How to make Vanilla Extract
By kestrelRecently DIY Maven was kind enough to pass along a very yummy recipe for a Mrs Fields cookie with chocolate chips and m&ms. In telling her how fantastic they were I mentioned using my homemade Vanilla. This resulted in her wanting to know how this was done. In a one word answer…easily.
We do a lot of baking in my house and Vanilla Extract is one ingredient that we go through way too fast. Several years back I tried my hand at a few homemade cordials that pretty much involved flavoring a base alcohol with one fruit or another. When we started going through bottle after bottle of Vanilla Extract I figured the same principal should apply.
I looked online and found multiple recipes that called for combining Vanilla Beans, Vodka and sometimes sugar. Recipes varied in ratios as well as method. Some involved steeping the beans in warmed vodka like a tea, others running them through a coffee maker and some just letting them soak in the Vodka. I know that heating alcohol can change the flavor so opted for the simple version of just soaking the beans in alcohol. Plus I had images of running vodka through a coffee maker and having it leak on to the heating element and explode. ooops!
While the Ukrainian half of me is all for vodka I cannot think of any recipe that actually calls for adding vodka. So instead I chose the alcohol I thought would work best with baked goods and fruits in general. I went with dark rum.
So here’s what I do…
Combine:
375 ml of good dark rum (half of fifth)
3 or 4 Vanilla Beans (depending on size) split lengthwise. I cut mine into smaller sections so it is easier to remove them from small mouthed bottles.
I skipped the sugar as I saw no reason to add it.
I then shake it and let it sit in dark spot for about a month or so before I use it. Shake it a few times a week if you remember. I’ve tried it with shaking often and hardly at all and have not noticed much of a difference. Just taste a bit now and then to see if it flavored enough for you. It seems to get to full strength somewhere between 1 and 2 months.
This takes no time at all to do, maybe 5 minutes. I spend more time finding the bottles to use than actually making the extract. It’s great as a gift too.
I’ve also tried variations. We had a bottle of Cointreau that had an inch or so left in the bottom. I added the dark rum and vanilla beans to this and the Vanilla extract has a real nice, slight orange taste which goes well with French Toast. I just made a new batch that has a couple of coffee beans in it. I’m not sure how it will turn out but it seemed like a good idea at the time.
When you have used all of your homemade Vanilla extract just remove the spent vanilla beans and start over. Someone told me to let them dry and you could use them in baked goods but I have yet to try this. Maybe next time.
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kestrel
I just figured it out and my costs are about $1.13 / oz. I spent about $20 on the dark rum. I can't think of the name offhand but it has a seal on the front. I bought Bourbon beans online and spent about $20 for 25 good sized beans. I've made 5 batches so far and still have 3 beans left.
So a 4 oz bottle of DIY Vanilla would run you about $4.52 and it tastes so much better than anything I've had off the shelf.
I did buy the beans online as anywhere local I looked the beans tended to look a bit sad. I forget where I bought them online but I shopped around and read reviews. Prices where all pretty close.
Once the coffee bean vanilla has "matured" I'll let you know how it tastes.
DIY Maven
This is fabulous! I spent about 10 bucks on a 4 oz bottle of fair trade vanilla at the co-op a few weeks ago. So that's, what?, 30 bucks to get the same amount you make out of a half a fifth. Even if I used fancy ($) vanilla beans, it still would be much less expensive in the long run to make my own. And experimenting with flavors is an added bonus. I also love the idea of giving it as a gift. Thank you, Kestrel!!
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