We are six months from the holidays but this is a gift in jars that we need to start now. A great home made vanilla extract is the perfect item for anyone who you love who loves being in the kitchen. It's a simple recipe and will be treasured by your recipient. You can pair this with your favorite "cookies in a jar" recipe and it will be truly complete.
Keep vanilla extract in a cool, dark place, with the bottle tightly closed, to prevent evaporation and loss of flavor. Vanilla extract has an indefinite shelf life.
Homemade Vanilla Extract
5 whole Vanilla beans
16 ounces of Vodka
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| Photo from Ruthie Hansen on Flickr |
Split Vanilla beans down the center to exposed the pods and put them into a pint size jar. Add Vodka to the jar and screw on ring and lid. Store in a dark cool place shaking the jar at least twice a week. After a month minimum the extract will be ready to use. If you do have some evaporation add more vodka to the jar leaving the vanilla beans in the jar. Shake the jar before using the extract each time.
You are looking for this beautiful amber color. The longer the bean is in the vodka the darker the color.
16 comments:
Just wanted to share, once again, how much I have truly enjoyed your website. You have truly made a beginner canner, such as I, feel empowered, educated & excited about canning! Thanks!
I have some sitting in the basement made from Meyer's Rum. It has been there for a while! Betcha it's ready! Will let you know!
Any ideas on what to use the vanilla beans in after they are removed? Or are they just tossed?
@Preseving, I am kinda choked up that you used the word empowered.I want to empower so many people to try new things and feel a sense of pride in what they have accomplished. Please keep me posted on your successes and send me pictures so I can share it with the world! Keep reaching and let me know when you are taking the leap to pressure canning!
@lemon verbena, I haven't tried it with any other alcohol. So curious if it's sweeter.
@Rachel when you use the extract you can add more vodka to keep it going and just add new beans over time. Leave them in to continue to build e flavor, but you just gave me some inspiration to do a jam with the vanilla bean from the jar. How about a Fuzzy Navel Jam. Have to get one made with rum but that sounds like a great use. What do you think?
Could you add the bean to pears or other fruit and can as well?
Absolutely. I would definitely put the bean into pears. I will have to try that next year.
Hello! Just found your blog it truly rocks! I have been making home made vanilla extract for a couple of years. My dilemma is I need to make some FAST! I have seen some type of equipment on the food TV shows that speeds up the marinating process in a vacuum sealed pressure something or another & this made me think... My question: I need to speed up the extraction process of the vanilla into the liquid, do you think it is safe to extract vanilla in the pressure cooker to speed up the process? I am stumped and have not been able to find any answers online. My googling led me to: how to make a home made still, how to extract the most potent & best stuff from cannibus ( I got scared after clicking on that NOT clearly defined link) but nothing on using alcohol in a pressure cooker. I know that the pressure will definitely speed up the extraction what I do not know is will I blow up my house? Boiling point of alcohol???.... maybe I do not not need the pressure cooker maybe just boiling water method?? (I wanted to email this to you directly but could not find an email address link or identity.) The extract used beans after a year still have lots of flavor left in them. Use them in anything and everything you want... scrape the vanilla caviar and use this in anything and everything you wish. I even will put the entire pod into my vitamix for vanilla flavor in my homemade goat yogurt smoothie!I do not throw away ANY of the pods I completely use them up. the other day I add a half pod to my canned pickled beets! Make vanilla extract first then make everything else after! The only thing the extract pods are not good for is any recipe that requires the pod to LOOK pretty!
I too love this site, I have a question. I am going to make this for xmas presents this year. Should I make it all up in a big contanier or do it in smaller containers and leave the bean in for looks. Also, could I use burbon?
First, I want to respond to Diana for giving me some great tips about using the beans after the fact.
Second,CFarley, making a big batch would be fine but I think the flavor will be more intense if you put them onto small jars. Either way will work! Might be heavier to shake a quart size jar everyday, but you would get some bicep workouts! You can use bourbon and I Lemonverbenalady uses rum.
Come back and let me know what you decided. I would love to post a picture if you do it in the quart size first.
Hi Cindy,
Love the Vanilla Extract recipe! Will be adding it to my repetoir. I have made vanilla sugar by just letting the sliced pods sit in a good raw sugar. Also make a great liquor with 100 proof vodka and my apricots (adding some sugar water at the end)...everyone who tries it loves it. Love your blog!
Carla, I would love the recipe for the apricot vodka. Let me know if you would be willing to share. Thanks for the comment!
Can I make extracts without using alcohol?
Deb,
Someone asked me a long time ago that same question but I couldn't come up with a recipe. I will ask my group on Facebook that question!
Where does everyone get their vanilla beans from -- and what type is best for this?
@Valentinos you can buy vanilla beans on ebay and at some herb stores. I bought my first at an herbalist store but paid far more then i wanted. I then looked on Ebay and purchased a large quantity for far less. give it a look and see what ya find
Suggestion for using the pods of the vanilla bean....First of all, I hope put the pod into the vodka mixture along with the scrapings, as I think it looks lovely. And, you will leave it in the vanilla until it is used up or leaves you as a gift. If you decide you don't like the look of the pod in the bottle, you can cut up the pod and use it in tea for an added flavoring. Save it in a plastic baggy in the refrigerator.
Carla
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