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    Home » Recipes » Basics

    Updated: Jul 28, 2019 by Marc Matsumoto · 97 Comments

    Homemade Vanilla Extract

    Make vanilla extract at home with vanilla beans and mini bottles of rum, bourbon or vodka.
    Recipe Pin

    Vanilla extract is as easy to make as dropping a few vanilla beans into a bottle of vodka. I like using single serving minibar bottles of various types of alcohol so you have different flavors of vanilla that don't take a lot of space.

    On my trip to Bali late last year, I picked up a bundle of a few dozen vanilla beans for about $5 USD. If you've ever dropped a Hamilton on a jar holding a lonesome vanilla bean, you can probably imagine how excited I was about my find. Delighted with the luxury of being able to use an entire bean without thinking about cost, I've been scrapping the seeds into everything from breads to soups to jam. It wasn't until I went to bake a cake when I realized that the sticky seeds don't want to disperse evenly unless you really give them a good whisk; and we all know what happens when you overmix cake batter!

    That's when it occurred to me that this was probably the reason vanilla extract was invented. Palm firmly planted on forehead, I headed straight to the closest liquor shop to pick up some hooch to extract the essence from the shiny black beans. Standing, among rows upon rows of bottles, I couldn't decide what liquor I wanted to entrust my treasured vanilla to.

    Before I knew it, I'd loaded my basket with over $70 worth of premium booze, resolving to test which one produced the best vanilla extract. As I headed to the cashier, I noticed a rack of mini bottles of liquor (you know, the kind they serve on airplanes, and that they overcharge you for in the minibar of a hotel). Given how little I bake, nearly 2 liters of vanilla extract seemed like an awful lot to make, especially given that I'd never done this before.

    Back went the full-sized bottles and in went mini bottles of bourbon, and vodka. Back at home, I took a swig out of each bottle (just to make sure they were still okay), and split two vanilla beans, putting a whole bean in each bottle. Every day, the color of the liquor got darker, and every day I cracked open the lid to take a sniff. At first, the sharp tang of high-proof alcohol and potent vanilla bean was all I could smell, but over the course of a week, the two aromas merged, mellowing each other out and bringing forth a subtle complexity reminiscent of a fine scotch. As with a scotch though the flavor continues to improve over time, and as you can see in this series of photos, the color goes from a light tan to a ruddy brown.

    While the vanilla flavor was more pure in the bottle made with vodka, bourbon and vanilla are more than the sum of their parts. The sweet aroma from the bourbon vanilla made me want to dab a little behind my ears and pour the rest of the bottle over a giant ice cube and sip it.

    Next time, I may just go and buy a full size bottle of Bulleit and add a handful of beans for drinking, but for cooking, the mini bottles are perfect. Unless you run a bakery, you'll probably never be using more than a few teaspoons of vanilla extract, and so the mini bottles make it easy to measure out without spilling a precious drop.

    By the way, if you're not going to be in Bali anytime soon, there's a store on Amazon selling vanilla beans. I've never bought from them so I can't vouch for their quality, but if someone does buy them, please leave a note in the comments here to tell us how they are.

    📖 Recipe

    Homemade Vanilla Extract

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    Yield 50 ml

    Units

    Ingredients 

    • 1 vanilla bean
    • 1 mini bottle liquor (such as bourbon, vodka or rum)

    Instructions

    • Split the vanilla bean lengthwise. Remove a bit of booze from the bottle, and stuff both halves of the vanilla bean into the bottle. Close the lid and let the vanilla bean steep for at least one week. Like most things, vanilla extract gets better with age, so make a few bottles!
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      Recipe Rating




    1. Jeff says

      June 01, 2019 at 7:44 pm

      How does vsop conjac?

      Reply
      • Marc Matsumoto says

        June 01, 2019 at 11:06 pm

        Cognac as quite a strong flavor on it's own. I'm sure it will be delicious with vanilla, but it will definitely limit the number of uses for the extract you get out of it.

