Making Homemade Vanilla Extract (aka…Why Laura Bought a Gallon of Vodka)
ByYes indeed. The four boys and I went into Walmart a few days ago for the sole purpose of buying vodka. A gallon of it.
I felt the need to tell the check out lady why I was buying an entire gallon of vodka. She just looked at me like I was a lunatic and shrugged as if to say, “Hey, do whatever you want to with your vodka, girl.”
And then she wouldn’t let Justus carry it out of the store. You know…just in case I was buying the vodka for my nine year old minor.
It made for some good discussion on the way home: what drinking alcohol can do to your brain…why the lady had to make sure I was over 21 to buy it…why it’s okay to carry a watermelon out of Walmart when you’re nine but not a couple jugs of vodka.
All that to say: I just started my very first batch of homemade vanilla!!! I’m super excited. My friend Jill sent me a beautiful bottle of her homemade vanilla a couple of weeks ago and it’s fabulous!!! (I guess you could say that I was pressured by a friend into buying alcohol. “Go ahead Laura…make your own vanilla. Everyone’s doing it.”)
Now that I’m hooked on the idea…I thought I’d try to influence you too…
You will need:
A gallon jar
One gallon of Vodka (the cheap stuff is fine) (To keep you from standing in the liquor section too long to calculate this…2 bottles of 1.75 liters each will be the exact amount you need to make a gallon of vanilla.)
80 Vanilla Beans (You’ll need about 3/4 pound to have 80 beans) – enter code hhm2012 for a 10% discount on Vanilla Beans through Olive Nation!!
Kitchen shears
Begin by slicing through each bean lengthwise, leaving about one inch at the top of each bean uncut so that it stays together.
See? Like this…
Place all of your cut Vanilla Beans into your jar.
Fill the jar with vodka. (I took the following picture with my left hand while pouring the vodka with my right hand. This proves that apparently…I can really handle my liquor.)
Once the jar is full with beans and vodka, put the lid on…then put the jar in a dark place (like in the back of a cabinet). It needs to stay there for FOUR to SIX MONTHS in order to become vanilla extract! Occasionally, you should get it out and shake it up a bit, then put it back into it’s dark place.
Here’s the cool thing: If you start a batch of vanilla really soon…it will be ready in time to put into little bottles and give as Christmas gifts. (Family members reading this…you have exactly six months to forget all about this post and be surprised on Christmas morning.) If you don’t get it started right this minute…from what I’ve researched…a little less than six months of “vanilla extracting” time won’t hurt anything.
To complete your vanilla once six months have passed: strain out your vanilla beans with a coffee filter lined colander and tada…you have vanilla extract! Bottle it up in dark amber bottles - give it as gifts and start cooking with it yourself!! Yum!
AND…if you don’t want to make a whole gallon of vanilla…you can make a lesser amount:
- 1/2 gallon of vanilla….use 1/2 gallon of vodka (1.75 liters) and 40 Vanilla Beans (enter code hhm2012 for a 10% discount!)
- 1 quart of vanilla…use one quart of vodka and 20 Vanilla Beans (enter code hhm2012 for a 10% discount!)
Well…I know I’ve influenced many of you to eat healthier and plant potatoes in a container. Is it now possible that several of you are going to run out to buy liquor? Tell the clerk the Heavenly Homemaker sent you.
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Read details on where to purchase small vanilla bottles here. Also, you can read this post to learn how to finish and strain your vanilla after 4-6 months.
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I recommend that you purchase your Vanilla Beans through Olive Nation!! You’ll receive FREE SHIPPING and if you enter the code hhm2012 you’ll receive 10% off your entire order!!!! (The free shipping applies to vanilla bean purchases only!) I bought my most recent batch of vanilla beans through Olive Nation and was VERY happy with their prices, promptness and quality of vanilla beans. Plus free shipping and a 10% discount? It can’t be beat! Thank you Olive Nation for offering HeavenlyHomemakers readers free shipping and a special 10% discount!
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You can purchase dark amber bottles here!!
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Here’s where I ordered my labels for vanilla bottles. ;)
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My vanilla has been sitting 5 months and I tried to make some frosting with it. The frosting tasted like vodka and not like vanilla. What should I do now?
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Laura Reply:
November 25th, 2011 at 6:33 pm
If you still have your vanilla beans, I’d say shake the vodka and vanilla beans together well everyday for the next month to help the beans to extract better.
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My vanilla has been sitting for 5 months and it’s fabulous! We made tapioca pudding with it today and more than doubled the vanilla extract that the recipe called for just to try it out. No alcohol taste in the pudding, but good vanilla flavor. With that said, my family and I tasted the extract straight. Yes, there is a heavy alcohol taste. Then we tasted the extract that I had in my pantry from the store and it had a strong alcohol taste too. Thanks for the recipe. Any suggestions of where to get 2oz bottles.
