Vanilla Extract
Do you like to bake? You might want to begin making your own vanilla extract. I have experimented with making other extracts, but the only success I have encountered is with vanilla extract. It also happens to be the extract that I most often use in my kitchen. There are lots of tutorials on making vanilla extract if you would like more information than what I provide in this post.
Supplies Needed
To make extract you will need a bottle of vodka (the cheaper the better), whole vanilla bean pods (these can be shockingly expensive - but this is not the place to buy the cheapest quality), a glass jar and a dark cupboard. Once the extract is finished you will need brown bottles to store your finished product.
I have bought beans from both Amazon and Costco and I find them both to be reliable suppliers of vanilla bean pods. I usually try to buy at least 10, but I make a gallon of extract at a time.
Process
With a sharp knife split the bean pods down the center, try not to cut the pods completely apart. Place the cut bean pods in your jar. Fill the jar to the brim with vodka. The beans must be completely submerged and covered in vodka. You do not want them to dry out during the infusion process. Place a tight fitting lid on top of your jar and put it in the back of a dark cupboard. The cupboard should not be one that has extremes of temperature (too hot or too cold). Every month (if you remember) take out the jar and shake it (keep the lid on).
Storage
The extract will be ready to bottle after a minimum of 6 months (you can leave it longer, 6-12 months is the usual time given). Even if you are not gifting the extract I would still transfer it into a smaller brown bottle that is easier to use. A small funnel will make the transfer very easy. The extract must either remain inside your cupboard away from a light source or in a brown bottle. UV light dilutes the extract (that is why it is always sold in brown bottles).
If you decide to keep your extract in your original bottle you will need to top off the bottle with more vodka as you use the extract. You do not want the level of liquid in the bottle to go below the level of bean pods.
Once my original gallon jar is empty I throw away the bean pods. You can reuse them to make another batch, but the second batch will need to infuse for at least 8 months. I wash the jar and begin the process again with new beans and another bottle of vodka.
I do not seal my bottles. If your extract smells like a cocktail it is not ready. It will always have a slight whiff of alcohol but should really smell overwhelmingly like vanilla.
Uses
It is just like the vanilla extract you have purchased in the grocery store. The only difference I have noticed it that it is stronger than commercial vanilla. I don't mind because I think it adds a depth of flavor. If you are not a strong lover of vanilla you might want to decrease the amount you use in recipes. For example, if a recipe calls for 1 teaspoon you might want to use 3/4 of a teaspoon.
I gift most of the vanilla I make away at Christmas. I mean I really like vanilla but even I cannot go through a gallon of vanilla in a year! Gifting homemade vanilla extract will make you very popular with your friends and family.
