Pressure Cooker Maple Extract is incredibly powerful and will make your house smell like syrup for days! Â Who can complain about that! Â Oh, right, my kids, because they were disappointed all 20 times that I said “No, we are not having syrup for dinner! Â That smell is just the extract!”
Caution: Never make Extract in a stovetop pressure cooker or near an open flame.  My recipes are written for electric pressure cookers only.  Always use a Natural Release, never a quick release.
For more information on making Pressure Cooker Extract, see this article: Instant Pot Vanilla Extract Research
Pressure Cooker Maple Extract . . . Can you guess what this is made out of? Because I was pretty shocked at this discovery. Fenugreek seeds! Are you envisioning sensational homemade bottles of maple syrup in your future? I really hope you are, because it’s the absolute bomb.
This extract took a few tries. The fenugreek seeds would soak up my 1 cup of vodka leaving me about 3 tablespoons of extract. Â It also had a bitter smell and taste so back to the drawing board I went.
After reading article after article on fenugreek (as my laundry baskets got piled higher and higher-priorities you know), I learned that soaking, toasting, and grinding the seeds would take care of both of those things. So I beg of you, don’t forget that step! It’s essential!
I’ll prepare you now for the maple smell that is going to take over your entire house. I’ll admit I was on cloud nine for the first hour, and then opening windows the next hour to dilute the overwhelming smell. My husband came in that evening and asked if we were having breakfast for dinner. The next day my daughter asked me where I was hiding caramels. Look forward to that!
When you're ready to put that maple extract to good use, look no further than Mel's Kitchen Cafe for the BEST homemade maple syrup. Then of course, I’m going to over kill my expressions of Crio Bru love and mention that a splash of this extract is a match made in heaven!
Make sure and check out the other extracts: Vanilla plus FAQ, Lemon, Cinnamon, and Peppermint.
And just look what my sister Cami made up for us! Free printable extract labels for all the extracts posted about here.
Enjoy!
PrintPressure Cooker Maple Extract
Pressure Cooker Maple Extract has a powerful taste and smell that will have your house smelling wonderful for days!
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 2 cups 1x
- Category: Extract
- Method: Pressure cooker
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- ½ cup fenugreek seeds
- 1 cup water
- About 1 cup Vodka (I like red label Smirnoff Vodka 80 proof)
Instructions
- Place fenugreek seeds in a Mason jar, add 1 cup water, and screw a lid on tight. Â Let soak for 5 hours or overnight.
- Drain the water from the seeds. Â Heat a pan over medium heat. Â When hot add seeds and wait a minute or 2 while the extra water evaporates. Â Continue to toast the seeds for about 5 minutes being very careful to not let them burn.
- Place the seeds in a food processor or blender and pulse 4-5 times to break them up a bit. Â
- Take ½ cup of seeds and place them in a pint size Mason jar.  Add vodka, leaving 1 ½-2  inches of headspace.  Top with a canning lid and ring and barely tighten.  The remaining prepared fenugreek seeds can be frozen for another batch of extract.
- Add 1 cup of water to the pressure cooker pot and place trivet inside. Â Put the Mason jar on the trivet. Â Secure the lid and turn pressure release knob to a sealed position. Â Cook at high pressure for 30 minutes.
- When cooking is complete, use a natural release.
- Carefully remove the Mason jar, swirl it lightly, and place on a cooling rack overnight.
- Once cooled, top with a pourable lid and use in all your favorite recipes that call for maple extract. Â Â
Notes
- Caution: Never make Extract in a stovetop pressure cooker or near an open flame.  My recipes are written for electric pressure cookers only.  Always use a Natural Release, never a quick release.
- Alcohol smell may be strong at first but will diminish over a week or two. Â If still overpowering at that point, return to the pressure cooker for another 30 minutes.
- The pressure cooker will fit up to three jars at a time, so feel free to double or triple the recipe.
- Add a vanilla bean to the vodka for the most incredible taste and smell you will ever experience!
Keywords: instant pot extract, homemade extract, food gift
Hi there!
I haven’t yet made this, but I was wondering if the final product would be hazy or not. If so, how could I go about clearing it. Will the seed particles eventually sink to the bottom where it can then be decanted?
Hi. I was wondering if you have tried to infuse maple with cacao nibs. I’m trying to do that.
Tommy, I actually have and it is FANTASTIC! I forgot about it until I saw your message and now I want to make another batch. It’s been a couple of years.
I’m not sure what I did wrong but I don’t have any liquid in the jar. And I didn’t smell uch maple…
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Not sure what happened. I followed the recipe exactly and it was NOTHING like maple! It was a weird savory smell. Not even close. Are there different types of fenugreek seeds? I couldn’t find different kinds but these didnt work at all.
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Emily, sorry it didn’t work out for you! I’m getting such mixed reviews on this one, I’ve considered pulling it. My house smelled so strong of maple when I made it that I was getting a headache from it. My only guess is that it can really differ depending on the seeds. Sorry, that’s a bummer when things don’t work out in the kitchen.
