About a year ago I decided to buy some vanilla beans. Then I got to thinking: "hmmm you mean I can buy Madagascar vanilla beans and make my own vanilla extract?"
It costs between $12. and $18 for 8 oz. of vanilla. If you have a budding baker/gourmand/experimenter in the family you know 8 oz. of extract lasts...oh...about one week! So I decided to make my own extract.
After perusing many sites and comparing prices and harvesting conditions I decided to make my vanilla bean purchase here at: Beanilla. I bought the swing top bottles at various places: TJ Maxx, Home Goods and Marshall's but the bottles are not regularly available in retail shops so I now buy them here: Specialty Bottle.
Once you have the vanilla beans and bottles you're ready to make the extract.
Ingredients
- 24 vanilla beans
- 2 bottles good quality vodka (I prefer using Bourbon)
Directions
Combine the 3 - 4 vanilla beans in each 8-12 oz. swing top bottle and fill with vodka or bourbon. Allow the mixture to sit at room temperature for at least six weeks until the vodka or bourbon becomes vanilla extract and the beans are soft enough to cut the end and squeeze the seeds (caviar) out. Add more vanilla or beans, as needed. The extract can sit at room temperature indefinitely.Purely speculation on my part but I think I'll be making more extracts in the future.
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