Make Your Own Vanilla Extract

This is a great recipe to have for yourself, or even as gifts for friends!  It does take some curing time, but the flavor is worth it, it’s so much more flavorful than store bought.  What you’re going to be making is vanilla extract.  It’s so simple you’ll wonder why more people don’t do it because you only need two ingredients, a jar, and some patience.

What you’ll need:

Vanilla beans

80 proof alcohol - you can use vodka (the most common choice) or bourbon

Jar for storing

How to make it:

• You’ll need about 3 vanilla bean pods for each cup of alcohol.  Which is roughly 1 vanilla bean pod for every 75ml of alcohol. You can add more vanilla pods if you want a very strong flavor.  
• Slice down the vanilla bean pod or cut them in half to expose the vanilla pods.
• Put vanilla beans in jar and then use a funnel to add alcohol.
• Allow to cure for a minimum of 4 months, but ideally 8-12 months.  The longer you allow it to cure the better the vanilla flavor will be.

Enjoy!