"Too much and the bitterness sneaks through, but spicy dishes like chili hide it nicely."
Yeah, chili's a lifesaver for masking herbal mishaps. I once tried adding a homemade mint tincture to brownies—big mistake. Tasted like toothpaste. Maybe savory dishes are safer bets...?
Yeah, chili's a lifesaver for masking herbal mishaps.
Haha, mint brownies tasting like toothpaste—that's a new one. I've had my share of herbal kitchen fails too. Honestly, savory dishes do seem safer; soups and stews can hide almost anything... trust me on that.
I've never tried mint brownies myself, but toothpaste sounds... interesting, haha. I've definitely had herbal extracts turn out way stronger than I planned, and soups do help a lot. But have you ever tried diluting with something acidic, like lemon juice or vinegar? Step by step, adding just a tiny bit at a time can balance out weird flavors and smells pretty effectively. Saved a batch of overly potent rosemary oil that way once.
Mint brownies definitely sound better than toothpaste brownies, haha. Good tip on the acidity—I’ve seen lemon juice work wonders for neutralizing strong herbal flavors. Another trick is mixing in a neutral carrier oil (like coconut or almond) bit by bit to mellow things out. Did that once with a peppermint extract that turned out way too intense... saved it from tasting like mouthwash.
Mint brownies do sound way tastier than toothpaste brownies, gotta agree there. But I'm not totally convinced on adding more oil to mellow out strong extracts, especially peppermint. Wouldn't that just dilute the potency without really fixing the underlying bitterness or harshness? I mean, if something tastes overwhelmingly medicinal or sharp, just adding more oil could end up giving you a greasy mess that's still kinda off-tasting.
I've had a couple of herbal tinctures turn out pretty intense (first-time jitters made me let them steep way too long), and what worked better for me was actually blending it into something creamy or sweet—like yogurt or honey. The creaminess helps soften the harsh edges of herbal extracts way better than just oil alone, at least in my experience. Plus, honey has its own mild flavor that can mask weird aftertastes nicely.
Also, about the lemon juice tip: doesn't adding acidity sometimes risk making certain herbal flavors even sharper or more noticeable? Like how citrus can sometimes amplify bitterness instead of mellowing it out. I guess it depends on what herbs you're using, but I'd be careful with lemon juice unless you're sure it complements the flavor profile.
Not trying to shoot down your suggestions—just wondering if anyone else has run into these issues too. I've definitely learned the hard way that less is usually more when experimenting with homemade extracts...
