Homemade vanilla extract should have a permanent spot in your pantry. It's simple and affordable and takes about 10 minutes to make. You will need vanilla beans, vodka, a glass jar, and patience. Make this today and gift homemade vanilla extract for the holidays. Just know it takes about 3-4 months to completely steep and create vanilla extract. The full PDF of the recipe for you to print or save is at the bottom of this post and in my Recipe Index.
I wrote about homemade vanilla extract in one of my Friday Favorites newsletters a while back, so this might sound familiar, but let’s review.
Any glass container will work, but you don’t want it to be too big or it will take longer to seep the vanilla pods and make useable extract. At my fall retreat, we used these glass containers, which are the perfect size with an attached lid that won’t get lost. You’ll need a funnel to fill the bottles with vodka. I also love Weck jars, but you could lose an eyeball when those metal clips accidentally pop off. If you use them, order wood or plastic tops to replace the glass and metal clips. These jars with a flip lid would also work well.
Use a paring knife to cut open the vanilla pod. Then, use your knife to open up the pod so you can see the vanilla beans. Hold onto one end of the vanilla pod and use the back of a paring knife to scrape the vanilla beans away from you and out of the pod. If this is confusing, watch the video below. Be sure you’re not using a sharp blade to scrape the beans; you want the bundt end. Here’s a video that shows how to cut open the pods and scrape out the seeds:
These are the vanilla beans I ordered. You can find better-quality beans that are plumper, but these are a decent price and do the trick. Just don’t let them sit around in your pantry for too long, or they will dry out. I’ve started storing leftover unused vanilla beans in an airtight container in my refrigerator, or you can freeze them.
For the alcohol, I use Tito’s vodka because it’s gluten-free (shocking, I know). Any unflavored vodka will work. Or try a variation with bourbon. You just fill the jar with vodka. Don’t worry too much about how much you’re using, double the amount of vanilla beans if you want the process to “move along” faster.
Note: After you use up about 1/4 the bottle of vanilla extract, top it off with more fresh vodka. It will slightly dilute the extract, but it can be used immediately and will strengthen in flavor in no time.
After I’ve made vanilla extract and used it for a while, I occasionally add another scraped vanilla bean to the glass bottle. If you have one left over from making whipped cream or crème brûlée, as one does, pop it into the jar. Even if you have scraped out most of the vanilla beans inside the pod, it can still add flavor to your extract. You can also pop that scraped pod into a canister of sugar to add a rich, aromatic vanilla scent to your baking sugar.
Travel tip: You can find big and bursting Madagascar vanilla beans at some of France's outdoor farmer’s markets. Tuck some in your suitcase on your next trip. (Me: Pulls up Air France website and starts browsing.)
The video below shows the color of the extract when you finish. Don’t be alarmed if it takes a while to develop a deep, dark flavor; patience is a virtue.
You can (and should) use this homemade vanilla extract in my Apple Dutch Baby, Apple Cranberry Crisp, cookies, One Bowl Lemon Ricotta Cake and…Espresso Martinis.
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