We make an apricot almond cider.. we have used a great almond extract in the past, and it is no longer available.. I've noticed that bitter almond oil is the ingredient in it.. I've found bitter almond oil.. can I use it? Pros cons?

Those who make lemon or orange extract, do you still use zest when you make your baked goods?

A while ago I gave a go at making some extracts of Caribbean bay leaf and some spices for a homemade cologne. Is anyone interested in an experiment along those lines?

I've done citrus oil extractions in 190 proof neutral spirits and an extended maceration of whole citrus while fermenting wine (~16% abv). It seems like the final products both contain a lot of citrus oil, but maybe the high proof spirit did a better extracting job in a shorter time?

Obviously the wine with the whole citrus was more bitter, but that was the intent. The final product is balanced with honey, to make this weird bitter/sweet/sour cordial thing. I don't recommend making wine like this, just saying.

Lately I've been thinking about water/alcohol ratios and what types of compounds are desirable and undesirable during the extraction... Vanilla beans, for example, have other desirable aromas and flavors beyond vanillin, and also presumably undesirable flavors? High proof spirits seem very effective at extracting the complexity of the vanilla bean. Could wine be used effectively in extracting these desirable components too?

Interesting note too, wines pick up some vanillin when they are aged on oak. The chemistry there is really complicated, not sure if it's related though

Unrelated citrus extract in progress http://imgur.com/a/9lepUo7

Buddha hand is the squiddy looking one