Vanilla Extract

So a third really easy project I decided to tackle is making my own vanilla extract. I've seen numerous websites all with the same basic instructions. Alton Brown from Good Eats told me the truth of about artificial vanilla flavoring being made from tree sap and wood pulp. No lie. Google it. Though it's not harmful as far as I've read, Vanilla should be made from Vanilla Beans!! And since a tiny bottle of the real stuff will cost you more at the super market by far, making it at home can save some pennies if you can find a good price on the beans, and you happen to have some vodka laying around. I found the beans, again at that awesome Food Coop, and had to buy a little bottle of vodka. And just for reference when you go into the store and ask for the cheapest bottle of vodka on hand, they're gonna look at you like you're nuts.

So there we have it vanilla beans and cheap vodka. You'll also need a jar to combine the two in. So cut up your vanilla beans into portions that will fit in your jar. Then you'll want to slice them in half length wise so that you can see the insides! It'll look something like this.

 It's going to feel almost greasy and smell wonderful. Take all your pieces you cut up and toss them in your jar and then fill it up with your vodka leaving just a bit of room so you can shake it all up.

 There is another gorgeous pint jar again. I put my cutting board up behind it so you can see that its not quite clear since that vanilla flavor is mixing in!

So you can see those little pieces from the inside of the bean mixing with the vodka. The key again is to let it sit for awhile. Everyone seems to recommend a different amount of time for it to mature. But the color should change to dark brown and it should smell like vanilla for sure. Make sure you shake the jar every few weeks for at least 4-5 weeks. You can filter it before you use it if you want to but I probably won't. It also keeps for quite a while since its just vanilla and vodka. But as always keep an eye on it and if anything looks out of the ordinary you might want to make a new batch.