Homemade Vanilla Extract

At Thanksgiving, my sister and I were talking about recipes for making vanilla extract. It was something that I had been meaning to do, but just never seemed to get around to it. She surprised me with a lovely and fragrant bottle of vanilla at Christmas!

Here's the gift of vanilla extract from my sister. I've only had it for three months - you can see how much I've used!

I love to bake and I love good vanilla, but it can be very pricy. I've paid up to $20 for a 4 ounce bottle. I'll never buy vanilla extract again! I don't know if the fact that it's homemade makes it better, but this is good stuff. My sister inspired me with her gift. I immediately went out and bought vanilla beans and vodka to make my own. 

Vanilla Extract

• 1 (750 ml) bottle of vodka

• 1/2 cup rum or bourbon 

• 20 - 25 vanilla beans

Open the vodka and remove about 1 cup. (You can either discard it or pour yourself a drink because you won't be using this cup in the recipe). With a sharp paring knife, cut the beans in half and slit each one down the center. Open the bean and scrape the sharp edge of the knife along the bean to remove the seeds. (The seeds look similar to very fine coffee grinds). With the knife, push the seeds into the bottle of vodka. You don't have to remove the seeds from every bean - the seeds simply enhance the flavor of the finished product. Add all of the beans to the bottle. Using a funnel, add 1/2 cup of bourbon or rum. Replace the cap and give it a good shake. Store in a cool, dark place for 4 - 6 months. It's good to give it a shake once or twice a week during this period. The finished extract will be dark, slightly syrupy and fragrant with the wonderful smell of vanilla. You can either strain the vanilla extract when it's done curing to remove the vanilla seeds or leave it. If strained, put the vanilla beans back into the bottle. They not only look pretty, but they will enhance the flavor over time. 

See the vanilla seeds on the edge of the knife.

I made individual bottles today that I plan to give as Christmas gifts this year. 

The vanilla on the left has been sitting for three months. The vanilla on the right was made today.

You can reuse your vanilla beans several more times.