Vanilla Extract Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Is it cheaper to make your own vanilla extract? ›

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.

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.

The only things you need to remember about homemade vanilla extract are ratio and time. The ratio of vanilla beans per ounces of alcohol is imperative, but so is the amount of time the vanilla infuses the alcohol.

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.

Compare that to vodka, which is typically 40% alcohol. 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.

Pure vanilla extract (the kind made with real vanilla beans and at least 35 percent alcohol) has an indefinite shelf life. unless it's been stored improperly.

If you've got a vanilla bean that you've split and scraped the seeds out of for a baking project, you can totally breathe new life into that bean by throwing it into a batch of vanilla extract. Beans you've already used in a batch of extract can be reused in the next batch.

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.

Artificial vanilla extract is affordable, and is the vanilla extract predominantly sold in countries that produce vanilla beans. This is the paradox of vanilla's hand-crafted production. That's why in Mexico, even though the country grows very fine beans, artificial vanillas dominate the market.

For best flavor you'll want 4-5 vanilla beans for every 8 ounces (1 cup) of vodka. The quality of the vanilla beans is more important than the quality of the alcohol, so you don't need to buy an expensive bottle. Alcohol: 80 proof Vodka, (or brandy, rum, or bourbon, if preferred, for different flavor).

What is the best vanilla bean to use to make vanilla extract? ›

In addition to varieties, there are also different grades of vanilla beans. Grade A beans are longer and more moist, and Grade B beans are less pretty and usually recommended for making extract. Grade B beans are less expensive, so if you're trying to cut back on cost, definitely go for those.

You can leave the vanilla beans in the bottles indefinitely and continue to top up the jar with alcohol as you use the extract. Alternatively, you can make vanilla sugar with the used vanilla beans. Place the old vanilla beans in some granulated sugar to infuse the sugar with vanilla flavors.

But working in professional kitchens, I learned that plenty of pastry pros prefer the store-bought stuff. Making your own vanilla extract can be expensive (depending on the method used, it's not always cost effective) and some bakers just don't think it compares to the high-quality extracts on the market.

Vanilla extract doesn't just rely on alcohol to extract the essential flavors and fragrances from the vanilla bean and suspend them in a stable solution—it's also required by law to have an alcohol content of at least 35 percent.