        Reply
    2. Julie Penoyer says

      February 21, 2016 at 10:26 pm

      Thanks for the wonderful idea of using mini bottles!

      Reply
    3. Marc Matsumoto says

      October 06, 2015 at 12:27 am

      It will take longer to infuse, but sure.

      Reply
    4. virginia says

      October 05, 2015 at 6:11 pm

      can i make vanilla extract without splitting the soft vanilla bean

      Reply
    5. Marc Matsumoto says

      August 27, 2015 at 2:05 pm

      Hi Bunny, it's up to you. Vodka will produce a more pure vanilla taste, whereas bourbon will give you an extract that tastes like vanilla and bourbon.

      Reply
    6. Bunny Lazar says

      August 27, 2015 at 11:56 am

      I just received some bourbon vanilla beans. To make the extract would it be better to use bourbon or vodka?

      Reply
    7. Marc Matsumoto says

      February 22, 2015 at 9:17 am

      Hi Sherry, as long as the beans are completely submerged vanilla should last indefinitely.

      Reply
    8. Sherry says

      February 22, 2015 at 3:16 am

      hi marc i would like to know how long does home made vanilla last on shelf life sherry

      Reply
    9. TexasYellowDog says

      January 25, 2015 at 7:07 am

      Everybody knows vanilla is made with bourbon??????
      No, and it never has been.
      Bourbon Vanilla is made from Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla beans. A specific species of vanilla beans.

      PGA is the best base with Vodka a close second.

      When I read that it made me laugh and remember a friend who thought Beluga Caviar came from Beluga whales.

      Reply
    10. Marc Matsumoto says

      December 27, 2014 at 1:42 am

      Hi Rena, I've never used Indian vanilla beans before but They should work just fine for making vanilla extract. As for the alcohol, vodka has the most neutral taste, so if you really want to taste just the vanilla bean then I'd go for that. Then if you feel like experimenting with other flavor combinations then you can try out different liquors.

      Reply
    11. Rena says

      December 25, 2014 at 5:04 pm

      Chef Marc, I bought 10 beans in Southern India which are said to be oily with a hint of cinnamon among other spices. What kind of alcohol would you recommend - vodka, bourbon or rum? And how many beans/100 ml?
      I've seen extracts use Madagascar and Tahitian beans but not Indian, so i'm really confused.

      Reply
    12. Marc Matsumoto says

      December 13, 2014 at 1:30 am

      Hi Sue, why not make 2 separate batches of vanilla extract and then you can taste the difference and combine the two if you want to mix them?
      —
      Sent from Mailbox

      Reply
    13. SueMcK says

      December 12, 2014 at 7:15 pm

      Making vanilla extract for the first time & I bought 30 Tahitian Vanilla beans and they sent 10 Bourbon Madagascar beans free. can I mix the two or better not too? I'm using vodka

      Reply
    14. Marc Matsumoto says

      November 21, 2014 at 1:25 am

      Hi Linda, good question! It's not necessary, but leaveing the bean in can't hurt and I think the flavor continues to mature past 30 days.

      Reply
    15. Marc Matsumoto says

      November 21, 2014 at 1:23 am

      Hi Linda, good question! It's not necessary, but leaveing the bean in won't hurt and I think the flavor continues to mature past 30 days.

      Reply
    16. LindaG says

      November 20, 2014 at 11:21 pm

      Hope this isn't silly, do you just leave the bean in the alcohol after the thirty days?

      Reply
    17. JennyMay says

      November 14, 2014 at 10:24 pm

      Has anyone ever tried making vanilla extract with Van Gouh Double expresso vodka? I have a bunch of mini's!

      Reply
    18. Marc Matsumoto says

      August 02, 2014 at 9:34 pm

      Hi Susan, provided the beans are totally submerged in vodka (or any alcohol 80 proof or above), it's highly unlikely it would be growing mold. The most likely possibility is that you're seeing some residue or membranes from your vanilla beans floating to the top. Vanillin, which is the compound that gives vanilla it's flavor is white in color and may be culprit (see here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vanillin). That said, as with anything you should use your best judgement. If it smells/tastes off, then you should probably toss it out to be safe.

