Making Homemade Vanilla Extract

Have you ever looked at the label on "Pure Vanilla Extract?"  The first ingredient is:  Water.  Then it has Corn Syrup in it.  That's sort of odd to me.  I don't quite understand how the word pure can be used.  I did some reading on it and it is labeled Pure because it is made using vanilla beans in the process.  

Water?  Corn Syrup?

I also looked up the ingredients in McCormick Pure Vanilla extract label and they include:

• Vanilla bean extractives in water,
• alcohol (35%),
• and corn syrup.

And that is PURE Vanilla.  I did some reading on artificial vanilla extract and I don't think that's something that you want to use.  It's made with lignin.  This is an extract from wood pulp.  Eating Wood?  If not made from wood pulp, it is made from secretions from the anal glands of a beaver.  Yep, you read that right.  I'm not embellishing.  So I wonder, what person sat down and thought, "Gee, I bet these musky secretions from a beaver's nether regions would taste great as an ice cream flavoring!" 

So we opted against using Beaver Butt Vanilla and decided to make our own homemade vanilla extract. It is so easy, it is embarrassing to show you the process, but we will.  You can also realize a savings by making your own versus buying it.  I'll show you that as well.

First, I got online and ordered some real vanilla beans.

25 Vanilla beans

These vanilla beans are from Tahiti and there are 25 in the vacuum sealed bag and it cost me $12 including shipping.  The vanilla beans come from an orchid and are grown in the South Pacific, West Indies, and South and Central America.

Tahitian Vanilla beans

There is nothing simpler to making real pure vanilla extract as there are only two ingredients.  We are not drinkers, so the hardest part was buying the Vodka for making it.  "Mrs. Jones, we're not buying this fifth of vodka to go home and make Screwdrivers.  We're making vanilla extract."  Yeah, sure you are.  It sounds like a lame excuse, but it's true!  You can use either vodka or bourbon to make it.

All the ingredients you need

Well, you do need some other ingredients, but you don't have to buy them.  You need some bottles to bottle the extract in.  We're using a Red Wine Vinegar bottle and an Orangina (a French carbonated citrus beverage) bottle.  Just clean them first.

Clean bottles

All you do is take a really sharp knife and split the vanilla beans almost in half.  You want to open them up to expose the vanilla seeds that are inside the pod.

Splitting the fragrant vanilla beans

750 ML of vodka translates into a little over 3 cups of vodka.  The recipe calls for 4 split vanilla beans for every cup of liquor.  I measured out the contents of both of my bottles.  The one on the left holds 2 cups and the one on the right holds 1 cup, so I added the correct number of beans to each.

Dropping split vanilla beans into each bottle

Now all you do is pour the vodka into the jars, using a funnel, making sure that the alcohol covers the beans.

First this one

And now this one

Put the cap on and shake vigorously.

Shake it up

And that is all there is to it.

Our work here is done

All you have to do is put them in the pantry and store them in a cool, dark place.

As good a place as any

Every day or so, shake the bottles.  You want to leave them at least a month, but the longer you leave it, the better and more robust the flavor will be.

The waiting game

Here is the cost analysis:

• $12 for 25 beans with shipping included  so cost per bean = $0.48
• 750 ML Absolut Vodka $20.75  (750 ML contains 25.36 oz)

Comparable product:
McCormick Real Vanilla Extract 1 oz at Wal Mart = $2.74 or $3, including taxes

Cost per ounce to make:

Vodka = $0.82 per ounce
Vanilla beans = I used 12 beans for 3 cups ($5.76 for 25.36 oz. equating to $0.23 per ounce)

$0.82 + $0.23 = $1.05 cost per ounce to make versus $3 per ounce to purchase at Wal Mart.

After one day, I peeked in to shake the vanilla extract and it is already changing the color to look like vanilla!

Vanilla Extract in the making

Not only is Vanilla Extract cheaper to make than buy, you just know the taste is going to be better.  Better tasting than Beaver anal secretion gland extract, for sure.