Re: Question about making Vanilla Extract

[Guest guest]

I slice up the vanilla bean first and add it to about a cup of rum. I let it

sit in my cupboard for at least 6 weeks before I start using it.

Sent from my iPad

On Feb 28, 2012, at 7:50 PM, " Paradise " <paradisegoats@...> wrote:

> Hi,

>

> I am sure someone on here makes their own vanilla extract. I was wondering

just how to do it and then how to use it in cooking and baking.

>

> I was told to just chuck one bean into a quart of vodka (but could also use

Burbon or Rum). Let sit in the cupboard for 4-6 months and then use.

>

> But that just does not seem like it would work right, any suggestions?

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Totally works.

Assuming my beans are fresh and soft then I split them down the middle to let

more flavor leech into the vodka. If the beans are dry, I let them sit for a

month or so and then split them and ignore the bottle until I need it. I

usually let my beans accumulate and reuse them after the six months. I think I

let the last one sit a year and wow, the vodka was dark! They'll get floating

strands coming from them after a while, but eh, we're all used to kombucha

floaties, so just strain it into a new bottle when you need it and pour more

vodka in with a couple new beans for another soak. My ration is 3 beans to 20

oz. vodka.

Deborah

>

> Hi,

>

> I am sure someone on here makes their own vanilla extract. I was wondering

just how to do it and then how to use it in cooking and baking.

>

> I was told to just chuck one bean into a quart of vodka (but could also use

Burbon or Rum). Let sit in the cupboard for 4-6 months and then use.

>

> But that just does not seem like it would work right, any suggestions?

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hi ~~~

I had made my first batch of vanilla extract last September after getting

some inspiration from a Jane's Farm magazine article. It called for 3

split vanilla beans and 1 cup of vodka. I went all out and bought the

MN-based Prairie Vodka and shook the jar daily. When I opened my jar up

more than 2 months later, I was greatly disappointed in the lack of a rich

brown color...but THEN, Therese happened to post on TFMN about her

experience and she uses far more vanilla beans and voila...it's a gorgeous

extract...

Therese does a GREAT job of making a homemade vanilla extract tutorial on

her Artistta blog:

http://artistta.blogspot.com/2011/12/real-food-gift-basket-homemade-pure.html

Worth checking out!

Becca :-D

On Tue, Feb 28, 2012 at 7:50 PM, Paradise <paradisegoats@...>wrote:

> **

> Hi,

>

> I am sure someone on here makes their own vanilla extract. I was wondering

> just how to do it and then how to use it in cooking and baking.

>

> I was told to just chuck one bean into a quart of vodka (but could also

> use Burbon or Rum). Let sit in the cupboard for 4-6 months and then use.

>

> But that just does not seem like it would work right, any suggestions?

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Here's how I make it, 3 c Vodka, 1 c water, 8 to 12 vanilla beans split down the

center. Mix all together in a quart jar and cap for 3 months. The water helps

greatly in extracting all the flavor out of the beans. The longer it sits the

better too.

Kimi

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

" Gardening and Praying both are best done down on the knees " (unknown.)

[Guest guest]

I've tried recipes for homemade extract, but I've never thought the

results very true to an extract. I've ended up with alcohol that has

a vanilla flavor, rather than the intense concentration of a flavor.

There is a new commercial extract out there that is very good and has

no junk in it. It's also made locally in the twin cities. It is lc

Finn - and currently they make vanilla, cinnamon and cardamom

extracts. Working on a couple more soon. You can find them at Local

D'Lish, The Golden Fig, and probably other places if you google them.

Perhaps others have had better luck than I have though. Any pointers?

Rebekah

On Feb 28, 2012, at 7:54 PM, Edlund wrote:

> I slice up the vanilla bean first and add it to about a cup of rum.

> I let it sit in my cupboard for at least 6 weeks before I start

> using it.

>

> Sent from my iPad

>

> On Feb 28, 2012, at 7:50 PM, " Paradise "

> <paradisegoats@...> wrote:

>

> > Hi,

> >

> > I am sure someone on here makes their own vanilla extract. I was

> wondering just how to do it and then how to use it in cooking and

> baking.

> >

> > I was told to just chuck one bean into a quart of vodka (but could

> also use Burbon or Rum). Let sit in the cupboard for 4-6 months and

> then use.

> >

> > But that just does not seem like it would work right, any

> suggestions?

> >

> >

> >

> >

>

>

[Guest guest]

Rebekah,

Like you said home made is normally just vanilla flavored liquor if you just

add the beans to the booze. That is why you need to add the water. Then you

have a more true even better extract.

Kimi

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

" Gardening and Praying both are best done down on the knees " (unknown.)

