Homemade Vanilla Extract
Equipment
- glass jars with lids
- funnel
Ingredients
- 3 vanilla beans
- 8 ounces 1 cup vodka
Instructions
- Using a knife, split vanilla beans lengthwise.
- Place the Vanilla beans in an 8 to 12-ounce jar that has a lid.
- Using a funnel pour the vodka over the beans into the jar, and fill up to about 95% full.
- Seal jar, and give it a good shake about 30 seconds.
- Place the jar in a corner or on a shelf, really anywhere that is out of direct sunlight.
- This will stay there for 2 months (2 lunar cycles)
- Once or twice a week, when you think about it, give the jar a good shake, and forget about it.
Generally in about 6 weeks, the extract is ready to use, but it is better to wait at least the 8 weeks, because the flavor becomes more intense and the extract matures.
Being a herbalist, I tend to make extracts on the full moon and use moon cycles to know when they are ready.
The alcohol flavor and smell will go away and the vanilla flavor and smell will take over.
If you can still smell alcohol, the extract is not yet ready.
You can see you extract for months and even years, as long as it is out of direct sunlight.
You can also use rum, bourbon, or brandy, but Vodka is the cleanest tasting extract.
You can keep adding vodka to this jar as you use it. For example if you take out a teaspoon, put back a teaspoon of vodka. If you use this method you should replace the vanilla bean every 6 months of so, or else you will not get the full flavor of the extract.
You do not have to use alcohol, but, Alcohol works better, and you can google a recipe for alcohol free extracts.
As far as vanilla beans go, use the expensive Madagascar if you want, just use whatever you can find that isn’t dried out and moldy.
You can make more or less extract by using a formula: (you know how I love formulas!)
Proportions: 3 vanilla beans per 1 cup of vodka, which means 1 1/2 vanilla beans for 1/2 cup of vodka.
I save all kinds of jelly jars, and I will buy a jar of something I don’t really like, just so I can get the jar and re-use it.