Homemade Vanilla Extract

Homemade vanilla extract is just two ingredients: neutral alcohol and vanilla pods, unlike many commercial extracts that contain dyes, sugars, and other additives. You also get the benefit of the little vanilla beans in your extract, which amplify flavor and give a luxurious appearance in baked goods. Your homemade extract will last indefinitely and you’ll never again buy it at the store.

@scheckeats

updated video to answer your questions better! #vanilla #vanillaextract #vanillapods #vanillabean #baking

♬ original sound – scheckeats

Price comparison:

$6 Tito’s vodka (8oz) + $15 of vanilla beans = $2.6/oz

Nielsen Massey vanilla $4.32/oz

And that’s before infinitely topping it off once it’s strong — and you can use cheaper alcohol than Tito’s.

On Alcohol:

I always use vodka, because that’s the type of neutral alcohol I have on hand. It does not need to be fancy. Other good options are light rum or tequila. If you can’t use alcohol for personal or religious reasons, you could try food-grade glycerin.

I personally do not recommend making vanilla with bourbon as your liquor. That is not what it means to have “bourbon vanilla”. Bourbon vanilla refers to the French islands where some varieties of vanilla are grown, not the alcohol. Though some people use the alcohol bourbon to make vanilla — It’s a waste in my opinion as the strong flavor of bourbon obscures the gentle flavor of the vanilla (which you paid a lot of $$ for). People who use bourbon to make their vanilla get really mad when you tell them that it’s not the best choice…and it’s because they didn’t know which Bourbon to use 🙂

Buying Vanilla

Vanilla can be quite expensive, especially at the grocery store. For this reason, I strongly recommend buying your vanilla in a higher quantity online. I buy my vanilla beans from Vanilla Products USA, which are available on Amazon–which means free shipping with Prime.

How to make your own extract:

Understanding Vanilla Related Terms

Here is what I learned when I started making my own vanilla. I’ll clear up some common misconceptions and explain terms to look out for.

• Bourbon Vanilla– Bourbon vanilla does not refer to the alcohol Bourbon. In fact, you would hardly ever find vanilla made with bourbon unless you were at a specialty store. Commercial vanilla is made with pure alcohol and made at home with vodka. Bourbon refers to the French island near Madagascar where vanilla is often grown. This is the most common type of vanilla grown and used commercially. Madagascar Bourbon vanilla (V. planifolia) is the same species as Indonesian vanilla.
• Tahitian Vanilla– This Vanilla (V. tahitensis) is a slightly different species, notably more fragrant and floral than Bourbon (Madagascar Vanilla). I make Bourbon and Tahitian vanilla extract and use them both in my baking. I tend to use Bourbon for a stronger, more standard vanilla flavor that stands up to all ingredients in a baked good, and Tahitian vanilla when vanilla is the main flavor. For example, if I’m making a chocolate dessert to which I want to add vanilla, I’ll use bourbon vanilla because the special fragrance of Tahitian vanilla would be lost.
• Mexican Vanilla- This species (V. pompona) is somewhat more exotic and less used in baking.
• Grades of Vanilla– Grades of vanilla refer more to their uses rather than their quality. The main grades you’ll use are Grade A (Prime) and Grade B (Extract Grade). Again, Grade B doesn’t mean it’s worse than Grade A. Grade A is best for regular cooking–If you want to add the beans to a batter or a dough. Grade B tends to be dryer and is used to make extract.