Making Your Own Vanilla Extract

 

I enjoy reading Food & Wine magazine, and found a recipe I thought maybe some of you may enjoy as well.    It looks VERY easy, and may save you at the grocery store.     After all, vanilla extract can be pricey, and making your own just takes time, not much effort!

Time needed -- Active 5 min.   Total -- 6 weeks

Makes about 1 1/2 cups

You can use rum or brandy, but this recipe called for vodka, because the neutral spirit lets the vanilla flavor shine through.    Their bean is Mexican, as they are spicy, robust and makes a great extract.

 

10 moist vanilla beans, preferably Mexican, split lengthwise

1 1/2 to 2 cups vodka

Put the vanilla beans in a tall bottle or jar and cover with the vodka.   Add up to 1/2 cup more vodka to completely submerge the vanilla beans.   Close the bottle or jar and let stand in a cool, dark place for at least 6 weeks before using.   The extract is done when it's dark and fragrant.

It is recommended to soak the beans/vodka in a clear bottle so you are able to see how dark the liquid gets.    After the 6 weeks, put the liquid into small amber bottles for gifts or for yourself.      At the end of the 6 weeks, you can add a simple sugar to the liquid to make it sweeter, or a little dark rum.

 

This will be my first time in making vanilla extract, and looking forward to seeing how it compares to the grocery store variety.

 

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