcohol.
- 1st exchange at 3 weeks, and 2nd and final exchange at 6 weeks. After the second exchange let the mixture continue to work for 3 to 4 weeks, then strain and remove everything but the vanilla bean. Place the vanilla bean in the finished extract as it will continue to enhance the flavor.
- Extract time 3 to 4 months. ENJOY!!!
Note:
*I am saving my cranberries and orange peels to dry and grind after all the exchanges. I plan to use them in sugar to enhance the flavor of a variety of baked goods.
Comments
Where do you find dried cranberries? Most dried fruit has sugar
Thank you
Looks wonderful what is the shelf life of this extract and like the others kept in cupboard?
Can you use fresh cranberries?
Hi Beverly, this looks delicious. Looking at the picture I’m not sure if your only using the orange peel and not any of the orange. It looks like there could be orange chunks.
Hello, Linda!
There is no such thing as a stupid question! :) We believe it would be a great addition to cranberry/orange scones to help bring out the flavor, smoothies, holiday drinks, and more!
This looks fun and wonderful. Can I ask what how it is used when it is done? Hope that is not a really stupid question!!!
Hi Grace!
Correct. If you’re not wanting the caviar in the extract, most people use a coffee filter. :)
I had to move Tahiti beans to a taller, skinnier jar because the beans kept sticking up out of the liquid. There was tons of caviar and some caviar was kind of slimy. Is this okay? Do I need to strain this through a coffee filter when it is ready if I don’t want the caviar in the vanilla gifts?