How to Make Vanilla Extract at Home

Fresh baked muffins, a fluffy batch of French toast, gooey chocolate chip cookies, and a warm apple pie. Do you know what all of these desserts have in common? Not only are they delicious, but each dish is perfected by the comforting flavor of vanilla extract.

It’s no secret that vanilla extract is one of the more expensive ingredients used in so many baked goods, but did you know that you can cut costs by brewing it in your own kitchen? You’ll know exactly what’s going into the extract, and you can taste the difference between store bought vanilla vs homemade vanilla in your recipes. Long gone are the days of buying ‘Imitation vanilla product’… whatever that is! Homemade vanilla extract only requires two key ingredients, about 10 minutes of your time, and a bit of patience. Let’s get started!

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Vanilla Extract Ingredients

• 5-6 Vanilla beans
• 8oz of Alcohol

What Type of Vanilla Beans Should I Use to Make Vanilla Extract?

You can use grade A or grade B vanilla beans. Grade A beans are generally more expensive and release the vanilla flavor more readily into a dish, saving time. Grade B beans are more affordable and take longer to release the flavor, so they’re typically the ones used for extract purposes. There are a few varieties of vanilla beans to choose from based on the flavor you’re hoping to create:
-Madagascar beans offer a creamy, rich flavor
-Mexican beans offer a bold smoky flavor
-Tahitian beans offer a floral, fruity flavor

What is the Best Alcohol for Making Vanilla Extract?

A cheap bottle of 80-proof vodka will do the trick! You don’t need to worry about splurging here since the alcohol will absorb the flavor of the vanilla beans anyway. You could also use bourbon, rum, or brandy which will change up the flavor of the vanilla extract.

How Many Times can Vanilla Beans be Used to Make Vanilla Extract?

Once you’ve used the first batch of vanilla extract, you can pour more alcohol over the same beans to make a second batch. You can use the same beans twice before the vanilla flavor starts to weaken.

Vanilla Extract Supplies

• Air tight jar/container (Tall enough to fit the length of the vanilla bean so they can be immersed in the alcohol)
• Sharp knife
• Cutting board
• Funnel (Optional, but makes pouring the alcohol much easier)

Directions

Step 1: Carefully slice your vanilla beans lengthwise with a sharp knife. Doing so will increase the alcohol’s exposure to the flavor inside the vanilla beans.
Step 2: Place the beans inside of your air tight container. Pour the alcohol over the vanilla beans, and seal the container.
Step 3: Store in a cool, dark place where it’ll brew for 7-10 months. Give the bottle a shake about once a week to incorporate the flavor.

Using the Extract

When it’s time to use your vanilla extract, you can either pour it through a strainer to avoid getting vanilla bean pieces in your dish, or you can let the pieces in to enhance the flavor! Once you’ve used the first batch of vanilla extract, you can pour more alcohol over the same beans to make a second batch.

There you have it! Your very own homemade vanilla extract. Enjoy using it to flavor your baked goods, incorporated into a stovetop Potpourri, or as a tasty gift for the holidays. Leave a comment to let me know how your batch turns out and all of the fun ways you’ve been able to use your vanilla extract!

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