The Hopeful Homestead

Homemade Vanilla Extract...

After trying to choose between corn syrup and anti-freeze like chemicals in my vanilla, I decided to make my own.  It's SO easy!  1. send hubby to liquor store for a pint of vodka.   2. mix 1/2 pt. vodka w/ 4 vanilla beans you've slit and cut into 1" peices in a mason jar.  Shake once a day for a month & VOILA!!!!  I do confess that the vanilla beans were scary expensive here, but I went to World Market while visiting Leigh-Ann in MS last time, and they were quite reasonable.  I bought 8 and used the whole pt. of Vodka (measured in Liters, so not reall quite a pint...ah well...) and mixed it in a pint jar.  It already smells yummy, and will be ready for use on New Years! Told ya it was easy!!!  ~Peace~ Shari

oops!  Forgot to tell you to strain out the bits & beans when it's done, before using!!  The recipe recommends using cheesecloth to do this. 

Untitled Comment

04:05, Saturday, December 8, 2007 .. Posted by stitchnchick

I made some of this last year for Christmas gifts and it IS good. We used to buy Mexican vanilla, but haven't been able to find it in recent years, so making our own was a great alternative. Thanks for the reminder!

Amy

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08:51, Thursday, December 13, 2007 .. Posted by Jonash2004

I went in on a half a pound of vanilla beans with a friend. I think I paid $25 for probably 30 beans or more. If you vacuum pack them and don't refrigerate, they should last years.

Where did you get your recipe? Everything I found online said you can use the same beans until they don't flavor the vodka/bourbon/sugar (whatever you put them in!) anymore. I don't strain out the beans - I leave them in and the vanilla simply gets stronger over time. Then when I start getting towards the bottom and I get a tiny fragment (like a brown thread cause I slit some of the bean pieces length wise on my first batch) of bean or two when I pour vanilla I just top it off again with vodka.

Actually, I have two bottles - one sitting in the cupboard and one that I use. So even if you strain out the beans, make sure you pop 'em right back into some vodka!

Just my two cents. :)

Ashley