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Laura Reply:
November 27th, 2011 at 2:19 pm
Here’s a post with links and explanations for where to get bottles: http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/where-to-get-bottles-for-homemade-vanilla
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I just used the code and IT WORKED. Cheers to making homemade vanilla girl. Thanks for the directions.
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Hi Laura,
I sure hope you aren’t completely weary of vanilla comments/questions…because I have yet another one for you. :) I bottled up my first batch of vanilla and it was a huge success! But I didn’t have the heart to throw away all these beans that still seem so fragrant and delicious. It seems like you suggested drying them out to use in sugar (right?), which I might do. But I also wondered if you think it would be okay to squeeze a little more life out of them by keeping them in my next batch of vanilla (adding new beans too)…and maybe just adding extra vodka? I guess my biggest concern is that I didn’t know if the beans eventually turn bitter or anything like that?
I hope that makes sense! Thanks so much!
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Tanya Reply:
December 15th, 2011 at 10:20 am
I was wondering the same thing. I just read this on Olive Nation’s website: “Both bean and seeds can be recycled for another sweet treat: Rinse and dry after using a few times and bury vanilla beans in 1-2 cups of granulated or confectioner’s sugar and cover.” That sounds like we can use the same beans again to make more vanilla extract.
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Lori Reply:
December 15th, 2011 at 10:41 am
That’s great info, Tanya! Thank you!!
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LindseyforLaura@HHM Reply:
December 19th, 2011 at 1:28 pm
It should be fine to reuse the beans. Just double the amount of beans
in the same amount of vodka as the original recipe…hope that makes
sense. :)
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Do you use the same amount of vanilla in your recipes or do you use half the amount since it maybe a little stronger than store bought?
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What brand of vodka do you use and what is the price of the vodka?
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What is the shelf life for the finished vanilla?
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Laura- or anyone who may know, I buy Mexican vanilla some times (live in the south- so its much cheaper & stronger than store bought) It says on the bottle- “mexican burbon” I am wondering if you can make the HOMEMADE VANILLA from burbon rather than vodka? & what the difference in tasted would be if any? Anyone know or have tried this? Thanks Bunches!!!
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Lori G Reply:
January 8th, 2012 at 12:25 pm
You can use bourbon in place of vodka….a little difference in the
final flavor. Google “homemade bourbon vanilla”…
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Emily Reply:
March 19th, 2012 at 6:07 pm
You can use rum too, but again it will taste a little different.
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in the pic, you’re combining the liquor and beans in a glass jar-does it need to be glass or can we just use the plastic bottle the vodka came in? thanks!!
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LindseyforLaura@HHM Reply:
January 14th, 2012 at 1:23 pm
You can use the bottles the vodka comes in. Laura jut prefers her jars! :)
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Laura:
My vanilla project is developing a cream like substance…is this the alcohol reacting with the moisture in the beans? since Grade A beans have a higher moisture content than Grade B.
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Laura Reply:
January 20th, 2012 at 10:12 am
Yikes, maybe but I’m not sure. Sounds like it might be time to go ahead and strain out the beans and bottle your vanilla.
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Hello Laura, thanks so much for this very easy idea that makes me feel like superwoman! (Sad, I know. I’ll raise my standards later. For now, I’m enjoying superwoman status). :-)
I have a question, I saw other recipes that call for many fewer beans with the same proof alcohol that have gotten great reviews. I tasted a friend’s that use one bean for half gallon of vodka. ONE BEAN! It was not as strong as store bought, but it tasted vanilla-ish. One bean to 40 beans is quite a jump, though and I was wondering what you thought about that.
Have you tried other amounts of vanilla bean or do you know others that have and if so, what was the result? I can’t get this wrong, my superwoman-ness depends on it.
Thanks!!
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LindseyforLaura@HHM Reply:
March 6th, 2012 at 10:47 am
Fewer beans will work. It is usually double or triple strength.
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ann Reply:
April 20th, 2012 at 9:55 pm
from the reading i’ve been doing (lots since i like getting things right the first time), fda standards are 13.35oz if vanilla bean to 1 gallon of 35% alcohol. that is for single strength vanilla. so, 80 beans would be just about right for that (maybe even a bit shy). the fda does not say anything about the quality of the beans being used (possibly explaining the vast difference in all single strength vanillas). i just ordered my beans today, so i am looking forward to a new experiment next week!!
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Ordering vanilla beans thru Olive Nation, said discount code expired. Do you have a newer one? Can’t wait to make my vanilla!
Thanks
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Laura Reply:
February 8th, 2012 at 9:54 pm
Thank you so much for pointing that out! I’ve contacted Olive Nation and they fixed the glitch, so the code should be working fine now. :)
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Sue Reply:
February 21st, 2012 at 10:12 pm
I just purchased a pound of vanilla beans at OliveNation with coupon
code 202012 and with the free ground shipping my total was $44 for $55….
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Is your vodka gluten free ?
Don’t you need organic vanilla beans ?
