Vanilla Extract

Since we have been making more ice cream lately, we have been buying real vanilla beans to flavor the ice cream with. The grocery store charges so much for 1 bean that we decided to buy some in bulk. It is about ten times cheaper to go that route, but the consequence is that you have more vanilla beans than can be used in a lifetime. However, this works perfect for making your own extract. It is super easy and fun.

Ingredients: Vanilla beans & Vodka.


Bulk vanilla = $Cheap$ + Organic!!!


Beans should be long, full and not cracked or smoky smelling.


Cut each one down the middle


Fill a pint jar with 3-7 split beans. The more the richer the flavor.


Now fill the jar with the cheapest vodka you can find. Top shelf doesn't matter here. Actually you really just need some alcohol to extract the vanilla flavor. Vodka works well because it doesn't have a flavor of its own but you can use any hard liquor. Now stick it in your cupboard and forget about it for a couple of months. Based on my results I wouldn't take it out before 6 weeks. By 2 months it really took on a dark, rich color.


4 weeks. Shake it a bit and put it back.


2 months. The beans now look pale and the extract is getting dark. I ran out of store bought today so I refilled the container with this stuff. I only used half of the jar so I will let the other half sit for awhile longer. Lasts indefinitely since it is bathed in vodka.

If you were wondering $30 in vanilla beans + $10 in vodka could make about 7 pints of extract = $150 in store bought vanilla extract.

We made two pints and I'm sure I'm going to have this stuff around when my kids go off to college.