Thank you for posting, as I have been wanting to make my own Maple Extract. Why do you say that this should not be made on a stovetop pressure canner? I’m just wondering since that is all I have.
Jessica, I advise against a stovetop version because I don’t want anyone cooking with alcohol near an open flame like some stoves have. I hope that helps!
I was bummed my house didn’t smell like maple syrup. I’m not certain what it smells like, but it is extremely mild. I’m wondering if adding some maple flakes might help? What do you think Marci? I followed the directions. I’m not certain what went wrong. I’m waiting for the two jars to cool right now. But I was really hoping for the house to smell like maple syrup to maybe call in a few neighbors.
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ReBecca, Hmm, that’s frustrating and I had someone else say it didn’t smell that great either. I don’t know if there is a variability in fenugreek or what it would be. I’m so sorry you didn’t get to enjoy that smell!
Has anyone subbed glycerin for the alcohol with good results?
Tammi, I think this one might not work as well. I don’t think it would get as strong.
Hi Marci,
I’ve tried 2 different fenugreek suppliers, 3 different roasts, soaking, not soaking, etc. It always comes out bitter with zero taste of maple. Are the fenugreek seeds supposed to smell like maple before processing? I REALLY want to make this for my chocolate, but keep getting poor results. Any ideas?
Bob, That is so frustrating, I’m sorry! Yes, when I open my bag of fenugreek, it smells quite strong of maple, almost overpoweringly so. It is different than smelling from a syrup bottle though. Have you tried using the extract yet, to see how it tastes in food? My first test was with maple syrup and it tasted lovely. How are you incorporating it into chocolate? That sounds amazing!
Hi Marci, I make maple walnut chocolate fudge truffles with maple extract in the fudge truffle filling. It’s most people’s favorite. The maple has to be balanced with the walnuts, strong enough to taste but not overpowering.
Hi Marci- Have you tried this without the pressure cooker? I’ve made a lot of extracts without heating. Alcohol is the solvent that actually extracts the oil from the food/material you put in it. The pressure cooker just speeds up this process and “pushes” it out. I’m fine waiting a few months for my extracts- it’s like a meditation…
Fenugreek is usually used in making imitation maple extract. Have you ever used maple sap? Apparently, that is what actual maple extract is made from. I was wondering about the taste difference? I know imitation maple syrup is miles inferior to real maple syrup, so was wondering if it’s the same with the extract?
Any one experimented?
Dana, I’ve never tried it any other way, you have me really curious about the maple sap though. Where do you even find that?
I live in Colorado- no maple trees here for tapping! I haven’t yet researched where to get maple sap. Maybe online, from a natural foods store or directly from a vendor? From what I understand, maple extract is made from maple sap cooked down to a concentrate then an alcohol added to make it pourable/usable.
Dana, that’s fascinating, thank you for sharing that!
Does you process remove any alcohol from the vodka?
Ken, With the flat and ring lightly in place, there is very little if any alcohol loss, at least from the ones I tested myself.
I do worry a bit about the safety of this. What it the autoignition point of ethanol vapour at 2 atmospheres of pressure? I googled but couldn’t find it. Hmm this says be wary: https://www.hippressurecooking.com/liquor/
Adam, If you’d like to see some of my own research in extract making, check out the vanilla extract post 🙂
I have a magnetic induction stove-top that does not have a heating element. I wonder if that would work with a conventional pressure cooker for this recipe.
Peter, I suggest never making extracts on the stove top, which I think is what you’re suggesting.
This was a fail for me. The fenugreek seeds expanded and soaked up all of the soaking water. They had a lovely maple-y smell when I put them in to soak but an herby, celery-like smell after soaking. I was not able to get them to totally dry out after soaking and toasting on the stove, and they still had that icky smell. I tossed them at that point rather than waste vodka. I may try toasting and grinding them without soaking to see if that works.
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Juliette, That’s strange. I’m not sure what happened there. There does seem to be some inconsistency for people trying this recipe. I will have to order some more fenugreek and see if I can pinpoint it. Thanks for letting me know your experience.
Hello,
I tried the maple recipe tonight and the fresh extract smells more like celery than maple. I soaked, roasted, blended, and added a vanilla bean. I’m hoping that after a week or so of curing it’ll smell better, but I’m worried because you said your maple extract made your whole house smell like breakfast. Any ideas on what went wrong?
Oh, and I’ve noticed that a few lids have popped off during pressure cooking. Is this because the lid is too tight or too loose?
Thanks for the great recipes!
Ryan, that does seem weird. Let it sit for a couple weeks so the alcohol smell can mellow, hopefully that will fix it. The lids are only there to keep a lot of alcohol from evaporating, so that’s totally fine that they didn’t seal on. Keep me posted on the maple, that’s got me so confused. I had to crack windows from the maple smell being so strong when I made it.
Thanks for the quick response! I’m trying a new batch, and this time I’m slow roasting them in the oven. They look good. They have a nice golden brown color, but they still have that horrible smell. Should they have a delicious maple smell after roasting or does that come after the extraction process? I’m wondering if maybe I should try a different brand of fenugreek. I’m using Anthony’s organic whole methi fenugreek seeds.