[Guest guest]

Annona Gourmet, in NE Mpls, also has that line, along with amazing olive oils

and balsamic vinegars, and lots of products from the people who sold at the

summer parking lot Farmer's Market.

Beth in Maplewood

> >

> > > Hi,

> > >

> > > I am sure someone on here makes their own vanilla extract. I was

> > wondering just how to do it and then how to use it in cooking and

> > baking.

> > >

> > > I was told to just chuck one bean into a quart of vodka (but could

> > also use Burbon or Rum). Let sit in the cupboard for 4-6 months and

> > then use.

> > >

> > > But that just does not seem like it would work right, any

> > suggestions?

> > >

> > >

> > >

> > >

> >

> >

[Guest guest]

I forgot about them! I love their products! I stopped there a couple of months

ago when they were closed of course. I need to get some more coffee from Cafe

Palmira (hope that is how it is spelled). They did carry it at one time.

>

> Annona Gourmet, in NE Mpls, also has that line, along with amazing olive oils

and balsamic vinegars, and lots of products from the people who sold at the

summer parking lot Farmer's Market.

>

> Beth in Maplewood

>

>

[Guest guest]

On 2/29/2012 8:29 AM, Kimi wrote:

> Like you said home made is normally just vanilla flavored liquor if you just

> add the beans to the booze. That is why you need to add the water. Then you

> have a more true even better extract.

My concern about adding water would be that it might become a medium

that can support bacterial growth, and not necessarily good bacteria.

How long do you find that your water-added vanilla extract can sit in

the cupboard without getting moldy or showing other signs of unwanted

opportunistic organisms? Do you refrigerate it?

Gail

[Guest guest]

I have not had any problems as there is still plenty of alcohol in there to

preserve. If concerned use distilled water. I have never put mine in the

fridge either.

Kimi

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

" Gardening and Praying both are best done down on the knees " (unknown.)

[Guest guest]

I've been following the thread here and first want to say thank you to Beccca

for sharing my vanilla extract recipe. Seriously, it's great and probably better

than anything you are going to get at the store. It's also extremely easy to

make.

There is no reason to add water to the extract. The reason the extract doesn't

taste enough like vanilla is not because of the strength of the liquor, but

because there isn't enough vanilla. Like Becca, I tried a variety of recipes and

didn't have success and was very disappointed, so I kept researching online and

trying things at home. The extract I have now has a wonderful, rich vanilla

flavor that is a perfect addition for baking or using with plain yogurt. There

is very little sent of alcohol and a very strong smell of vanilla.

Here's my link:

http://artistta.blogspot.com/2011/12/real-food-gift-basket-homemade-pure.html

A website I found to be very helpful when looking further into how to make

vanilla extract was this one: http://www.vanillareview.com/make-vanilla-extract/

They really go into great detail about how to make the perfect extract. For

instance, you actually don't want a moist bean because it adds extra liquid that

can dilute the end flavor. The drier the bean the better.

Check out Amazon for buying vanilla beans in bulk, it's far more economical than

buying them at the store, even in the bulk section at the co-ops.

Hope that helps and good luck! Let us know if you have success.

Therese

artistta.blogspot.com

[Guest guest]

I now see that the number of beans I used was also my downfall. I'll

try again with many more beans and leaving the solution alone longer.

Thanks Becca and all,

Rebekah

On Feb 29, 2012, at 8:23 PM, Therese wrote:

>

> I've been following the thread here and first want to say thank you

> to Beccca for sharing my vanilla extract recipe. Seriously, it's

> great and probably better than anything you are going to get at the

> store. It's also extremely easy to make.

>

> There is no reason to add water to the extract. The reason the

> extract doesn't taste enough like vanilla is not because of the

> strength of the liquor, but because there isn't enough vanilla. Like

> Becca, I tried a variety of recipes and didn't have success and was

> very disappointed, so I kept researching online and trying things at

> home. The extract I have now has a wonderful, rich vanilla flavor

> that is a perfect addition for baking or using with plain yogurt.

> There is very little sent of alcohol and a very strong smell of

> vanilla.

>

> Here's my link:

http://artistta.blogspot.com/2011/12/real-food-gift-basket-homemade-pure.html

>

> A website I found to be very helpful when looking further into how

> to make vanilla extract was this one:

http://www.vanillareview.com/make-vanilla-extract/

> They really go into great detail about how to make the perfect

> extract. For instance, you actually don't want a moist bean because

> it adds extra liquid that can dilute the end flavor. The drier the

> bean the better.

>

> Check out Amazon for buying vanilla beans in bulk, it's far more

> economical than buying them at the store, even in the bulk section

> at the co-ops.

>

> Hope that helps and good luck! Let us know if you have success.

> Therese

> artistta.blogspot.com

>

>

>