Vanilla Extract Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Can you make your own vanilla extract? ›

You only need 2 ingredients for homemade vanilla extract: vanilla beans and vodka. Let the vanilla beans infuse the vodka for as little as 8 weeks, but for optimal flavor, wait at least 6-12 months before using. Homemade vanilla is more cost efficient than store-bought options. You can try homemade vanilla sugar too.

You will need 4-5 beans for every 8 ounces (1 cup) of alcohol. Gently cut slits, lengthwise down the vanilla beans, using a sharp knife. Place the vanilla beans in jar (cut them in half if needed, to submerge them in alcohol).

Whichever spirit you choose, use approximately 8 ounces of alcohol (at least 70-proof) per 4–6 vanilla beans (the same standards issued by the FDA). Just a couple of beans hanging out, sipping some vodka. Secure the jar with a tight-fitting lid and shake vigorously.

Going from vanilla bean to vanilla extract is economical and delicious. Compared to store bought vanilla, making vanilla extract is much cheaper. On average it costs $5 per ounce at the grocery store, but you can make it for $1.65 per ounce. That's 60% cheaper than what you'd buy at the store!

Indonesian Vanilla – The beans from Indonesia are mass-produced and usually a grade B bean. For making homemade vanilla extract, this is the type that is recommended. They may be a bit more brittle and dried out which makes them perfect for the long soaking in vodka or bourbon.

Pure vanilla extract—the kind made with real vanilla beans and at least 35 percent alcohol—has an indefinite shelf life.

With Vodka, you get the taste of the pure vanilla bean, as the alcohol is completely tasteless. With Rum, you get a very sweet taste and the maximum vanilla taste. With Bourbon, while you do get a wonderfully enhanced vanilla taste, there are specific smoky notes that emanate through the extract.

The amount of alcohol in pure vanilla extract varies by brand. Some contain as much as 35% alcohol by volume (ABV), which is equivalent to 70-proof vodka. However, a teaspoon of that vanilla extract has very little alcohol, somewhere closer to 1%.

Container: You can use any glass container you would like that has a lid. I like to use pint-sized mason jars with plastic lids. Waxed Paper: A piece placed between the lid and the jar helps to keep the extract from leaking when you shake the jar. It also helps to create a better seal.

Some DIY extract makers have told us that by cutting the bean open they have a great tasting extract in just 90-120 days. Scientifically, this does make sense as cutting the bean open provides more surface area contact with the pod and the alcohol, and the more surface area contact the faster the extraction.

Which vodka is best for vanilla extract? ›

But BEWARE the trap of buying flavored vodkas for vanilla extract. They don't always marry well with vanilla beans and the result can be disheartening. Stick with plain Smirnoff and you'll do just fine. Ciroc - A five-times distilled French vodka will deliver a beautiful, pure extract.

12+ months is great! As you begin to use your vanilla, you can refill with a little vodka each time. Give it a shake after you refill and give it a shake before each use, too. If you're gifting the vanilla or if you don't have any more alcohol to refill, remove the beans completely after first use.

Beans you've already used in a batch of extract can be reused in the next batch. When I siphoned off the vanilla extract from my 18 month batch, almost all of those beans went right back into the jar for the next batch. I simply added a few new beans to punch up the flavour.

For the best flavor, let the beans steep for 6 months or up to 12 months. However, you can use the extract after 2 months, it just won't be as strong. Once the extract is ready, you can transfer the liquid to 4-ounce glass bottles for easy use or gifting. Place a piece of vanilla bean in each bottle if desired.

By contrast, artificial vanilla flavor is solely made up of artificially derived vanillin, which is frequently made from a by-product of the wood pulp industry.

What is the shelf life of my vanilla extract? When stored properly, vanilla extract will keep indefinitely, but using it within five years will allow for best flavor and aroma. Do not refrigerate or freeze, even after opening. What is the shelf life of my vanilla beans?

Vanilla extract doesn't just rely on alcohol to extract the essential flavors and fragrances from the vanilla bean and suspend them in a stable solution—it's also required by law to have an alcohol content of at least 35 percent.

In vanilla extract the content of ethyl alcohol is not less than 35 percent by volume and the content of vanilla constituent, as defined in § 169.3(c), is not less than one unit per gallon.