How to Make Concentrated Coffee Extract

Coffee extracts, concentrates, and syrups are coffee-based flavorings that you can use to make or flavor coffee, baked goods, and other foods. Each flavoring has its own unique uses and its own process for making it. Coffee extract is made by brewing coffee beans in alcohol, and it’s great for flavoring baked goods. Coffee concentrate is a concentrated brew that you can use to make hot and iced coffee quickly. Coffee syrup is a coffee-flavored liquid sweetener that you can use to flavor and sweeten drinks and baked goods. All of these flavorings can be made at home with a few simple ingredients.

[Edit]Ingredients

[Edit]Coffee Extract

• 1 cup (235 ml) vodka
• ¼ cup (21 g) coffee beans, whole

Makes 1 cup

[Edit]Coffee Concentrate

• 12 ounces (340 g) coffee
• 6 cups (1.4 L) water

Makes 4 cups

[Edit]Coffee Syrup

• 2 cups (470 ml) water
• 2 cups (450 g) sugar
• ½ cup (43 g) coffee beans, medium grind

Makes 3 cups

[Edit]Steps

[Edit]Making Coffee Extract

1. Crack the beans. Transfer the beans to a mortar and use a pestle to crack them open. You don’t need to grind the beans like you would to make coffee. Instead, you just want the beans open so they will release their coffee flavor.^[1] If you don’t have a pestle and mortar, you can:
   
   • Pulse the beans a few times in a food processor, coffee grinder, or blender
   • Transfer the beans to a thick plastic bag and crack them carefully with a hammer
2. Combine the beans and vodka in a mason jar. Pour the cracked coffee beans into a clean mason jar. Cover the beans with the vodka, and swirl the jar to fully incorporate the beans and the alcohol. Place the lid on the mason jar and screw on the ring to keep the lid in place.^[2]
   
3. Let the mixture brew for a week. Move the jar somewhere that’s cool and dry to brew. As the cracked coffee beans sit in the vodka, the alcohol will extract the oils and flavors from the beans. Don’t leave the mixture to brew for longer than a week, as the extract can become bitter.
   
   • For a faster coffee extract version, grind the beans finely in a coffee grinder. Combine the beans and vodka in a blender. Blend the mixture together for five minutes, and then let it rest for an additional 10 minutes.
4. Shake the brew daily. Shaking will help the beans to release more of their flavor, and make for a more potent extract.^[3] The shaking will also help to distribute the beans in the alcohol, making for a more consistent flavor.
   
5. Strain the brew. After a week, remove the lid from the mason jar. Line a fine-mesh strainer with cheesecloth, a jelly bag, or a coffee filter. Place a bowl under the strainer and pour the extract into the strainer. Set the extract aside and let it trickle through into the bowl below.
   
   • The straining process could take about 30 minutes.
6. Bottle the extract. Place a funnel into a small jar with an easy-to-pour lid. A clean vanilla extract bottle is ideal for this. Pour the strained liquid into the funnel and fill the jar. Screw the lid on the bottle and store your extract at room temperature.
   
   • When stored with an airtight lid, your coffee extract should last for at least a year, thanks to the preserving effect of the alcohol.^[4]
7. Use the extract to flavor drinks and baked goods. Coffee extract can be added to cakes, cookies, and other baked goods in place of or in addition to other flavorings like vanilla. You can also use it to top ice creams, to make sauces, in cocktails, or to give iced coffee drinks a more potent flavor.
   
   • Use 1 to 2 teaspoons (5 to 10 ml) of coffee extract to give baked goods and other foods a coffee flavor.

[Edit]Making Coffee Concentrate

1. Grind the coffee. Measure the coffee beans and transfer them to a grinder. Depending on the size of your machine, you may have to grind them in smaller batches. Grind the beans to a coarse grind, which is about the same size as grains of sea salt.
   
   • You can adjust the quantities to make larger or smaller batches of concentrate. Use the ratio of one part coffee per four parts water, by weight.^[5]
2. Combine the grounds and water. Transfer the coffee grounds to a large glass pitcher. Cover the beans with cold water from the tap. Stir the mixture well to completely saturate the grounds.
   
   • You can also brew the concentrate in a glass bowl if you don’t have a large pitcher.
   • When you're making smaller batches, you can make the concentrate in a French press. When the concentrate is brewed, press down the plunger to strain out the grounds.^[6]
3. Cover and brew the mixture for 24 hours. Place a clean tea towel over the pitcher to keep out dust, bugs, and other particles. Set the pitcher aside on the counter and let the concentrate brew at room temperature for a full day.^[7]
   
   • Because this mixture is brewed with cold rather than hot water, the extraction process takes much longer.
4. Strain the concentrate. Line a fine-mesh strainer with a disposable coffee filter, cheesecloth, or jelly bag. Position the strainer over a bowl and pour the concentrate into the strainer. Set the concentrate aside and let it drain for 30 to 45 minutes until all the liquid has trickled through the strainer.
   