      Reply
    19. Susan Govea says

      August 02, 2014 at 12:01 pm

      I'm making 100 7oz bottles for wedding favors and I had seen this white slimy film too. My bottles have been steeping with 6 beans each for about 12 weeks now. I am concerned about it. What should I do?

      Reply
    20. bwallace1303 says

      February 26, 2014 at 7:37 am

      In the label "Madagascar bourbon". Madagascar is the type of bean and Bourbon is the island on which the bean was grown.

      Reply
    21. mom2adalinenlandon says

      January 06, 2014 at 9:32 pm

      Was there a difference in your vanilla with the vodka?

      Reply
    22. Debra says

      November 05, 2013 at 8:03 pm

      I would think that with some of the beans being raised in Indonesia that you might be able to find a company that would ship to Australia. As was stated in the previous posts, there are quite a few sellers on eBay who sell internationally and have excellent feedback scores. Their prices are wonderful and they have varying grades and varieties.

      Reply
    23. Marc Matsumoto says

      November 01, 2013 at 9:51 pm

      Yep, green tea with lavender and vanilla is good, also like making black tea with dried orange rind and vanilla
      —
      Sent from Mailbox for iPhone

      Reply
    24. Monica Chaney says

      November 01, 2013 at 8:16 pm

      hmmm.... your own blends of tea? please do share more!

      Reply
    25. Marti says

      October 29, 2013 at 10:28 pm

      thanks, I'll try that first

      Reply
    26. Marc Matsumoto says

      October 29, 2013 at 5:01 pm

      I love the added flavor that using bourbon (as the liquor provides). It's fantastic in baked goods, french toast, creams, custards, etc.

      Reply
    27. Marti says

      October 29, 2013 at 12:52 pm

      Which one did you prefer for baking, the vodka or the bourbon? I've never made either, always bought vanilla. The kind I used to buy said it was made with Madagascar bourbon, so I assumed that was the kind of alcohol, not the bean. Glad I found this post.

      Reply
    28. Marc Matsumoto says

      October 28, 2013 at 4:17 pm

      I'll have to look for it, it sounds delightful!

      Reply
    29. Bianca says

      October 28, 2013 at 10:45 am

      Vermont makes a vodka called Vermont Gold.... I just bought 8 miniatures and will make vanilla with it. Crisp, clean with a hint of maple syrup !

      Reply
    30. Matt says

      October 18, 2013 at 4:07 am

      Just started doing the same thing myself! I found lots of recommendations that said 3 beans per 1 cup. I got these 2oz (12tsp) bottles (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003FXOMSA) and these beans (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005CJBKAI). I won't know the final results for a while, but the beans certainly smelled pungent enough! I used a special bourbon so it sounded fancy as a gift, but I bet it will taste the same as bullet or even jim beam.

      Reply
    31. Denise says

      October 04, 2013 at 10:29 pm

      Try looking at a store that sells homemade wine supplies. I found them there cheaply.

      Reply
    32. Kerri says

      September 29, 2013 at 9:01 pm

      I've bought these browm bottles for other herbal tinctures:
      https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005IDU0X6/ref=oh_details_o06_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

      I just found these & I like the blue for the vanilla 🙂 so I'm gonna buy these for gifts.
      https://www.specialtybottle.com/cobaltbluebostonroundglassbottle4ozwcap.aspx

      Reply
    33. Kara says

      September 28, 2013 at 6:58 pm

      Hi Karen - I really want to do this for Christmas and want to start now. Would you mind sharing your recipe? I am not sure how much bourbon to buy and vanilla beans (and do I want to use a specific vanilla bean?). I started looking online to buy glass bottles and was disappointed in what I was finding. I was thinking of a cute 4 oz amber glass bottle. Not so easy to find. Thanks Kara

      Reply
    34. glenkaradiamonds says

      August 05, 2013 at 5:30 pm

      I have been making vanilla for over 30 yrs. I now have about 2 gallons that have been aging for over 20 yrs. I give it as gifts to family and friends. I must have 5 pounds of beans in the aging jar. It just keeps getting better with age.

