Easy Homemade Blackberry Extract Recipe
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Add a delicious tartness to your favorite desserts with this homemade blackberry extract. It’s an uncommon extract with sweet, earthy undertones perfect for boosting the berry flavor in your baked goods, whipped cream, ice cream, and more.
If you love everything blackberry, you’ll definitely want to make a batch of this blackberry extract to add flavor to your favorite cakes, scones, muffins, and more! It has a rich blackberry flavor made by extracting dried blackberries in a neutral alcohol, like vodka. It takes a few weeks to infuse, so it’s best to start it sooner rather than later!
Love everything blackberry? Try my Blackberry Vodka for the best summer cocktails, Blackberry Simple Syrup for tasty homemade cocktails, or bake them into my Blackberry Apple Crumble!
What is Blackberry Extract?
This is a fruit extract that you use for baking! Just like vanilla extract or cinnamon extract, the alcohol pulls all the flavor oils from the dried berries. This allows you to add a real, concentrated blackberry flavor to your recipes without needing to have a ton of berries on hand.
In contrast to blackberry juice concentrate, blackberry extract flavors are much more potent, so a little bit goes a long way.
Why you’ll love this blackberry extract recipe
- ADD MORE BERRY FLAVOR – It doesn’t take much extract to add a pure boost of berry flavor. This is an easy and convenient way to incorporate blackberry into your recipes.
- USE DEHYDRATED BLACKBERRIES – This is a unique ingredient you may not have on hand, but you can easily dry blackberries at home for the best-tasting infused vodka, extracts, and more. This is a great way to use up your blackberries and make your extract with high-quality ingredients!
- UNIQUE HANDMADE GIFT – I bet most of your friends have never heard of blackberry extract, let alone tried it! Share your extra with them to let them try this unique ingredient for themselves!
Equipment
To make this blackberry extract recipe, you’ll need:
- 2 small mason jars (one for infusing, one for storage)
- Fine mesh strainer
- Funnel (optional)
Ingredients
- Dehydrated blackberries – These can be a little tricky to find, but they are the best way to get a strong blackberry flavor and a safe extract. I have a post about dehydrating blackberries coming soon to show you how it works!
- Vodka or Everclear – It’s best to use a neutral alcohol with at least 40% (80-proof) alcohol. I just use the largest, cheapest bottle I can find from Costco.
How to Make Blackberry Extract
1. Place the dried blackberries and vodka in a mason jar. Shake thoroughly.
2. Shake the jar daily for the first 7 days. I like to keep it on the kitchen counter to remember to shake it.
3. Then, store the jar in a cool, dark place like your spice cupboard or pantry for 3-6 weeks. Sniff it often. If it smells like blackberries before you smell the vodka, it’s ready.
4. Strain out the dried blackberries. You can then choose to do a double infusion (restart the process by infusing the extract with a new set of dried berries) or use it as is. You will get the strongest flavor after 2-3 infusions.
Storing Suggestions
Once strained, the extract should be stored in an airtight container, ideally blue or amber glass bottles. These will prevent the sunlight from reaching the extract, which preserves it for longer.
The extract will last for a long time, but I generally try to use my homemade extracts within 2 years or so.
Tips & Variations
- This method works with any dried fruits! This is a great way to make fruit extracts with your favorite ingredients.
- Dried blackberries work best. I have used fresh or frozen blackberries to make extracts before and you can, but they will dilute the extract and make it less shelf-stable. Extracts made with fresh or frozen berries won’t have the same flavor punch as ones made with dried or freeze-dried berries. They will also need to be stored in the fridge for freshness. If you only have fresh fruit on hand, use a 100-proof alcohol and approximately twice as many berries.
- Feel free to use freeze-dried blackberries! They work fantastically in fruit extract recipes.
- Add some extract to a 4 oz bottle and gift it. The mini amber glass bottles are perfect for gifting to friends and family.
- Double or triple infuse for a more potent flavor. Once your first infusion is complete, add a new batch of dried blackberries and repeat the infusion process.
How to Use
This blackberry extract pairs well with fresh berry desserts and mildly flavored bakes so the blackberry really shines through.
- Give your sugar cookies a berry twist
- Add to shortbread, like these Scottish shortbread cookies
- Flavor the batter or icing of this almond cake
- Add an extra boost of flavor to blackberry sauces
- Flavor your homemade ice creams
FAQs
You can use fresh blackberries in this extract, but for best results, use dried or freeze-dried blackberries. The extra moisture in the berries will dilute the extract and make it less flavorful and shelf-stable. If you only have fresh berries, I recommend using 100-proof alcohol and doubling the berry quantity.
Although you may be able to find these in specialty stores, they’re quite uncommon. I recommend drying your own blackberries in your dehydrator or oven following these instructions:
1. Preheat your dehydrator to 135 degrees F.
2. Spread the washed, dried, and halved blackberries in a single layer on the dehydrator trays.
3. Depending on the size and moisture content of your blackberries, let it run for about 11-13 hours. Do not remove from the dehydrator until fully dried with no moisture left in the berries. Larger berries will take longer than smaller berries.
4. Store your dehydrated blackberries in an airtight glass jar.
Here’s the thing – this extract is made with real dried fruit, not natural flavors. Most storebought options use natural flavors to add a concentrated boost of flavor that you really can’t get with fresh ingredients.
Does that mean this extract isn’t good? Not at all! It just means that there are limits to how much flavor you can extract from real dried fruit without adding flavorings.
For the strongest blackberry flavor, use a triple infusion (meaning you infuse the same initial batch of vodka through 3 cycles of dried berries).
Related Recipes
I love making my own homemade extracts with fruits, herbs, and spices! Try these ones to elevate your next batch of baked goods.
Homemade Blackberry Extract Recipe
Equipment
- 1 mason jar
- 1 Small strainer
- 1 2 oz glass bottle
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup dried blackberries, or 1/2 cup fresh berries
- 1/2 cup vodka (100-proof), Everclear or 180-proof alcohol for fresh berries
Instructions
- Place the dried blackberry pieces in the mason jar. Cover with alcohol.
- Shake daily for at least 7 days. Then, store in a cool, dry place for at least 4 weeks.
- When the extract has a strong aroma of fresh blackberries, strain out the dried berries and store the extract in your final storage jar.
Double Infusion (Optional, But Recommended)
- For an even stronger extract, restart the process by adding another 1/4 cup of dried blackberries to the extract you strained the first time. Let it cure for another 4-6 weeks (or longer) before straining out the berries and bottling the extract for storage.
Notes
Nutrition
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