Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Homemade Vanilla Extract

After 1 Day

After 1 Month

There are a lot of good things to enjoy these days. 
  • Gorgeous, 80-degree weather ALL WEEK LONG in Southern California. Honestly, why wouldn't people live here? I've been practically camping out on the front porch in tank tops.
  • Movie night with my husband. We rented Girl With a Dragon Tattoo. 
  • Mango smoothies, fresh out of the blender.
  • Los Angeles Times Festival of Books, happening this weekend right in our neighborhood.
  • My mom and dad coming from Hawaii to visit in a few weeks.
  • Homemade vanilla extract.
Did you know that you can make your own vanilla extract at home? Moreover, it can be done with minimal work, at way less cost than store bought imitation vanilla, and you'll have an eternal supply of it!

Vanilla beans can be expensive, but so versatile for baking and cooking. I bought Bourbon-Madagascar vanilla beans from Amazon, and am happy with the quality. I use vanilla extract all the time in breads, desserts, cakes, etc., and am thrilled to no end with my little glass jar of homemade vanilla extract. It takes about two minutes of preparation, and then two months of waiting for the magic to happen.

Homemade Vanilla Extract (from Simply Recipes)

print this recipe 

3 vanilla beans
1 cup vodka
glass jar with tight fitting lid

Use kitchen scissors or a sharp paring knife to cut lengthwise down each vanilla bean, splitting them in half, leaving an inch at the end connected. Put vanilla beans in a glass jar or bottle with a tight fitting lid (mason jars work well). Cover completely with the vodka. Give the bottle a good shake every once in a while. Store in a dark, cool place for 2 months or longer. Lasts for years. You can keep topping it off with vodka once in a while as you use it, just remember to give it a good shake.

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