      Reply
    35. Marc Matsumoto says

      June 14, 2013 at 3:16 am

      Hi Quinn, the wax on the bottle came with the bottle, it's a thing that Maker's Mark does doesn't really serve a purpose with a screw-top bottle.

      Reply
    36. Quinn says

      June 13, 2013 at 9:33 pm

      What sort of wax did you use to seal the bottles?

      Reply
    37. Bunni Jeanne Schile says

      June 08, 2013 at 9:32 pm

      it was an opened bottle...probably wasn't tightened enough

      Reply
    38. Bunni Jeanne Schile says

      June 08, 2013 at 5:01 pm

      I actually just bought 50 vanilla beans (25 to a pack) on Beanilla....on sale. $25 a pack for a total of $50. They are vacuum packed and big and fat! I can't wait to make my own vanilla extract!

      Reply
    39. Used2b718 says

      February 02, 2013 at 11:41 pm

      Love World Market for spices.

      Reply
    40. Used2b718 says

      February 02, 2013 at 7:44 pm

      I just started ordering my vanilla beans in bulk, and am such a fan of Olivenation.com they will ship vanilla beans for free.

      Reply
    41. tonya says

      January 02, 2013 at 8:15 pm

      It is also great in rum....

      Reply
    42. James says

      November 18, 2012 at 3:22 pm

      Bourbon Vanilla gets its name from the French colonial name of an island off Madagascar where vanilla is grown. As far as I know vanilla extract is not made with bourbon, although it does sound interesting.

      Reply
    43. KyleC says

      November 12, 2012 at 2:11 am

      There is a site that will ship to australia, but the shipping might be very high. beanilla.com is a great site for vanilla beans

      Reply
    44. Ruby says

      November 02, 2012 at 9:05 pm

      I recently purchased vanilla beans from eBay and was pleasantly surprised by
      The quality of the bean! I purchased 30 beans from vanilla products.com (they have a store on eBay) for $16.50. When I received my order they threw in 5 "extract" quality beans for free! They have all grades of beans. I purchased grade A gourmet beans. They were soft, plump and wonderfully fragrant. I have some steeping in Grey Goose vodka and some in Phillips vodka to do a comparison of expensive vodka vs high end vodka. I also have some in bourbon. I can't wait to use it in my holiday baking!

      Reply
    45. Markus says

      November 02, 2012 at 12:39 pm

      Here is the barrel link:
      https://oakbarrelsltd.com/vanilla-extract-barrel-1-liter.html

      Reply
    46. Markus says

      November 02, 2012 at 12:37 pm

      I bought one of the barrels I mentioned previously about 3 months ago and followed the recipe for vanilla extract it came with. I used 8 oz of Madagascar bourbon beans (double strength, 4oz if you want single strength) and a 750ml bottle of Knob Creek Single Barrel 9 year Kentucky Bourbon. The results so far are amazing. I am planning on bottling it to give as gifts this holiday season.

      Reply
    47. Marilia says

      October 26, 2012 at 1:53 pm

      If you aren't in the market for a whole pound of beans, you can get 2 beans for about $3 at Trader Joe's or Whole Foods. Much less expensive than $10 for 1 bean at your grocery store, and makes it easy to try this out with the "airline-sized" liquor.
      I'm heading out to procure some beans and bourbon this weekend and give this a shot for Christmas gifts! I think this would be awesome in a basket with a recipe-in-a-jar and maybe some cute towels or pot holders

      Reply
    48. Thomas Abraham says

      October 20, 2012 at 7:23 pm

      HM... I was at Costco in San Antonio last night looking for vanilla beans to use for this express purpose. Next time, I'll stop and asks someone. I've been getting my vanilla beans from World Market for years, but last night, they were sold out. 🙁

      Reply
    49. Luke the Drifter says

      September 16, 2012 at 2:54 pm

      I started making my own extract in the early '80's and still have (I think) my original recipe (not sure where it came from.) That recipe called for one quart of 80 proof brandy and 2 beans, so it's quite a bit weaker than what you all are making. Then it says to split the beans and seal them in the brandy for 2 months in a dark place.

