How to Make Homemade Vanilla Extract

Ah… the smell of vanilla extract. Every time I smell this, I’m taken back to my childhood and baking with my Grandma and my Mom. Such great memories.

Good vanilla extract can be very expensive when you buy it in the store. And those bottles are just so small – especially if you love to bake and make ice cream. Here’s your chance to make a batch – or two or three – of your own vanilla extract. Once you do, you’ll never go back to store-bought!

Vanilla extract also makes great gifts. So while you’re making a batch for yourself, make a few extra for friends and family. They’ll love you for it.

Making vanilla extract is so easy to do – you just have to have patience. Here are the steps you need to whip up a batch. Make sure to see the additional tips below.

Homemade vanilla extract tastes SO good in homemade vanilla ice cream – give it a try!

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What You Will Need:

• Madagascar Vanilla Beans, Grade A (12-16 beans per 16 ounces of Vodka)
• Vodka (any high-proof vodka will work)
• 16-ounce Air Tight Bottles
• Cutting Board
• Sharp Knife
• Label Maker (optional) or handwritten labels

What You Do:

1. Sterilize your bottles. You can either boil the bottles and caps in a pot of water for 10-20 minutes, or put the washed empty bottles in a 275-degree oven for 10-20 minutes. Allow bottles to cool.
2. Slice 12-16 Madagascar Vanilla Beans in half, careful not to lose too much of the vanilla ‘caviar’ from inside the beans.
   
3. Place sliced vanilla beans into a sterilized bottle, then add 16 ounces of Vodka.
   TIP: You want to make sure the Vodka completely covers the vanilla beans.
   
4. Seal the bottle, and wait a minimum of 6 months before opening.
   TIP: Store bottle in a cool dark place. Make sure to shake the bottle about once every month. The vodka will become darker and darker as the vanilla beans are infused into the vodka.
   
5. Label the bottles with the date you started the vanilla extract, and the date the extract will be ready.
   TIP: This step is optional, but it is definitely helpful to know the ready date. Labels are also helpful when gifting your bottles of vanilla extract. I like to include instructions on a label as well.
   
6. After 6-12 months when the vanilla extract is ready, open the bottle and enjoy!
   TIP: Add vodka to the bottle to replace any extract you remove, and you’ll always have vanilla extract ready. 
   TIP: You can remove a vanilla bean to use it for baking. Simply use a clean tweezer or tongs to remove a bean and scrape off the seeds (caviar) from the bean. Use the bean paste in place of extract. Add more vanilla beans to your bottle as you use the beans. Your bottle of vanilla extract can last indefinitely.

Additional Tips

• Quality Ingredients – When you make your own vanilla extract, you have control over the quality of the ingredients. Lots of recipes call for Grade B vanilla beans, but I prefer to use the Grade A beans. Grade A beans are softer and infuse into the vodka better than the drier Grade B beans do. You can choose a high-quality vodka, but a mid-quality will work just as well. If you’d drink it in a cocktail, it will work for vanilla extract.
• Cost Effective – Over time, homemade vanilla extract can be more cost-effective than buying small bottles from the store – especially when you consider the volume you can make.
• Customize Your Extract – When you make your own vanilla extract, you can customize the flavor profile. Experiment with different types of vanilla beans – choose between Madagascar, Tahitian, or Mexican beans. Each has their own distinct flavor. You can also choose the type of alcohol you want to use. Any high-proof alcohol that compliments the vanilla flavor will work. For example, use bourbon or rum instead of vodka.
• Beans to Alcohol Ratio – To get started, using 8 vanilla beans for every cup of alcohol is a good ratio. Of course, you can experiment with this until you find a flavor you love.
• Use Your Extract and Replenish As Needed – One of the great things about homemade vanilla extract is that you can continually replenish the vodka (or other alcohol) and the vanilla beans as you use the extract. When you use a few tablespoons of extract, replace with a few tablespoons of vodka (or other alcohol). This way, you’ll always have extract ready to go. When you want to use a vanilla bean, just remove one from the bottle and replace with another.
  TIP: Make sure to keep the vanilla beans covered in alcohol so they don’t get slimy. 

Have you made vanilla extract? Share your tips in a comment below!