How to Make Vanilla Extract - Easy, homemade recipe | Cakies (2024)

FAQs

How is vanilla extract made step by step? ›

Pure vanilla extract is made from mature vanilla bean pods that have been aged for 3–4 months, allowing them to develop characteristic vanilla flavors, including increased levels of vanillin ( 5 ). Once cured, the pods are added to a mixture of water and ethyl alcohol.

You can use vanilla beans for extract more than once, which makes them a gift that keeps on giving. Just know that the flavor will get weaker over time. Many recommend using them no more than four times.

Splitting the beans exposes the seeds to the alcohol and speeds extraction but avoids the funky flavors introduced when chopping up the pods. Splitting was so effective that the extract didn't even need to circulate for a full 24 hours—just 18 was enough for the extract to taste sufficiently vanilla infused.

You only need 2 ingredients for homemade vanilla extract: vanilla beans and vodka. Let the vanilla beans infuse the vodka for as little as 8 weeks, but for optimal flavor, wait at least 6-12 months before using. Homemade vanilla is more cost efficient than store-bought options. You can try homemade vanilla sugar too.

Vanilla extract—the kind that explicitly says “pure vanilla extract” on its label—is made by soaking vanilla beans in an alcohol solution to “extract” (get it?) all of their flavor compounds. According to the FDA, vanilla extract must be at least 35% alcohol with a minimum of 100 grams of vanilla beans per liter.

Clear vanilla extract:

Clear vanilla extract is made by using synthetic vanillin. The compound used in clear vanilla extract is usually artificial. This delivers the same flavour that pure vanilla extract would. Similar to the pure version, clear vanilla extract is available in an alcohol-free version.

What is the shelf life of my vanilla extract? When stored properly, vanilla extract will keep indefinitely, but using it within five years will allow for best flavor and aroma. Do not refrigerate or freeze, even after opening.

A bit of simple math reveals that homemade vanilla extract is the more economical choice. Say you buy two 4-ounce bottles of the good vanilla extract from the grocery store every year. If each jar costs $18, that's $180 over a five-year span.

Leaving the Beans Whole

There are two primary benefits to leaving your vanilla beans whole: Vanilla extract makers will tell you that there is a richer vanilla taste when the vanillin is extracted by seeping through an uncut vanilla pod. It's easy to harvest the caviar or reuse the bean when your extract is finished.

Why is my homemade vanilla not dark? ›

Use more beans if you want a more robust flavor and a darker-colored extract. Also opt for 3 vanilla beans for every 6 ounces if the beans you're using feel slightly stiff or look dry. This means they're likely more than a few months old.

The longer the vanilla sits, the stronger the flavor will be. While it's sitting, give the jar a shake every week, or as often as you can remember.

We say it's ready when you think it's ready. You can learn a lot just by looking at your extract. Visually, is it a dark, amber color? If it was made with a light spirit (like a vodka or a white rum) you will be able to see through it when you hold it up to a light source.

The FDA says that for extract to be “Pure” you need 13.35oz of vanilla beans in every gallon of spirit. The FDA also says that the spirit needs to be at least 35% alcohol, which is 70 proof. The FDA also says that the beans should be less than 25% moisture content, which is usually grade B.

In many places, vanilla extract is considered a food product. and is available even if you're not legal drinking age. Vanilla extract contains alcohol.

In concise terms: Vodka is Flavorless = Pure vanilla bean taste. Bourbon is Slightly Sweet and Smokey = Enhanced vanilla taste with smokey/sweet notes. Rum is Very Sweet = Maximum vanilla taste, aroma and sweetness.

Split 4–6 whole vanilla beans lengthwise with the tip of a sharp knife. Use the dull side of the knife to scrape the seeds (vanilla caviar, if you're feeling fancy) from both sides of the pod, and transfer the vanilla seeds to an airtight container (I use a 16-ounce mason jar).