Jun 1, 2011

My oh my, it’s June already!!

A couple weeks ago, my friend, Teresa, told me that she was making homemade vanilla extract.  I was intrigued!   And I want to make some, too.  It’s going to take about 2 months – so, this is not an instant gratification project.

Here’s the recipe I’m using:

Homemade Vanilla Extract

• 3 vanilla beans ( I ordered mine online from Olive Nation)
• 1 cup Buckeye vodka – or if you’re not lucky enough to have Buckeye, settle for another brand 🙂
• glass jar with tight fitting lid

Cut each bean lengthwise, splitting them in half, leaving an inch at the end connected.

Put vanilla beans in a glass jar or bottle with a tight fitting lid.  Make sure the beans are completely covered by the vodka.

Give the bottle a good shake every once in a while.  Store in a dark, cool place for 2 months or longer.

The resulting extract should lasts for years.   Shake before using.

Update (18 months later!):  This batch turned out great.  I kept it in the pantry, which is out of direct sunlight, and after about 3-4 months it turned pretty dark.   I have been using it ever since.   I keep the bottle topped off with vodka after every couple of uses.  I just added a new vanilla bean or two as well.  That way it’s become a bottomless source of vanilla extract!