Vanilla Extract DIY

More often than not homemade gifts are the best way to go.

Now, I know that that statement might resonate with all of you like-minded individuals who share this space with me, but if you look at our general culture of consumption, it could be easily assumed that bright, new, shiny objects might be better appreciated than something we made by hand.

I think, though, that our consumerist culture is the exact reason that handmade gifts continue to be so cherished among young and old alike.

The time, energy, intention and love that goes into every single item that is created or crafted by one and given to another holds a sort of magic, no matter how simple that gift might be.

But I digress.  You are really here for the liquor, aren’t you? That’s what I thought!

Alrighty then!  Let’s do this!

Vanilla extract is one of those super simple gifts that takes just a few minutes to throw together and then a bit of patience while you wait for it all to marinate.

The process is quite simple with a 2 quart jar and two ingredients:

• Vodka
• Vanilla Beans

Now, you can go crazy with vodka, depending on how “top shelf” you want your gift to be, but the truth is, the receiver shouldn’t be downing this, just cooking with it, right?  So there’s no need to go overboard here.  Get some mid to low range vodka and don’t worry about it.

The vanilla beans can usually be found in the refrigerator section of your natural grocery store (our store keeps them cool in the same area as the bulk nuts and flours).

I purchase one handle of vodka and 10 vanilla beans, split the beans with a sharp knife and scrape some of paste into your 2-quart jar, then throw the whole beans in there as well.  All you have to do once the beans are in the jar is to fill it up with your vodka, put a lid on it, place it on a shelf out of sunlight (a pantry or cupboard works perfectly) and remember to shake it daily.

You’ll quickly notice how the color will begin to change and, after about a month, you’ll have Vanilla Extract!

To give your extract away as a gift, you can carefully pour it into some small pretty jars (these are super cute), maybe tie a little ribbon round the top and then happily watch as the recipient wraps their head around the fact that they’ve been spending way too much on vanilla extract for their whole life!

As an alternative, you can also transfer one of the vanilla beans into the gift jar.  Not only does this add to the visual appeal of your gift, but it also will allow the extract to continue steeping and intensifying.

Also, if you are short on time (say, you don’t have a full month until gift giving time is upon you), you can simply increase the number of vanilla beans in your vodka to allow it all to intensify a bit quicker.

xoxo,
M

P.S.
Is there an alternative to making Vanilla Extract with alcohol? I have heard talk about making it using glycerin and water, but I have not tried that method, nor do I know much about it. If you are interested in taking that route though, I am sure there are plenty of recipes and resources floating around out there!

Linking up to the Homestead Barn Hop #138, From the Farm and Homemade Mondays #58