      I've probably made this a few dozen times over the years (I use it in my homemade granola.) I've kept the original bottle and all the beans. This is the first time I've searched for new info on making extract, specifically to check if it was okay to keep adding to the old beans. Thanks to the folks who said that's fine!

      I've always used vodka or brandy, so's not to get in the way of the flavor of vanilla. I may have to change my way of thinking.

      Reply
    50. Marc Matsumoto says

      August 13, 2012 at 3:02 pm

      Without seeing it it's tough to say, but since vodka is 40% alcohol, it's hard to imagine that mold could develop provided the beans were completely submerged in the vodka. The specs could be clumps of vanilla bean and the slime could be the membrane from the vanilla beans. That said, I haven't seen your bottle so you should use your best judgement.

      Reply
    51. Linda says

      August 13, 2012 at 12:55 pm

      My first tried came out great. Added more vodka then start seeing a slimmy film along with specks. The specks I understand. Got worry that it may be mold. Throw out the whole thing. Got new beans and the slimmy film again. Is this normal? Not clear any more. Is the vanilla extract okay to consume?

      Reply
    52. Ken Kennedy says

      July 22, 2012 at 3:12 pm

      Great ideas! Thank you so much - btw I'm not Ken, I'm his wife. Duh!

      Reply
    53. Marilia says

      July 12, 2012 at 8:15 am

      does anyone know a site that sells cheap vanilla beans and ships to australia?

      Reply
    54. Marc Matsumoto says

      June 29, 2012 at 7:35 am

      Thanks for all the great tips!

      Reply
    55. Sierra Luther says

      June 29, 2012 at 3:35 am

      You can also mix them in with your fingers if you don't want to "dirty" your blender/processor "just" for sugar - the sugar granules break apart the clumps of seeds!

      Reply
    56. Sierra Luther says

      June 29, 2012 at 3:33 am

      Yes, I agree! I bought a pound there too - for anyone wondering, the "chef quality" beans are $19.95/lb and I called to ask the difference between those and the more expensive ones. The difference is as follows: the "chef quality" beans aren't quite as plump/moist as the pricier ones, but they work perfectly fine. Keep them in a cool dark place (NOT refrigerated or frozen though) and tightly sealed with as little air as possible and they'll last you a long, long time!

      Reply
    57. Sierra Luther says

      June 28, 2012 at 11:48 pm

      Just a few tips I thought I'd pass along:

      Keep your beans in a cool dark place exposed to as little air as possible (squeezing all the air out of a plastic bag is a good start, you can even double bag them - it keeps them moist longer). I've had my beans about 7-8 months and they're still pliable, pretty moist, and not moldy. They do dry out slightly, but that's to be expected. Don't store them in the fridge or freezer. They might develop a white "film" over them - don't toss them before thoroughly inspecting them! It might just be the natural sugars from the beans crystallizing on the outside.

      Vanilla beans should be moist/a tad sticky - if they dry out, they're hard to use. If they DO dry out, soak them in the liquid you'll be baking with for a 30 minutes or so - it'll soften the beans enough to split them.

      You can definitely keep adding beans and liquor to the same bottle, most bakers recommend this!

      While vanilla extract is fine to use after the first week or month, two months of "steeping" is ideal to extract a good amount of flavor. It will continue to get stronger the longer you have it.

      A good ratio of beans to liquor is 5 whole beans to 1 cup of liquor - sounds like a lot, but you'll get the best quality/bang for your buck this way. Split the beans and submerge them - no need to scrape the beans, the liquor will do that for you over the first couple days. Shake your extract every couple days for the first couple weeks at least. I tried cheating and using fewer beans and it just didn't give the right punch.

