Homemade Vanilla

My wonderful and super-knowledgeable friend, Joanna, told me how to make my own vanilla.  Yet one more item that has changed my pantry and my cooking for the better. Store bought vanilla often has added sweeteners or simply just added water, and the price you can end up paying for that tiny bottle is crazy.  The homemade kind is very thin, well, like vodka.  It's not that dark, syrupy look you expect from the little brown bottles from the store.  I love, love, love this stuff!  


To make your own, take about 8 vanilla beans and slice them open lengthwise.  Drop them down into a full bottle of vodka (a liter, I think) and shake the bottle every day for about two weeks.  Put in in a dark cabinet and shake every now and then, whenever you think about it.  When you do take it out and shake it, make sure you also take the lid off and inhale the aroma just for kicks.  After about 6 months you can start using it.  Top it off with vodka every now and then, and maybe add another bean or two after awhile and just keep your brew going.  I topped mine off for the first time yesterday (hence the lightness at the top of the bottle in the pic) and I have been using it for about 6 months.  It had just gotten right below the "S" in Smirnoff when I decided to top it off.  

I will let you in on a little secret, though.  I still buy the store brand kind, too, because I am stingy.  I don't often use the "good stuff" on things that I'm giving away (sorry, friends).  Sometimes I do, but mostly I save it for things I make for us to eat at home.  The one exception is sugar cookies.  I almost always use the good stuff for my sugar cookie recipe because I can really tell a difference in how they taste.  


A note on obtaining the vanilla beans:  Joanna was gracious enough to sell me some beans she ordered in bulk from the Arizona Vanilla Company (I hope I am right on this).  I looked for the beans at EarthFare the price for just one bean was astronomical.  This is a much more cost-effective way to do it.  I recall her separating the beans out and using her food-saver to vacuum seal the ones she was not using.  I am so glad she was willing to share some with me.

Try this - you will really love it!