Making Vanilla Extract

This is a gift from a family gourmet who put together Ina Garten’s vanilla extract recipe. The ingredients are pretty pricey initially but over time you’ll save. You’ll be making a larger volume and the price per ounce of your homemade vanilla will be much cheaper. Plus, as you use your homemade you can simply add more vodka (bourbon or rum) to your jar. Believe me, if you’re using imitation vanilla to save you might wish to read about the making of imitation vanilla. It will bring you back to this recipe. Here are a few of my suggestions. Vodka will give a more pure taste to the vanilla extract. For a change up flavor try bourbon or rum. While Madagascar beans are premium (and a little difficult to find and price may be prohibitive) you can use other vanilla beans or do a mixture of beans. Grade B beans, too, can add more vanilla taste. Grade B beans tend to be drier and broken. They may have split open from the dryness and have little paste inside if at all. But with this dryness may come more flavor.

Recipe

You’ll need a jar with a tight fitting lid. The jar size will depend on the amount you wish to make.

For every 8 ounces of vodka, bourbon or rum you’ll need at least 5 vanilla beans 6+ inches in length. Grade B vanilla beans don’t measure this length typically due to breakage. If using Grade B use equivalent amount of pieces.

Place vanilla beans into your jar, standing them on end.

Next add vodka (*bourbon, rum) to just cover the beans. As you can see the jar size is going to be important. If you choose a very large jar you will need many more beans and vodka to keep the ratio correct.

If you choose Grade A beans they will be pliable and you can put a slit down the length to open them to the pasty inside. You need not do more or you may choose not to slit at all, but if you like the idea of the seeds in your vanilla you can scrap the inside for the paste. Place the paste in your jar as well.

Now close the jar tightly, give a little shake and place in a dark place.

Give a little shake every day or so. Store again in a dark place.

After 6-8 weeks it’s ready but 6-12 months is even better. Always store away from light.

Now you need not be without vanilla extract again. As you use, replenish with vodka to keep the vanilla flowing.

*Not to be confused with Bourbon Madagascar. Bourbon Madagascar doesn’t have bourbon … not to say you can’t create your own recipe with bourbon.