Brighten up your baking and cooking with easy, homemade citrus extract! Whether you’re using oranges, lemons, limes, or a mix of all three, this simple method creates a fragrant, flavorful extract that adds a fresh, vibrant punch to cakes, cookies, frostings, marinades, and more. All you need are citrus peels, vodka, and a little time—no special equipment or complicated steps required. Once you try this homemade version, you’ll never go back to store-bought!
You can also try homemade vanilla!
Ingredients & Equipment Needed
- glass bottles – for gifting
- mason jars – for steeping
- vegetable peeler
- high-quality vodka – you want 40% alcohol.
- your choice of oranges, lemons, or mint leaves – ensure the fruit or mint is fragrant, very high quality, and at peak freshness.
- gentle soap – like Mrs. Meyers; a detergent like Dawn may be too strong and leave a soapy flavor behind.
How to Make Homemade Citrus Extract
- Choose fresh, fragrant citrus fruit with no off smell.
- Wash thoroughly with warm water and mild soap to remove wax.
- Peel just the outer layer using a vegetable peeler.
- Place peels in glass jars and cover fully with vodka.
- Seal jars and let steep for at least one week.
- Once fragrant, transfer extract to small bottles for use or gifting.
Storage & Other Tips
- Use dark glass bottles (amber or cobalt) and store in a cool, dark place—this protects from light that can degrade flavor.
- Shelf-stable indefinitely: High-proof (≥40%) alcohol prevents spoilage. While potency may slowly decline over years, it’s safe to use .
- Optimal flavor span: Most extracts are most vibrant within 1–2 months, though still usable for up to 2–5 years.
- Zest only, not pith—the colorful outer peel contains extract-worthy oils while pith adds bitterness.
- Give peels at least 1 week steep time, though 2–3 weeks can yield richer flavor.
- Add zest later to refresh the extract: top off with fresh peels and dilute with more vodka if needed .
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Vodka is preferred because it has a neutral flavor, but you can also use rum or bourbon for a twist—just know those will add additional flavor notes to your extract.
At least one week, but 2–3 weeks will develop a stronger flavor. The longer it sits, the more concentrated the flavor becomes.
No. As long as the peels remain submerged in alcohol, they won’t spoil. You can remove them once you’re happy with the flavor, or leave them in indefinitely.
Nope! Store it in a cool, dark place like a cupboard or pantry. The alcohol preserves it naturally.
Absolutely! Feel free to mix lemon, lime, orange, or even grapefruit peels for a custom blend.
Use at least 80 proof (40% alcohol). Anything lower won’t preserve the peels well.
How to Make Homemade Citrus Extract
Equipment
- glass bottles for gifting
- mason jars for steeping
Ingredients
For every…
- 1 quart high-quality vodka
You'll need:
- 4 medium oranges OR 6 medium-large lemons
or
- 2 medium oranges AND 3 medium-large lemons
or
- 2 cups mint leaves see notes for mint extract instructions
You'll also need:
- gentle soap like Mrs. Meyers; a detergent like Dawn may be too strong and leave a soapy flavor behind
- mason jars for steeping; see link above
- amber glass bottles for gifting; see link above
Instructions
- Select high-quality, fragrant fruit that doesn't smell off or rancid at all. Wash thoroughly in warm water with a gentle soap, like Mrs. Meyers, to remove any wax from the peels.
- Using a vegetable peeler, peel the topmost layer off each piece of fruit. Place the orange peels in one glass mason jar and the lemon peels in another, then cover with vodka. Make sure the peels are completely submerged and then place lids on the jars.(if you're using a quart of vodka, you'll want each jar to be about half full of peels. For a quart of extract, use a quart jar, for two separate extracts, use two pint jars).
- Allow them to steep for at least a week (as long as the peels are covered, the alcohol will preserve the peels and prevent them from rotting).
- When the extracts are very fragrant, transfer to small bottles for gifting.
Questions & Reviews
Followed the instructions and the gifts turned out great! Thank you!
Left it in the jar for over a year…is it still good?
With the peels in? I’ve never left it that long so I can’t answer for sure. If the peels still look okay and it smells good I would think it would be okay but I can’t answer for sure!
Yes, you can strain out the peels and make roll them in sugar to use as candied peels. the extract will be good for years now. Any of the citrus extracts should be strained of the fruit after one year and capped off. then used whenever. I was taught they don’t have an expiration date after removing the peels as long as you remove them after a year.
How long will this be good for? Like if I make it now from the abundance of oranges on my trees will it still be good for gift giving 9 months from now at Christmas time?
Definitely! Once it’s in the alcohol, who knows how long it will take to go bad! ????
I’ve got some hard-to-buy-for people on my list who would love these extracts. Are there any specific gifting-sized little bottles you’d recommend? I’m not sure where to find them. Thanks!
Check out the bottles I link to in the vanilla post—those are the perfect size! ????????
great gift ideas as you write, thank you, I love making limoncello too!
I started making the vanilla recipe the second week of November – so I am not sure if I will be giving it away this Christmas. But this is a great back-up plan that I can do this week. Thanks!
“One wearing a sweater” ???? I still make homemade vanilla extract from your recipe, but I don’t give it to anyone anymore. I hide it at the back of the cabinet and, if anyone tries to use it, I wrap my arms around it in true Smeagol fashion and sneer “my precious” until they walk away to get the store bought kind from the pantry. ???? ???? I’m super excited to try these citrus ones!