Homemade Vanilla Extract? (ingredients, best, chocolate, iced)

[nALgirl]

Has anyone every made their own from vanilla beans and liquor? If so, recipes, suggestions, etc would be appreciated.

Thanks!

[Gypsyrhydyr]

Easy. Pick a good vodka - I prefer Smirnoff Silver label - add vanilla beans and let sit for 25 to 30 days. Can actually be used within a week but flavor develops over time...your choice.

[Cattknap]

The problem is affording the number of beans you need to make vanilla (a minimum 8 beans per cup of Vodka but more means than 8 is better) unless you can get a quanity at a good price. This article suggests using Grade B beans.....vanilla beans in our area are a minimum of $4.00 each and usually more like $5 or $6 each.....I can go to Costco and get a huge bottle of real vanilla extract that will last me years and years...in fact it has been so long since I bought vanilla, I couldn't tell you how much I paid 3 years ago...but it certainly wasn't $40.

Another very good vanilla is Penzey's ($46.00 for 16 ounces)....and love their huge variety of spices too - I just noticed that you can buy from Penzeys 15 vanilla beans for $28.65 - much more reasonable. Cook's Illustrated once rated Penzey's vanilla as the best.

Here is the artilce recipe for making vanilla extract: Make Vanilla Extract

Penzeys: Penzeys - Search Results

[nALgirl]

Thanks, Gypsyrhydyr and Cattknap. Gypsy: can you really tell a difference? I went to Maker's Mark Distillery last week and did their tour and tasting. I'm not a bourbon drinker, but when I tasted the Maker's 46 the taste of vanilla with the bourbon came to mind. Ever since then I keep thinking of different ways to use this "vanilla" I've created in my mind. Most recipes I've seen use vodka, so I'm curious if bourbon would overpower the vanilla?

[Gypsyrhydyr]

nALgirl - yeah there is a taste difference. I suggested vodka because it has the least 'other flavors' interference with the vanilla in regard to taste 'purity.' I have never used bourbon but I have done it with dark rum and THAT was good!

Cattknap is right about $$$$ but I like to play with my food . Taste, ingredients, textures, spices and flavorings let me do that. I live in Alaska and some of the most expensive things are spices and flavorings. So, I shop for spices on-line and (over time) I've found that by watching several sites and using sales or shipping offers, I can cut the cost dramatically. I've listed a few below for you. Happy shopping.





https://www.spicesetc.com/

Cook's Vanilla Extracts, Organic & Natural Flavors

Bulk Spices & Seasonings – Wholesale Spices, Herbs, Seasoning, Bulk Spice

BulkFoods.com Candy, Spices, Nuts, Chocolates, Dried Fruits and Trail Mixes.

Mexican food and Mexican recipes at MexGrocer.com

Paella Ingredients - Spanish Food and Paella Pans from HotPaella.com

[Mercury Cougar]

You can buy the cheapest vodka you want. Just grab a Brita filter, and run the cheap hooch through it six or seven times (yes, that many!). It will remove the nasties that make it 'cheap'. and you won't have any odd flavors competing with your vanilla beans.

[nALgirl]

Thanks for the replies!

[Cattknap]

Originally Posted by Mercury Cougar

You can buy the cheapest vodka you want. Just grab a Brita filter, and run the cheap hooch through it six or seven times (yes, that many!). It will remove the nasties that make it 'cheap'. and you won't have any odd flavors competing with your vanilla beans.

or just buy some decent vodka and skip all the messy filtering.

[Fontucky]

I tried making my own once, off a recipe I got out of the paper. I let it steep for 8 months. Problem is, I used bourbon, which is a spirit I don't like, and because of there not being enough vanilla pod in it, there was barely any vanilla flavor. So all I ended up with was 8 month old bourbon, which ended up going down the drain.

[nALgirl]

I bought some vanilla beans from World Market and put some in vodka and it is WONDERFUL!! My son loves flavored espresso drinks so I also used some of the beans to make vanilla simple syrup. Much better than the ones available at the grocers.