So she got me onto pinterest (my friend Dorrie, was also involved with pushing me into this), and I can say that I like it, but I don't think I am obsessed with it as they are. Clearly, they have pinterestitis. I think I have a handful of boards, and only like 20 things pinned. However, one of the things pinned, was this idea to make home made vanilla extract. I totally fell in love with the idea. My husband loves to bake, and he is constantly using vanilla. So after further research, I decided to just try it. I ordered my beans from here, vanillabean.com. I went with the Madagascar beans. They seem to be the go to bean. I also decided to try Rum, and Vodka. While researching, they said you could use either of those alcohols, so my husband and I decided to experiment, with both. Then I opted to just stick the beans into the alcohol bottles, instead of finding the right size jars. Although I did save a tiny wine bottle, and did a small bottle of vanilla in that.
Seriously, all you do is slice open your beans, and put them into the alcohol. That is it! Then you wait, and wait and wait, until at least 2 months have passed by. But the longer it sits the better it gets. I am hoping to get some jars, and share my extract. I think it will make a neat gift at Christmas time.
Here is how you do it:
1. Get some vanilla beans. I learned that vanilla is so expensive because it takes a lot of man power to get the beans. They hand pollinate the vanilla plant, and then they also have to hand pick them, and add in the time it takes to make extract from it... Lots of time involved. I bought 10 beans, and my husband had received 2 from someone at his work. I paid right about $10 for the beans, so not too bad, they were on sale.
2. Find some bottles, I saved this tiny wine bottle, and I also just used the alcohol bottles.
3. Get your alcohol. Most of the sites I read, said go with vodka, because it has the least amount of taste to it, so that your vanilla flavor will shine through more. But rum can be used as well, and I also believe bourbon (but not 100% on that). I have also discovered that rum comes clear, just like vodka does. Go figure, I thought it was always an amber color, but apparently that is just food coloring. Well at least according to my local beverage store employee ( I suppose he could of been drinking some of what he was selling, ha). I just bought the cheapest of these. I also read that you really can't use water to make extract, because it doesn't penetrate the beans like the alcohol does.
4. You will need 2-3 beans per cup of alcohol. 2 beans if they are of good size and 3 if they are kind of skimpy. From the calculations that my husband did, we had 3 cups of alcohol in each of the bottles that I bought.
5. Take the beans, and slice them open.
6. Stick them in your jars, with the alcohol. Make sure the beans are completely covered by the alcohol.
7. Place in a dark place and wait. Shaking bottle, a couple times a week.
I also read that you can just keep adding to your bottle of vanilla, never running out. So when you take so much off the top, add more liquor and another bean. It stays good for a very long time, like 10 years. I can't wait to try it out, and to try the rum vs the vodka vanilla.
Some sites said you can strain the extract through a cheese cloth before using it, and some say don't? I think I am going to strain it, just cause you can see the floaties in the bottle now, and I am not sure how I would like that in the dessert that I am making.
MJ
Well, that sounds pretty interesting. I think you'll have enough vanilla to last you 100 years! :-) You'll have to report out on how it tastes!
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