Homemade Vanilla

It still amazes me how many preservatives and additives are in the little things we use in the kitchen.  Take a look at the ingredient list on bottle of vanilla in your pantry; there should only be three ingredients - vanilla beans, alcohol, and water.  Most vanilla extract sold in stores is not a pure product.  Some vanilla extract contains a petroleum product called, "ethylvanillin" and some Mexican vanillas don't even use real vanilla beans but instead use "tonka" beans which can be toxic if consumed in high doses. Other ingredients found in vanilla extracts are: caramel coloring, sugar, and corn syrup.  If you are doing your best to bake with whole, organic ingredients then it's a good idea to make sure your vanilla, spices, and condiments are coming from good sources also.

After chatting a bit with some of the ladies from Rodelle (a company that sells some amazing organic vanilla) they informed me that in order for vanilla to be classified as an "extract" you need 18-20 vanilla beans per 750ml of alcohol.  They also told me that in order to get the best flavor out of your beans you can chop them up before adding them to the alcohol, or let the whole beans ferment in the alcohol for at least 2 months.  Homemade vanilla lasts a couple of years if kept in a cool dark place and there is the added benefit of having wonderful fermented vanilla beans in your pantry to be used in your baking.

A few months ago I decided to make my own, so I bought 25 vanilla beans from a mail order company (about $14 with shipping), and a bottle of organic vodka ($14).  I was able to make a large 24 ounce jar of pure vanilla extract.  (I normally would have paid over $60 for the same amount of organic vanilla extract.) The best part is that as you use your vanilla, you can top it off with some more vodka to make more! 

Homemade Vanilla

Yields 24 ounces

1 24 ounce mason jar (or other jar of your choice)

18-20 vanilla beans (chopped, if you don't have 2 months to let them ferment)

1 bottle organic vodka

Place vanilla beans in jar and pour vodka over beans.  Make sure the lid is on tight and store in a dark, cool place.  If you chopped your vanilla beans then let mixture sit about 3 weeks before using.  If using whole beans then let the mixture sit for 2 months.  Shake bottle before using.