Ever made vanilla extract?

Snippylynn

Do you have a favorite bean or alcohol that you use?

topcatiom

i didn't even know you could make your own!

mica178

Yup.  I have a combination of Tahitian and Madagascar beans in vodka.  It's delicious.

Marina007

Clever! I never knew one could make vanilla extract - I usually just use vanilla sugar instead.  What ratios do you use? Is it just vanilla bean and an alcohol?

mica178

I used three vanilla beans (halves and scraped but still put shells into liquid) in 200ml vodka (could also use other alcohol, I've been told, but I wanted a pure vanilla flavor), put in a cool place for a month, shaking bottle daily.

Snippylynn

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_ever-made-vanilla-extract?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:53eedabc-e19b-4fd6-9292-0f5c84f6e113Post:4ce99714-451c-4f1b-8346-21797abf821c">Re: Ever made vanilla extract?</a>:
[QUOTE]Clever! I never knew one could make vanilla extract - I usually just use vanilla sugar instead.  What ratios do you use? Is it just vanilla bean and an alcohol?
Posted by Marina007[/QUOTE]

That would be why I decided to make my own.  Vanilla extract is even more expensive here than in the US.

Marina007

Thanks, mica - I'll give that a shot!

Snippylynn

Ah, yeah, That's the one I found LTB!

Karen's MOH

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_ever-made-vanilla-extract?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:9Discussion:53eedabc-e19b-4fd6-9292-0f5c84f6e113Post:50164f67-223b-4cf3-8917-63cda81f14db">Re: Ever made vanilla extract?</a>:
[QUOTE]There have been a bunch of recipes for this on the Whats Cooking board on TN. I haven't made my own yet, mostly because I don't want to order vanilla beans online and I can't find them in stores. ETA: Here is the main recipe. <a href="http://www.joythebaker.com/blog/2009/06/how-to-make-vanilla-extract/" rel="nofollow">http://www.joythebaker.com/blog/2009/06/how-to-make-vanilla-extract/</a>
Posted by lovethebeach16[/QUOTE]

FYI they have giant containers of whole vanilla beans in Costco for less than $15. I was so tempted to buy them and try making my own when I remembered I still have a big Costco sized bottle of vanilla extract at home :)

squirrly

My sister did it as Christmas presents a year or two ago.  I think she just used a decent midgrade vodka, and Madagascar beans from Williams Sonoma.

MissLeahM

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_ever-made-vanilla-extract?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:53eedabc-e19b-4fd6-9292-0f5c84f6e113Post:f01d93f3-1cfa-4424-83c3-74aac202a32f">Re: Ever made vanilla extract?</a>:
[QUOTE]My sister did it as Christmas presents a year or two ago.  I think she just used a decent midgrade vodka, and Madagascar beans from Williams Sonoma.
Posted by squirrly[/QUOTE]

<div>How did it turn out?</div>

squirrly

Great.  I have some pricey stuff I use for things that aren't going to be cooked any further, and some special stuff from Wilton if I'm making icing so that there's no color, but for all other general purposes, hers is what I use. 

Snippylynn

Oh, are there some things it's not good for?

[Deleted User]

My mom wants to do this because when my brother's girlfriend came home from her study abroad in Madagascar she brought my mom vanilla beans and she thinks she will get more use from the extract.