Buying vanilla extract from the store can really get expensive! A small 1 oz. bottle of pure vanilla extract is over $3.50 at my local grocery store. I can make a whole gallon of vanilla extract for just over $40, making it around 32 cents an ounce! That is a significant price difference!
There are only two ingredients needed to make pure vanilla extract. Vanilla beans and alcohol. Store-bought vanilla extract usually also contains some other additives (such as corn syrup) which really are not necessary. To make the extract, you simply steep the beans in the alcohol for a long period of time until you have the most fragrant, delicious vanilla extract ever. That’s it!
I’ve had several requests to share how I make homemade vanilla extract, so that is exactly what I’m going to do today! There are many places online to find instructions to making your own vanilla extract. They all have the same ingredients, but most will vary with the amounts and directions. Some say to steep the beans for 6 weeks, others for two years! Some say to use a very small amount of vanilla beans, others an outrageous amount. So today, I am going to share with you my simple method – what I did to successfully make the best vanilla extract I have ever had!
A few notes about purchasing vanilla beans and alcohol. I highly recommend these Premium Bourbon-Madagascar Vanilla Beans from Amazon. Not only are they of superior quality to any other vanilla bean I’ve ever used, they are also, by far, the best deal that I have ever found. For the alcohol, I just buy the cheapest that I can find at my local grocery store. The quality of the vanilla beans is what is going to give you the wonderful extract. The alcohol just works to get the delicious vanilla flavor out of the vanilla beans.
Homemade Vanilla Extract
Ingredients:
-
1/2 pound of vanilla beans (approximately 54 beans)
-
1 gallon vodka (two 1.75 liter bottles)
Preparation:
With a sharp knife, slice the vanilla beans open lengthwise, exposing the seeds. Place the beans in a gallon glass jar and fill with the alcohol. (If you don’t have a gallon glass jar, you can divide it into whatever size you have. I usually use two half gallon canning jars, or four quart size canning jars.)
After closing the jar, shake it well, and put it up, out of the way, in a dark cabinet or pantry.
Let the vanilla beans steep in the alcohol for at least eight weeks, shaking the jar a couple of times a week. I just kept mine in my pantry, and shook it every time I remembered.
Over time, the mixture will turn from a light colored alcohol, to a deep, dark beautiful vanilla extract.
Once at least eight weeks has passed, you can begin using your vanilla! I leave the vanilla beans in my jar of extract, because the flavor will continue to develop over time.
*Note: As Lori pointed out in the comments, it is important to make sure that your vanilla beans are always covered in alcohol. If they are not covered, they could start to get moldy and ruin your entire batch of vanilla!
Enjoy!
One of my favorite ways to use my homemade vanilla extract…
Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream! Yum!
What are some of your favorite ways to use vanilla extract?
This post has been shared with Real Food Wednesday, Monday Mania, Tasty Tuesday, and Strictly Homemade.
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I love how easy this recipe is! I definately want to try it, particularly leading up to Christmas for homemade gifts. However, I will look at organic vodkas since they can go through some nasty processing as well.
Hmm…interesting point! I will have to check into this.
Thanks for posting this! I also make my own homemade vanilla. I don’t usually do that much at one time, though, and it seems to work well. Usually I add to it as I use it. The biggest mistake I made, however, was not covering all of the beans. I got mold! Yuck! I had to throw it all away and I still need to start over.
Lori@lorisfoodandotherstuff.com recently posted..Steak Fajitas
Hi Lori! Thanks for pointing out that it is important to make sure that all of the beans are covered. I will add that to the post.
I made sure my beans were covered, and I still have something that I’m not totally sure is mold. Kind of white little things. Any thoughts?
Stacey recently posted..Alive
Hmm, Stacey, without seeing it, I’m not sure. Are the little white things on your vanilla beans or on the surface of the extract?
They are not on the surface, for sure. They are on the vanilla beans, as well as on the bottom of the jar. They look kind of fluffy and white. I have read that the vanillin is white and can be on the beans. I’m wondering if when I shook my jars a lot at the beginning, if I shook it off of the beans? No idea, because I didn’t look that closely then. I didn’t even think of mold, because of all the alcohol!
Stacey recently posted..Alive
Hi there.
I had asked at a local spice store if this works. The manager (a real spice expert) said that it isn’t truly a vanilla extract, but instead is truly something else….an essence perhaps?
I talked with a spice company today that said that there are extra steps that we can’t take at home that the spice companies do.
That being said – you really thought it was the best you had ever had? Wow!