      I can personally recommend saffron.com. I have only used beans from them, but they're a really good value and really good quality. The "chef quality" pound of beans is about $20 and definitely worth your money.

      You can use whatever liquor you'd like! I've done Seagrams 7, Seagrams Dark Honey, and Smirnoff. All good in their own ways and for their own purposes.

      After scraping your beans for other things, you can stick the pods in your sugar container (I have a small diner-style sugar dispenser that I use for my vanilla sugar). The more beans you put in, the stronger the vanilla flavor. It is HEAVENLY!

      Sorry to be so long winded, just wanted to help you out! I'm a pastry chef who loves to research ways to make things on my own to get away from mass-produced, filler-laden, mediocre products 🙂 Figured I might as well pass along the information!

      Reply
    58. Heather says

      June 22, 2012 at 11:41 am

      I use Rain Organic Vodka to make my extract. It is DIVINE. Rain is a very smooth vodka, all on its own, and it's smooth, silky flavour combined with vanilla beans makes for superb vanilla extract that always adds a wonderful quality taste to all my baked goods! (better than store-bought extract!). Plus, the "genie looking" bottle looks pretty nifty on my shelf with the vanilla beans floating in it. Hehe. The only problem was I was buying my beans from my local dry goods store, and they were helluva expensive. I'm so glad people posted all these great links and places to get cheaper beans from! Thank you!

      Reply
    59. Thomas Abraham says

      June 21, 2012 at 10:04 pm

      I have bought the bourbon cured beans from Amazon, and their quality is wonderful.

      Reply
    60. Marilia says

      June 21, 2012 at 6:04 pm

      I have bought the bourbon cured beans from Amazon, and their quality is wonderful.

      Reply
    61. Thomas Abraham says

      June 21, 2012 at 4:05 pm

      Saffron.com sells vanilla beans for $19.95/lb, and the quality is extraordinary.

      Reply
    62. Marilia says

      June 21, 2012 at 12:05 pm

      Saffron.com sells vanilla beans for $19.95/lb, and the quality is extraordinary.

      Reply
    63. Marc Matsumoto says

      June 21, 2012 at 9:30 am

      Hahaha guilty! If you look closely the Absolut label is a mirror image too. I got the order of the bottles backwards in the last shot (it had been 3 weeks since I took the last shot in the series after all). Since I'd used too munch vanilla by the time I got around to processing the photos, I couldn't reshoot it, so I used a little Photoshop magic to fix the most obvious part (the Maker's Mark label).

      Reply
    64. abcd1234 says

      June 21, 2012 at 1:08 am

      Anyone find it odd the last picture the makers mark bottles wax is flipped?

      Reply
    65. Steven Weidner says

      June 20, 2012 at 4:52 pm

      Seconded. I believe these guys supply Spice Islands, as well. The bakery I used to work at had a bag with both labels on 'em.
      They paid $70 a pound for the Spice Islands branded ones. I paid about $30/lb after shipping to get mine direct. They were also quick, responsive, and sent along a couple of bonus items to try out (thought that may have been because I bought about 10 lbs as a local group buy).

      Reply
    66. Sean says

      June 20, 2012 at 12:45 pm

      Hey Marc--would love for you to post this to Punk Domestics!

      Reply
    67. Justin says

      June 19, 2012 at 7:03 pm

      Whatever booze you
      choose, homemade vanilla extract is great. You can find both Tahitian and
      Madagascar vanilla beans at Marx Foods...1/4lb bags start at $24!

      https://www.marxfoods.com/Tahitian-Vanilla-Beans

      Reply
    68. Justin says

      June 19, 2012 at 5:45 pm

      Whatever booze you choose, homemade vanilla extract is great. You can find both Tahitian and Madagascar vanilla beans at Marx Foods...1/4lb bags start at $24!
      https://www.marxfoods.com/Tahitian-Vanilla-Beans

      Reply
    69. JPhygren says

      June 19, 2012 at 11:43 am

      I like making mine with brandy.

