Thursday, April 14, 2011

Vanilla Extract

I made my own vanilla extract! I’ve actually been saving a cute bottle for almost a year for just such a purpose. :o)  It was so easy that I wish I had done it sooner.

Start with a bottle of 80 to 100 proof vodka. I’ve heard you can even go higher proof than that. But only if you can get it in your state…

vanilla 04

Then you’ll need vanilla beans. Use 3 beans for every cup of vodka.

Split the beans in half with a sharp knife to about 1-2 inches from top.

vanilla 03Place split beans in a quart canning jar and pour vodka over beans.

vanilla 05Let stand in a cool dark place for at least 2 months.

vanilla 06It will darken in about a day…

vanilla 07After about 2 months it will be ready to use. Vanilla will stay good for years, stored in a cool dry place.

When mine was ready I placed a few of the beans in my cute little bottle and poured in the vanilla.

vanilla 01vanilla 024-8-11 022     Now you’re all ready to do your baking!

1 comment:

  1. Homemade Vanilla is the best! We started making ours a couple months ago. We also found that rum adds a great flavor to the vanilla if you use it instead of the vodka.

    ReplyDelete