Adrienne @ Whole New Mom recently posted..Technical Difficulties – And A Request for Help
Hi Adrienne! Yes this is definitely the best vanilla extract that I have ever had! Store-bought vanilla extract is very dull compared to this fragrant homemade vanilla extract (assuming fresh, high-quality vanilla beans are used) Granted, there are some very high-end vanilla extracts on the market that I have never tried, because of the cost – but homemade vanilla extract is far superior to the everyday brands such as McCormick or Kirklands. I hope you’ll give it a try, so you can judge for yourself!
Cook’s Illustrated did a test comparing their homemade vanilla extract against store-bought brands, and they also came to the conclusion that homemade is better. There is an article from a 2009 issue of Cook’s Illustrated entitled “A Better Brand of Vanilla Extract: Your Own”
I whole-heartedly agree! They said that in all their comparisons, the homemade extract “outperformed the commercial version, boasting cleaner, more intense vanilla flavor.”
As far as if this is “truly” an extract, I am not a professional extract maker
so I cannot say for sure. I do know that according to this article (http://www.nielsenmassey.com/makingofvanilla.htm) most manufacturers of vanilla extract use a heat extraction process which is believed to damage the vanilla flavor. Also according to the FDA, pure vanilla extract may contain one or more of the following optional ingredients: Glycerin, Propylene glycol, Sugar (including invert sugar), Dextrose, and Corn syrup (including dried corn syrup). So homemade vanilla extract is definitely processed differently than most store-bought versions. It is extracted using a cold extraction process (which results in a better flavor), and it does not contain any of the additives that most store-bought “pure” vanilla extracts contain.
One of my favorite food network cooks, Ina Garten, has a recipe for homemade vanilla extract which is essentially the same as mine (she just uses slightly different proportions of beans to alcohol). In her recipe, she says that the vodka turns into vanilla extract after it has sat for a month. Here is the recipe if you are interested. http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/vanilla-extract-recipe/index.html
One last thought. I have talked with Mountain Rose Herbs about this very subject. Their customer service department told me that this is how they make their vanilla extract, which happens to sell for over $400 a gallon! Wowee! While I am sure that their vanilla extract is much better than McCormick, there is no way that I could afford to buy it! So, for me, it’s homemade all the way. Very affordable and very delicious!
Wow! Thanks! I am heading off to buy vodka or bourbon. From what I have read, the bourbon makes a really nice vanilla. I am excited!
Adrienne @ Whole New Mom recently posted..Technical Difficulties – And A Request for Help
How long is the vanilla extract good for after you make it? It would probably take me quite awhile to use 1 gallon of it!
Hi Brianna! At room temperature, the vanilla extract is good indefinitely. In fact, it actually gets better with age. You could make a smaller amount though, if you think you would have problems using it all. I never have problems using all of mine, because I love bottling it up in smaller amounts and giving it as gifts. People love it!
Is it okay to use this vanilla in recipe’s served to children – even if not cooked? Say to sweeten yogurt for example.
Hi Jody! This vanilla extract can be used the same way that you would use store-bought. All vanilla extracts and extracts in general are steeped in alcohol. So if you would use store-bought vanilla to flavor your yogurt, then using homemade would not be any different. I personally do use it to flavor plain yogurt. Just adding the vanilla to the yogurt, however, will not sweeten it – it will only add vanilla flavor. You would have to also add some sweetener, such as honey or maple syrup to get it sweet. To make my vanilla yogurt, I add a very small amount of vanilla extract and a small amount of honey to my plain yogurt, and it is absolutely delicious!
I have been doing this for about a year – not in gallon size amounts but boy do I love the difference in taste! I keep a small glass bottle in my spice cabinet filled with the vanilla and when it gets low I fill it from the stash in the cupboard. I then add a little more vodka and by the time I need more it is perfect – never ending vanilla!
Christy recently posted..Turkey Chop Suey
Thanks for the helpful tip regarding keeping the beans covered. I made my first batch several months ago and I had just recently used enough that the beans were no longer covered. I checked and since they were not moldy I went ahead and cut them into small pieces so they would be covered. I’m so glad I saw this and didn’t end up having to throw out my vanilla
Have a great day. I hope you’ll stop by tomorrow and share your awesome vanilla tips at the recipe spotlight.
Katie
Katie @ This Chick Cooks recently posted..Farmers Market Pasta Salad with Grilled Chicken
Hey Katie, I’m so glad your vanilla beans weren’t moldy either! That would be a bummer!
I just did this in April using those Vanilla Beans and Ciroc Vodka which is distilled from grapes removing any possibly contamination with gluten since I have Celiac. I will NEVER buy store bought extract again!
I LOVE vanilla and use LOTS of it, but I am curious to know what you think of this homemade vanilla extract as compared to Nielsen-Massey? I’m hoping/assuming (since you reference that company in the comments) that you have tasted that brand. I am partial to Nielsen-Massey, but if this is just as good – or better – I’d love to do it! It would save me quite a bit of money. Thoughts?
