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. 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
It's a simple recipe and will be treasured by your recipient.
Ingredients
- 5 whole Vanilla beans
- 16 ounces Vodka
Instructions
- 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.
One Comment
Linda
Posted on: December 6, 2019If I have smaller bottles (8.5 oz), can I cut the pods in half to leave in the vodka? Like if you have 8 or 10″ pods, cut them to 4 or 5″, and then split down the length.