First of all, doesn't everyone hate searching for a recipe, and you have to scroll through a life story and 50 photos before you get to the recipe? Yeah, we don't do that here. The recipe is right here at the top, but I hope you'll keep reading after it for my tips, the results of my vanilla extract taste test, and how to endlessly replenish your vanilla.
Homemade Vanilla Extract
Ingredients:
- 6 vanilla beans (affiliate link for the beans I bought – enough for 2 batches of vanilla)
- 1 cup (or just a little less) 80-proof vodka (cheap stuff works just fine)
Supplies:
- half-pint (8-ounce) jar or other container
- Cutting board
- Sharp paring knife
Instructions:
1 - Slice your vanilla beans down the side, and open them up, so the seeds are exposed.
2 - Cut the vanilla beans into halves or thirds, so they fit inside your half-pint container.
3 - Add the beans to the container and top off with the vodka, making sure the beans are covered.
4 - Put the lid on and let sit to infuse for at least 2 months. For the best vanilla flavor, wait 6 months.
Additional Tips:
Keep your vanilla out of direct sunlight.
Turn or gently shake the container every week or so.
Make sure the beans are submerged in the vodka, so the exposed ends don't get yucky.
Taste Test Results
I taste tested my homemade vanilla after the minimum two months to see if it was truly ready to use. I compared to it the bottle of purchased vanilla I had in my pantry.
First of all, tasting vanilla extract straight from the bottle is INTENSE! Maybe you already knew that, but it had far more bite than I expected! But I persisted and tasted both just so I had an honest comparison for you.
The verdict – after two months, the homemade vanilla definitely didn't have as intense of a vanilla flavor as the store-bought. However, it wasn't a huge difference. I would say it's usable if you wanted to just add a little bit extra – and isn't that normal? To add extra vanilla to every recipe? No? Just me?
Anyway, it's probably true that the best flavor comes after six months, but I will start using mine as soon as I finish off the last tablespoon or so of store-bought vanilla I have.
Replenishing Your Vanilla
If you're thinking that $15 for vanilla beans plus the vodka isn't exactly cheap, you are correct. You're looking at more than the $1.50-2.00 an ounce of buying vanilla. However, your homemade vanilla is nearly endlessly replenishable.
Here's how it works – As you use your vanilla, leave the beans in the container and top it off with more vodka after each use.
The teaspoon or two of new vodka each time won't significantly dilute the 8 ounces of vanilla you have, unless you're using a lot of vanilla often.
After a year or so – or whenever you start to notice the flavor waning – simply take out the old vanilla beans and add fresh ones. No need to ever start a new batch – just add new vodka and new beans as needed and keep on going.
Now does it sound like a better deal? $15 for beans and a few dollars worth of vodka each year for as much vanilla as you need!
Interested in learning to make more foods from scratch? Just click here for more of my recipes.
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