Hi Kelly! I have actually never tried Nielsen-Massey – I just can’t make myself pay that much for vanilla extract! I am sure from reading their website and from their prices that it is VERY high quality extract. Since you are partial to their brand, you might just try making a small amount of homemade that you can compare with theirs once it is finished. In my opinion, the homemade is far superior to any that I have ever had. And the price is right also.
Hope this helps!
I would love to try this recipe. Where do you buy your vanilla beans?
Hey Rebecca! I order my vanilla beans here. They are very good quality and a great price too.
Would it be okay to just use the jar that the vodka comes in?
Hi Kara! That would work, you may just have to remove some of the vodka to make room for all of the vanilla beans. I use ball jars because I prefer glass. But if you don’t have any, you could definitely use the vodka bottle.
I’m about to start this with bourbon!
Oooh, let me know how it turns out! I just started some more with vodka, but I’ve heard of people using bourbon and rum too.
I have been making my own vanilla for about 2 years. I have a friend who makes her own tinctures and vanilla. She told me to use 80 proof vodka for my vanilla which requires a trip to the state liquor store.
You get your vodka from the supermarket, so I am assuming its not a high proof. I spend about $13-$15 per 1.7 ltr of vodka. I would be thrilled to be able to make it for less $$!!
Do you know what proof your vodka is?
Thanks in advance for your reply!
Wendy,
I wish I could pay less for vodka, too. I live in Virginia, but grew up in Wisconsin. I don’t know what state you live in, but I’m assuming, like Virginia, liquors and spirits are not carried anywhere aside from your local “ABC” (state liquor) store, and they can carry an extra price tag. When I visit my family in Wisconsin, though, I can easily get a bottle of vodka at Walmart of all places! Kinda took it for granted when I was living there.
As for proofs, I have my first try at vanilla extract, now 2 weeks old, sitting in the back of one of my kitchen cabinets. I used a normal 80 proof vodka (most extracts are 70 – 80 proof, even store bought). This should work just fine. I hope this helps!
Thank you!
You’ve answered my question! I didn’t think about the different states having different regulations on where to purchase this type of product. 
You know, I read blog posts about making vanilla, and sometimes is says to buy “cheap” vodka from the supermarket. Since I can only get higher proof vodka from a state liquor store in my state of Ohio, I was confused about what proof of vodka others were using.
Once you remove some extract from the big jar can you just add more vodka and in a while you will have more extract? If so, any idea how long you can keep doing this?
Brady,
I know a woman who just puts about 10 beans a year into her vanilla crock (2 gallon). Every time she fills her “spice cupboard” bottle from the crock, she just tops it back up with more vodka. She did mention that every 7 or 8 years she scoops a handful out to make room for fresh beans. [she scrapes the seeds from the spent beans and uses them in custard and homemade ice cream]
It is her custom to give a wine-bottle full of her vanilla to newlyweds, as house warming gifts and smaller bottles in food baskets for the poor.
I have heard of people doing this, Brady, so I am sure that you can. I haven’t tried it myself so I don’t have any personal experience doing it.
What mom24boys said sounds like a great idea!
I am concerned with the use of the Vodka – alcohol. Someone asked if this extract is okay to use with children, but she was never answered directly. The only response was that she could use it to flavor her yogurt. I know that alcohol cooks away when you bake but what happens when you don’t heat whatever you add the vanilla to? I will not drink alcohol because of family history of alcoholism and how I’ve seen the abuse destroy families and lives. I have always bought the cheap imitation flavoring, not even extract but I know my recipes lack due to my use of that.
Please answer my question. This is still alcohol that you can become intoxicated with, isn’t it? Vodka wouldn’t change chemically just because vanilla beans were soaking in it, would it?
Respectfully thankful…
If you are concerned about the alcohol, just heat the vanilla on the stove till it is good and hot and then add it to your non cooked foods. The alcohol will be gone.
thank you.
Another idea for used vanilla beans…when I make ice cream and it calls to steep the vanilla halves in the milk when done the beans still have a lot of flavor so I have a container of sugar that I place the beans in and use the ‘vanilla sugar’ in all my baking goods…there is no such think as too much vanilla :~)
Do you think an old wine bottle with a cork in it would be a good enough container for the vanilla to steep in?
Definitely – and it would be super cute too!
Can this recipe be used to make vanilla-flavored vodka, to be used in cocktails? Or would it be far too strong to enjoy as a beverage?
It is very strongly vanilla flavored. If you want to drink it in cocktails, I wouldn’t let it steep nearly as long.