      Reply
    70. The Curly Oenophile says

      June 19, 2012 at 10:21 am

      Wow. I'm definitely going to try this. I like vanilla and...I like booze. I didn't even know making vanilla extract was so easy. Thanks for sharing

      Reply
    71. Marc Matsumoto says

      June 18, 2012 at 2:58 pm

      Good to know! Nielsen Massey Vanilla Extract says "Bourbon Vanilla" on the bottle so I always assumed they meant they made it with bourbon. At any rate, vanilla infused bourbon (the liquor, not the islands) is heavenly.

      Reply
    72. Marc Matsumoto says

      June 18, 2012 at 2:35 pm

      It should work out cheaper, especially if you use a full sized bottle of liquor and are able to find an inexpensive source of beans.

      Reply
    73. Marc Matsumoto says

      June 18, 2012 at 2:34 pm

      Never thought to use the leftover pods for extract, what a great idea! I usually just tear them up and add them to my own blends of tea.

      Reply
    74. Thomas Abraham says

      June 18, 2012 at 2:11 pm

      Such a cool post – I just love the time lapse photos – will definitely be giving this a go! (wonder if it would work out cheaper as I use shed loads of vanilla extract!)

      Reply
    75. Ambitious says

      June 18, 2012 at 1:49 pm

      I made this using just vodka and the flavor notes were
      not that deep, even after months (which turned into years). I would definitely
      use rum next time though!

      I got my vanilla from Beanilla trading company and they were great.

      Reply
    76. sarah says

      June 18, 2012 at 10:48 am

      brilliant idea!

      but, “Everyone knows vanilla extract is made with Bourbon” - I'm pretty sure this isn't true. When you see "Bourbon vanilla extract" - the "Bourbon" is for the Bourbon Islands, where the vanilla beans are grown. Sorry to be pedantic, I can't help myself.

      Reply
      • No Island says

        January 10, 2019 at 9:58 pm

        Bourbon is an American invention and only made in America. There is no such thing as 'Bourbon Islands' as a name all by itself as the Island became known for the bourbon vanilla. Bourbon Vanilla was named for the bourbon used to make it, which is American Bourbon. Some may make it and use a different alcohol today but the original was only American Bourbon so they called the Island after the whiskey. Even the US government passed a law declaring Bourbon is The USA's official liquor. Madagascar - Bourbon Island, (now called Reunion Island) is in the Indian Ocean off the East Coast of Africa, the process for producing the best vanilla beans in the world now refers to beans grown and cured on Reunion itself and the nearby islands: Madagascar and the Comoros Islands. They used American Bourbon to make Vanilla Extract which is the best in the world, only using Bourbon Whiskey. Do you understand the connection now? Using vodka is a cheap imitation of bourbon whiskey which is the very best.

        Reply
    77. Marilia says

      June 18, 2012 at 10:19 am

      I've been using brandy and just keep adding used vanilla pods - love using leftovers.

      Reply
    78. Marilia says

      June 18, 2012 at 10:11 am

      Such a cool post – I just love the time lapse photos – will definitely be giving this a go! (wonder if it would work out cheaper as I use shed loads of vanilla extract!)

      Reply
    79. Ambitious says

      June 18, 2012 at 9:49 am

      I made this using just vodka and the flavor notes were
      not that deep, even after months (which turned into years). I would definitely
      use rum next time though!

      I got my vanilla from Beanilla trading company and they were great.

      Reply
    80. Marc Matsumoto says

      June 18, 2012 at 2:08 am

      Brilliant! It didn't occur to me to mix it with something dry (I've been trying to blend it with eggs and butter without much success).

      Reply
    81. Marc Matsumoto says

      June 18, 2012 at 2:06 am

      That's a great idea! Kinda like keeping a sourdough starter:-)

      Reply
    82. miki says

      June 17, 2012 at 11:05 pm

      I've been getting my vanilla beans here for years
      https://www.theposter.com/vanilla2.html. I love the stuff.

