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Golden homemade apricot extract with fresh and dried apricots

Homemade Apricot Extract for Very Occasional Full GAPS

A golden homemade apricot extract steeped with fresh and dried apricots, cracked shells, inner kernels, and plain additive-free vodka.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Minimum Steeping Time 21 days
Total Time 21 days 15 minutes
Servings: 1 batch
Course: Condiment, Flavoring
Cuisine: American, GAPS
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup plain additive-free vodka no sugar, flavoring, coloring, or other additions
  • 6 fresh ripe apricots rinsed, dried, halved, and pitted; keep every stone
  • 4 whole additive-free dehydrated apricots without sugar, preservatives, oil, or sulfur dioxide
  • 6 sets cracked apricot pit shells and inner kernels from the fresh apricots above

Equipment

  • 1 Chef's knife and cutting board
  • 1 Folded kitchen towel for containing each pit while cracking
  • 1 Sturdy nutcracker
  • 1 Liquid measuring cup
  • 1 Clear lidded glass steeping jar large enough for the complete batch
  • 1 Fine-mesh stainless-steel strainer
  • 1 Clear glass measuring jug or bowl
  • 1 Small funnel
  • 1 Clean glass storage bottle with tight cork or cap

Method
 

  1. Rinse and dry the six fresh apricots. Cut each fruit around its seam, twist it into two halves, remove the hard stone, and keep all six stones. You should have exactly 12 fresh apricot halves.
  2. Wrap one stone at a time in a folded kitchen towel and crack it with a sturdy nutcracker. Keep the split shell pieces and the pale inner kernel from each stone. Count 6 shell sets and 6 kernels.
    Twelve fresh apricot halves, four dried apricots, six cracked pit shells and six kernels beside jar and vodka
  3. Place the 12 fresh apricot halves, 4 dehydrated apricots, 6 cracked shell sets, and 6 inner kernels in a clear glass jar. Pour in 1 cup plain additive-free vodka and fit the lid.
  4. Put the covered jar in a dark cupboard at room temperature for 3 to 4 weeks. At 3 weeks, open and smell the liquid. It is ready when it smells strongly and unmistakably of apricots; if the aroma is faint, reseal and continue toward 4 weeks.
  5. Set a fine-mesh stainless-steel strainer over a clear glass measuring jug or bowl. Pour the full jar through it and let the golden liquid drain away from the softened fruit, shells, and kernels. Do not return the solids to the finished bottle.
    Golden apricot extract strained beneath softened apricots, shells, and kernels
  6. Transfer only the strained extract through a small funnel into a clean glass bottle. Cap tightly, label with the extract name and strain date, and keep in a cool dark cupboard. The final volume may be slightly less than 1 cup because the fruit retains some liquid.

Notes

Very occasional Full GAPS: Plain additive-free vodka is reserved for rare, small amounts. Use this extract as a later Full GAPS culinary flavoring in small recipe quantities. It is not an Introduction Diet recipe.
Steeping window: Three weeks is the minimum represented in the time fields; continue up to four weeks when the apricot aroma remains faint.
One batch: The servings control scales the complete batch. Final liquid volume varies because the fruit retains some vodka.
No spent-fruit route: This formula stops after straining and does not treat the used fruit as another recipe or claim that cooking removes the alcohol.

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