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Sunday, June 11, 2006
Several years ago, I ordered some online. I moved several times in the past 6 years and totally forgot about the vanilla extract till last year when I organized a bake sale to raise funds for hurricane victims. Wow, the aged vanilla extract really made the difference!!!
Last Christmas, a colleague gave me some vanilla extract her parents got from Mexico. Sorry to say, it was not to my liking. I tried searching for that vanilla extract company I purchased from several years ago but their website now sells arts and craft. That's too bad :(
After doing some research, I decided to make my own vanilla extract. It's not difficult to make although it's difficult to find good and fresh vanilla beans. Good vanilla beans must moist, pliable and have an oily sheen on the outside. Avoid buying vanilla beans from the grocery store. You might want to try a gourmet food store or from a reputable online specialty store.
Here are some ingredients and items you'll need. Alcohol (vodka, brandy)
Vanilla bean (preferably Madagascar)
Airtight bottle or jar
Most recipe used this ratio - 1 vanilla bean to 1/2 or 2/3 cup alcohol
I used a 750ml bottle of vodka. It's somewhere between 3-4 cups.
I did not skimp on the vanilla bean since I got a good deal on some organic Madagascar vanilla beans. Some people choose to cut up the beans to 1 inch segments but I chose to cut a slit on the bean. Careful not to cut too deep or you'll end up getting the seeds on the cutting board.
Insert the beans into the bottle of vodka.
Seal the bottle. Label it with today's date and store it in a cool dark place for a minimum of 4-6 months. Best is 1-2 years. Check on it every once in awhile. Don't worry about the sediments floating in the bottle. You can strain it out when you transfer the extract to another bottle(s). You can buy glass bottles from craft shops. Get the ones with the airtight lids. Tie a ribbon around the bottle and stick it in a basket with some homemade goodies.....Viola!!! One less Christmas present to worry about. Have a baker/foodie in the family and not sure what to get them? They will appreciate the homemade vanilla extract :)
Labels: recipe, vanilla, vanilla extract
