How to make your own coffee essence

If you love coffee, then keep a bottle of homemade coffee essence on standby in your kitchen. It’s great for flavouring pretty much any kind of dessert, or add a spoonful to stews or casseroles for a richer flavour. It’s also great for making quick iced coffee in the summer, or adding to other hot drinks for a quick pick me up. To make coffee essence, you’ll need:

• About 300g good quality roasted whole espresso coffee beans
• Cold water
• A measuring jug
• A coffee grinder
• A saucepan
• A large heatproof container, such as a Pyrex bowl, preferably with a lid
• A spatula or wooden spoon
• A fine mesh sieve
• Jars or bottles

Start by grinding the coffee beans on a medium grind. Measure the grinds in a measuring jug, and then turn them out into a heatproof bowl.

Into the saucepan, measure ten times the amount of cold water that you had coffee grounds. Bring the water to the boil, then let it stand for about a minute. Carefully pour the hot water onto the coffee grounds, and give the mixture a good stir for 30 seconds with the spoon or spatula.

Cover the bowl. If it doesn’t have a fitted lid, cover it with aluminium foil and tie it down tightly with string. Leave for 12 hours at room temperature. Try not to leave it any longer, or the coffee may become bitter.

Sterilise the jars or bottles and lids by boiling in water for at least a minute. Next, carefully strain the mixture through the sieve and discard the coffee grounds. Pour the essence into the prepared containers and seal while still hot. Alllow the containers to cool, then store the essence in the fridge for up to a fortnight.

Here at the Wholesale Coffee Company we stock a wide range of good quality coffee beans suitable for all uses, all at great wholesale prices. For more information, please visit our coffee beans page.

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