Homemade Vanilla Extract

Instructions

1. 1. Clean your bottle and dry it well.
2. 2. If you are using whole vanilla beans, scrape out the pulp from several beans.
3. 3. Put the pod and scraped pulp into the bottle. Scraping out the pulp first will help it flavor the alcohol quicker.
4. 4. Pour the vodka into the bottle. You can use a funnel to make sure you don't spill.
5. 5. Close the stopper on the bottle and shake the vanilla and vodka to distribute the seeds. The vodka will still be clear for the first few days.
6. 6. Every couple of days, give the extract a good shake to break up the pulp and get the seeds distributed. After a week the extract will start to get darker and develop flavor. After two weeks you can use the extract, but the flavor will be very subtle.
7. 7. At week 3 the color should be amber and the aroma is richer, but waiting for week 5+ is when it gets really exciting.
8. 8. To use: If using in buttercream, strain out any pulp. You will still have the seeds in your recipe, but any stringy bits from the pod will be removed.
9. 9. To refill: As you use the vanilla, add more vodka and vanilla beans to refill and keep it going for years. After scraping seeds from a bean for a recipe, toss the bean into your bottle. If bottle gets half empty when refilling with vodka, add a few more beans to avoid diluting.