Begin by adding 4-5 organic cinnamon sticks (or however many you need to fill your jar) to sterilised glass jar.
Cover the sticks with vodka until they are completely submerged.
Add a lid to the jar and date and label your jar.
Leave it to sit in a cool, dark place away from direct sunlight for 2-3 months. Try to shake the jar a few times a week to ensure the cinnamon sticks remain covered in alcohol.
Open the jar after 8 weeks and smell the extract. If it has a strong scent of cinnamon and is a rich brown colour, you could use what you need for a recipe and then replace the lid and let the remaining extract steep for a couple of weeks longer.
After 2-3 months, you can either strain off the extract and add it to a clean glass jar or small bottle if you’re giving it as a gift. Avoid leaving the cinnamon sticks in the jar for longer than 3 months. This is because (unlike vanilla beans) they can become quite bitter and ruin the flavour of your extract.
Date and label your extract and then it’s ready to begin using it! It’s so simple and I hope this gives you the confidence to try your hand at making your own cinnamon extract!