What is the difference between Madagascar and tahitian vanilla beans
Thans
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Linda Reply:
March 9th, 2012 at 8:42 am
Mountain Rose Herbs has free trade organic vanilla beans.
The price is comparable to Olive Nation (but no discount.)
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Laura Reply:
March 15th, 2012 at 5:47 pm
My husband has researched vanilla beans and apparently all vanilla beans are organic, whether labeled that or not – just because of the way they are grown. Here’s an article from Olive Nation about madagascar beans: http://www.olivenation.com/Vanilla-beans-from-Madagascar-W416.aspx
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How many bottles did you make and what was the cost per bottle?
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Laura Reply:
March 15th, 2012 at 5:44 pm
My bottle costs have varied depending on where we get them, sales being run, and what size we get. Here’s where we get them now: http://coldfusion.affiliateshop.com/AIDLink.cfm?AID=116329Redirect=/supply/glass_bottles.html
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I too would like to know the approximate cost per bottle (please include # oz per bottle). I can get 8 oz bottles of Neilsen-Massey, the gold standard of store bought vanilla, (yes, I am a vanilla snob:) for a decent price at my local whole foods. Just want to make sure it’s cost effective to buy the supplies to make a small batch, say a year’s worth. According to a sales clerk at Penzy’s, vanilla is good for 5 years, but then I’d have to find a place to store it. Thanks!
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Laura Reply:
March 15th, 2012 at 5:43 pm
At one point when I figured it, my cost was about 42 cents per ounce, not including bottles, etc.
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I was curious why you chose mountainroseherb.com for your bottles, they seem to be the most expensive. I was looking at specialtybottles or SKSbottle.
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Laura Reply:
March 20th, 2012 at 6:47 am
Typically, as we’ve added in shipping costs at each of those three sites, they all end up being about the same price. We’ve enjoyed doing business with Mountain Rose Herbs for other items, so we’ve just stuck with them since their price was basically the same as the others.
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I just did the math 6.7625 per 8oz. of vanilla. I invluded you cost per ounce, the price of the eight ounce bottles and ground shipping. In my experience that is a whole lot cheaper than store bought. I don’t think I’ll make this investment right now though because my mother went to the Christmas Tree Shop and got 8oz. of pure vanilla extract for $3.49!!! I’ve used McCormick all of my life and this “off” brand works just as great! The math is here though for anyone else who was wondering. I used the website ou provided for bottles to calculate my costs. :)
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Does anyone know if excess vanilla beans can be refrigerated or frozen for longer storage life?
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Laura Reply:
March 25th, 2012 at 11:53 am
It is best to keep the vanilla beans at room temp for best quality.
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Hi there, I was wondering how well you strain your vanilla when it is time to sell your stock. I have tried to strain it through a fine mesh paint strainer from work and I still get some sentiment. Is that ok or should it still be strained better through a cloth?
Also after about 7 months and using some of the vanilla out of the gallon, can I add more vodka to it without ruining it–how much and how long do I let it sit again. The beans are still in the jar.
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LindseyforLaura@HHM Reply:
April 10th, 2012 at 9:36 am
A little bit of sediment is fine. You could also try adding a little bit
more vodka without it hurting. As far as how much and how long to let it
sit, I am unsure. You probably just need to do a trial and see how it goes! :) good luck!
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I read that you should add some water to the vodka so the beans don’t dry out. Is this a problem?? I want to make a quart and keep it for a couple years. Would I have a problem with it drying out or should I keep a bean in the bottle??
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ann Reply:
April 20th, 2012 at 10:08 pm
don’t dilute your vodka (or other alcohol) below 35%. you need that to do the extraction. i think you may have been reading about people using pure grain alcohol like everclear (up to 190 proof or 95%).
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Andrea D. Reply:
May 4th, 2012 at 8:53 am
Thanks for your advice. I just ordered my beans and cannot wait until
they come. Thanks for your help.
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Ok, so do you think it matters what kind of vodka you buy? Like does the cheap kind taste worse or do you think the cheap kind is ok because it extracts from vanilla beans?
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Laura Reply:
May 19th, 2012 at 6:01 pm
We usually just buy the cheap vodka, the goodness comes from the great quality beans!
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I am making some vanilla myself which I am so excited about! It has been sitting for about a month and i have noticed what looks like oil floating in it. Is that normal and should I strain it out with something or should I just leave it?
Thanks for any reply!
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Laura Reply:
April 24th, 2012 at 8:44 pm
It should be fine. You can just leave it as is, giving it a nice shake every few weeks. :)
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Brittany Farabee Reply:
April 25th, 2012 at 5:02 am
Is it normal? I guess the beans do have a certain amount of oil to
them?
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Laura Reply:
May 19th, 2012 at 6:01 pm
Normal, yes. Ours typically can look like this as well and we’ve never had trouble with it.
Just wanted to say that when I was looking at prices, it cheaper to buy 2 half pounds equaling $54. Instead of one pound for $54.99. Every 99 cents counts, right?! Then add the discount and free shipping, gets better all the time.
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