Homemade Vanilla Extract

Kitty FloridoDecember 16, 2020

This post is also available in / Esta entrada también está disponible en ESPAÑOL (SPANISH)

Back in early May, I was looking for a long-term project that didn’t require many ingredients or constant feedings. Bread is something that I will tackle later on, but definitely not now. Seeing that I had fresh vanilla beans I had purchased at Super Verduras (you can also find at Blossom Cakes), and also had some alcohol… Homemade Vanilla Extract was just right. It’s a gift that keeps on giving 🙂.

Traditionally, you use vodka, since it’s a clear and flavorless alcohol that will be perfect to be infused with the vanilla flavor. Since it was the beginning of lockdown, the choice was clear between my two options: rum or tequila. Tequila wouldn’t do, so rum it is.

This is such a simple recipe. You need vanilla beans, a glass container, enough alcohol to cover the beans… and patience. I first started using the vanilla extract 6 weeks after I made it. During the first weeks, the only thing you need to do, is to shake the bottle every few days, or even once a week. After the first week, the the extract will start changing color, and with every week that goes by it will get darker and change in flavor.

As you go using the vanilla, make sure that the vanilla beans are always submerged, adding more rum or vodka as needed. To use, you can simple substitute the store-bought vanilla with your homemade version.

Kitty

Vanilla Extract

A Foodies’ Kitchen original recipe
Yield: 1 cup

Ingredients:
3-4 vanilla beans
1 cup dark rum or vodka
8-oz. glass bottle with a tight seal, washed & dried

Instructions:

Using a sharp knife, cut the vanilla beans lengthwise so that the seeds are exposed. It is not necessary to cut them completely, just cutting them halfway is enough. If the length of the pods is too long, you can cut them to fit inside the bottle. Place the pods inside the bottle.
Fill with rum to cover the beans. You may need more than a cup of alcohol, depending on the size of the glass bottle. It is important that the beans are completely submerged. Close the bottle and shake.
Store the bottle in a place where it is not in direct sunlight. Even better if it is in a cupboard. Shake once or twice a week for several weeks.
Let the vanilla rest for 6 to 8 weeks. You will notice that its color will change, as well as its smell. By using vanilla, you can add more rum so that the pods are always submerged.
Shake before each use.

Notes:

If you’re gifting the vanilla or if you don’t have any more alcohol to refill, remove the beans completely after first use. The beans will become a little slimy if they aren’t almost fully submerged.
Use the same amount of homemade vanilla extract as you would store-bought in recipes.
Esta esencia de vainilla puede durar varios años (media vez las vainas siempre estén sumergidas). Media vez su olor sea agradable, es apropiada para consume.
Luego de un año, la vainilla ya no será tan potente como al inicio, es cuando te recomendamos reemplazar las vainas de vainilla por unas frescas.

Have you made this recipe?

Please let me know how it turned out for you! Leave a comment below and share a picture with the hashtag #thefoodieskitchen

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