      Reply
    83. Shannon says

      June 17, 2012 at 8:22 pm

      Like you, I don't bake enough to justify making a huge quantity. But I did anyways, and plan to decant it into mini brown bottles (available by the case on Amazon) for holiday gifts: https://www.tiltedskillet.com/blog/2012/06/homemade-vanilla-extract.html

      Reply
    84. Marilia says

      June 17, 2012 at 7:22 pm

      Love the idea of mini bottles! Great little gift ideas too..btw, if you want to mix in the sticky seeds to bake with, I scrape mine into the sugar then pulse it in my processor or vitamix for a second~perfectly blended!

      Reply
    85. Marilia says

      June 17, 2012 at 7:06 pm

      We've had good luck ordering our beans from https://stores.ebay.com/vanillaproductsusa. Lots of different types and grades available.

      Stephen (who uses Vodka for his extract)

      Reply
    86. miki says

      June 17, 2012 at 7:05 pm

      I've been getting my vanilla beans here for years
      https://www.theposter.com/vanilla2.html. I love the stuff.

      Reply
    87. Marc Matsumoto says

      June 17, 2012 at 1:49 pm

      Hahahah I definitely hadn't dismissed the vodka, I just love the flavor of vanilla + bourbon. This is a great idea though. I'm actually thinking about using full sized bottles next time so I can drink it rather than just cook with it. Also thanks for the heads up on the Amazon vanilla. My Bali ones were sticky too, I think it has to do with how long they've been dried. I actually left a few of the Bali ones out of the freezer by accident and they got moldy.

      Reply
    88. Marc Matsumoto says

      June 17, 2012 at 1:47 pm

      Great tip about keeping it in a dark place. I've been keeping mine in the fridge.

      Reply
    89. Buckingham Chef says

      June 17, 2012 at 1:12 pm

      This is a perfect way to make vanilla extract. It usually takes at least 30 days for the flavor to really develop and meld with the liquor. If you're using a clear glass bottle I suggest keeping it in a dark place so the flavor doesn't wash out.

      Reply
    90. Jill says

      June 17, 2012 at 12:21 pm

      I buy my beans from Costco. I've had a vodka bottle going for two years now...I just keep adding fresh vodka and a few more beans. I've been wondering if I should start over fresh once in a while but the stuff just looks so perfectly wonderful. I'm going to try the bourbon...

      Reply
      • Carol says

        July 15, 2019 at 10:47 am

        Ina Garten has had her homemade vanilla extract going for THIRTY years!

        Reply
        • Marc Matsumoto says

          July 15, 2019 at 11:28 am

          Impressive, mine's going on 8😆

          Reply
    91. Marilia says

      June 17, 2012 at 9:20 am

      What a fun post.
      Don't totally dismiss your vodka infusion... 25ml vanilla vodka, 50ml fresh lemon juice, 25ml limoncello and about 10ml stock syrup - give it a shake, tip into chilled martini glass (rimmed with vanilla sugar if you've got some handy) and voilà a perfect Vanilla Lemon Martini.

      Also, I've tried the beans from Amazon, they're okay. They're a bit too sticky and also it's slightly false economy because you use double to get the same result - probably perfect for making vanilla extract and infusions though.

      Reply
    92. Buckingham Chef says

      June 17, 2012 at 9:12 am

      This is a perfect way to make vanilla extract. It usually takes at least 30 days for the flavor to really develop and meld with the liquor. If you're using a clear glass bottle I suggest keeping it in a dark place so the flavor doesn't wash out.

      Reply
    93. Marilia says

      June 17, 2012 at 7:30 am

      I love this idea. Not sure why I haven't made vanilla extract before....maybe a trip to Bali would have inspired me. Oh, but you went to all the trouble to go there. I'm going to check out the Amazon offer, or find a good source close to home. Thanks, Marc!

      Reply

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