Thanks again!
Ryan, I had some in my freezer that I had roasted and I just smelled them to make sure I wasn’t crazy. They have a very strong (almost too strong) smell of maple. Mine are a Frontier brand.
Wondering how your extract turned out, as my 2nd batch also has an “off smell” to it. Did it clear up over time and produce a maple extract like you were expecting?
No, it never turned out. I bought the brand Marci recommended and had high hopes for it. It smelled great out of the bag and after soaking, but still made a horrible smelling extract.
I have another batch soaking now and I’m only going to barely roast them to see if that makes a difference. I’ll post an update in a couple days.
What did you do differently with your second batch?
Ryan, I wish I could figure out what is going on here! I’m sorry it didn’t work out for you!
Can you use glycerin instead of alcohol??
Jackie, Possibly. Check out the Vanilla Extract recipe for glycerin directions. I’ve only ever used glycerin for vanilla extract, so I’m not 100% sure on how the other extracts would work out. If you try it, report back, please!
I came across your recipe for maple extract and was greatly surprised that I can make it myself. Thank you for doing all the hard work for everyone else. This old dog is learning a few new tricks thanks to you.
Sincerely,
Ginger
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Ginger, Thanks so much! I just used my maple extract in German pancakes yesterday morning in fact. It has such a good flavor!
I made the recipe as you instructed but when I added the seeds and vodka to the pint jar it didn’t come up to 1 1/2-2 inch head space. I had to add a full pint of vodka and more seeds to get the right head space. I am waiting a week or so before I try it in a recipe.
If I didn’t want to do jars in the pot could you just put it all the pot and cook it without the trivet and jars? Like vanilla? My cooker says not to put jars in it.
Amanda, Mason jars that are safe for canning are safe in an electric pressure cooker. I’m not really comfortable with the “directly in the pot method”. I go into that in a bit more detail in the “vanilla FAQ” post, but basically, you lose a lot more alcohol, and you will also have more vapor released from the pressure cooker which is a higher risk. You can read more about that in the vanilla post. I hope that helps!
I believe you are not “canning” the maple extract, only using the jar and lid for cooking purposes. then refrigerating the extract.
Sue, correct, I’m not canning it, the lid is there just to prevent all of the alcohol from evaporating. No need to refrigerate!
Should these smell or even taste at all like maple when they first come out of the pressure cooker and cool? I just opened one and it definitely smells strongly of alcohol, which I expected, but when I tasted it, it is quite bitter and not at all like maple. Followed instructions to the T.
Thanks!
Eileen, Give it a couple weeks for the alcohol to mellow. Mine is a touch bitter but when I mix it into Crio Bru, frosting, whipped cream, or homemade syrup, I don’t taste any bitterness. I accidentally dumped way to much in my cup of Crio Bru and that was yucky. But if I cook it with the whole batch, it’s great. You only need a dash in those other things I mentioned.
Which brand of fenugreek seeds are the best seeds to purchase?
Victoria, I buy the Frontier brand. I really like there stuff. I’ve bought vanilla beans and elderberry from them too.
Do you move the exact 1/2 c amount that you originally put in the jar to soak to the jar with the vodka or do you measure out 1/2 c from the soaked and add that to the vodka? Mine expanded to about 1 c. Does that make sense?
Shayla, Yes that makes total sense. Mine expanded a lot too but it was easier to grind them down if I did the larger amount. So I soaked, toasted, and ground them all, then used a 1/2 cup of that and froze the rest. Does that make sense? I thought I wrote that in my post, maybe I better make that clearer. Thanks!
You just answered my previous question about cardamom seeds. I think I will be able to use the same process.
The other day I mentioned using probiotics in sauces, salsas, etc. If the flavor blends with whatever I am making, my first choice is raw sauerkraut juice, second choice is whey, if that doesn’t work I open a probiotic capsule and sprinkle in some powder. I use about 1 tablespoon liquid to a pint jar. Basically I am doing a short ferment.
In making these extracts (I made vanilla and … YUM!), do you leave the fenugreek seeds in the jar? Your instructions simplay say to use a pourable lid and enjoy. Do you strain it as or before you use it? (Same question applies to the lemon peel in the Lemon Extract.) Thank you!
Corrie, I always leave whatever I’ve extracted in the bottle so that the flavor can continue to extract. I’ll likely strain them as I get closer to the bottom of the jar so that it’s easier to use without the seeds, leaves, and such getting in the way. In the case of the lemon since it’s a fresh peel, most resources I read say it’s fine to leave the peel in the jar, others say to remove it after a month or two. For now, I plan on removing it after a month. I figure by that point the flavor will likely be at it’s peek. Great question!
hi,
is it necessary to use an electric cooker because i have no clue of what it actually is.
Also why is it necessary to have a natural release and not an instant release
Sabaah, this is the only way I’ve ever done it, but I’m sure there are other methods. I also natural release when I make extracts because there could be alcohol fumes in the steam.