Homemade Vanilla Extract

While standing in the spice aisle of World Market, I decided it was time to make my own vanilla extract. It was cheaper to buy 6 whole beans than a 4 ounce bottle of the already-made extract. At home I checked to see what the Google consensus was for a recipe. It varies. A lot. 0.25 to 8 beans per ounce of liquid. With the weighted average being less than 1. Since I only bought 6 beans on my impulse buy, I went with a middle-of-the-road strength at 0.75 beans per ounce. Let's get started.

Round up your beans, alcohol of choice (at least 80 proof vodka, rum or bourbon) and a glass container. You don't even need a separate container if you are making enough to use the entire container of alcohol - just put the beans in. Using kitchen shears or a sharp knife, cut each bean into two halves. Then slice each half lengthwise to expose the insides. On larger beans I was able to slice into thirds. No need to slice the entire way. I may end up putting the beans in individual bottles for perpetual vanilla and this will make transferring the beans easier.

Cover your vanilla beans with alcohol. I used Four Roses bourbon because that's what I had in the cupboard - from my first anniversary roadtrip to Kentucky! I used a measuring cup to measure out the bourbon before pouring in the mason jar. This was dumb and unnecessary since this needn't be an exact science. And I spilled some.

Make sure the lid is on tight and give it a good shake. Leave out where you will remember to pick it up and shake it daily. After a week or so, move to a cupboard where you will remember to shake it several times a week. The vanilla extract should be ready to use anywhere between 6 weeks and 6 months of soaking. Strain and store in an amber glass bottle. Stay tuned for an update in a few months....