   • Don’t stir the brew as its being strained, or the concentrate could become cloudy.^[8]
5. Bottle the concentrate. Transfer the concentrated mixture to an airtight jar or container, such as a mason jar. Screw on the lid. Unused portions can be stored in the refrigerator for a week to 10 days.^[9]
   
6. Mix the concentrate with water to make coffee. To use the coffee concentrate, mix one part concentrate with one to two parts boiling water for hot coffee. Add milk and sugar, to taste. You can also use the same ratio of concentrate and cold water or milk to make iced coffee.^[10]
   
   • It’s best to use liquid sweetener in iced coffee, because granulated sugar may not dissolve in the cold coffee.

[Edit]Making Coffee Syrup

1. Heat the sugar and water. Combine the water and sugar in a medium saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for another five minutes to dissolve the sugar.^[11]
   
2. Add the coffee grounds. When the sugar has fully dissolved, remove the pan from the heat. Add the grounds and stir the mixture to completely saturate the coffee with the syrup.
   
   • To make vanilla coffee syrup, stir 1 to 2 teaspoons (5 to 10 ml) of vanilla extract into the syrup as well.^[12]
3. Brew the coffee syrup. Set the pan aside for about an hour. This will give the syrup time to cool, and give the grounds time to infuse the syrup with a delicious coffee flavor.^[13]
   
4. Strain the syrup once it has cooled to room temperature. Line a fine-mesh strainer with a coffee filter or cheesecloth, and position the strainer over a bowl. Pour the syrup into the strainer and let the pure syrup strain through into the bowl below.^[14]
   
5. Bottle the syrup. Transfer the coffee syrup to a sealable jar or container with an easy-to-pour lid. A clean syrup or squeeze bottle is ideal for this, but you can also use a mason jar. Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.^[15]
   
6. Use the syrup to sweeten drinks or desserts. Add between 1 teaspoon and 1 tablespoon (5 to 15 ml) of syrup to sweeten and flavor coffee beverages, cocktails, milkshakes, and other drinks.^[16] You can also use the syrup in place of sugar to flavor baked goods, or drizzle it over iced cream and other desserts.
   

[Edit]Things You’ll Need

[Edit]Coffee Extract

• Pestle and mortar
• Mason jar with a lid
• Fine-mesh strainer
• Cheesecloth
• Bowl
• Funnel
• Small jar

[Edit]Coffee Concentrate

• Coffee grinder
• Large glass pitcher
• Spoon
• Clean tea towel
• Fine-mesh strainer
• Cheesecloth
• Bowl
• Mason jar with a lid

[Edit]Coffee Syrup

• Medium saucepan
• Spoon
• Fine-mesh strainer
• Cheesecloth
• Bowl
• Sealable jar

[Edit]Related wikiHows

• Make Coffee Syrup
• Make Instant Coffee
• Make a Good Pot of Coffee
• Make a Coffee and Egg White Exfoliating Facial

[Edit]References

[Edit]Quick Summary

1. ↑ http://www.themeaningofpie.com/2012/12/coffee-extract/
2. ↑ http://www.themeaningofpie.com/2012/12/coffee-extract/
3. ↑ http://www.themeaningofpie.com/2012/12/coffee-extract/
4. ↑ http://www.thekitchn.com/what-is-the-shelf-life-of-flav-116330
5. ↑ http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-coffee-concentrate-to-serve-hot-coffee-to-a-crowd-cooking-lessons-from-the-kitchn-187198
6. ↑ http://healthyslowcooking.com/make-your-own-coffee-concentrate/
7. ↑ http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-coffee-concentrate-to-serve-hot-coffee-to-a-crowd-cooking-lessons-from-the-kitchn-187198
8. ↑ https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/cold-brew-iced-coffee-concentrate
9. ↑ https://gearpatrol.com/2017/05/31/how-to-make-cold-brew-coffee/
10. ↑ https://gearpatrol.com/2017/05/31/how-to-make-cold-brew-coffee/
11. ↑ http://www.geniuskitchen.com/recipe/coffee-syrup-24775
12. ↑ https://www.littlecookingtips.com/content/easy-delicious-coffee-flavored-syrup
13. ↑ http://www.geniuskitchen.com/recipe/coffee-syrup-24775
14. ↑ http://abeautifulmess.com/2011/11/make-your-own-coffee-syrup-gift-idea.html
15. ↑ https://www.littlecookingtips.com/content/easy-delicious-coffee-flavored-syrup
16. ↑ http://www.geniuskitchen.com/recipe/coffee-syrup-24775