If you think you’ve seen this before, you’re not wrong–I posted this last fall and it was our most popular recipe of 2013! It’s not too early (or too late!) to get started on brewing your own homemade vanilla, so if this is something you’ve wanted to do in the past, today’s your day!
Original Post
You guys, I have a confession. I’m kind of the biggest Grinch in the universe. I don’t mean to be–I genuinely want to love the Christmas season. But see…when the 4th of July is over and then you go to Hobby Lobby and they’re all decked out for Christmas, by the time the big day rolls around ALMOST 6 MONTHS LATER, I’m so done. I’m over it. Right now, I’m ambivalently pleased that Christmas is around the corner, but come December, I’ll be ready to pack up my tree before I’ve even decorated it.
So in October, I’m all excited about Christmas cards and holiday goodies, so really, now is the key time for me to pounce on Christmas, because if I don’t, I’m going to have a lot of half-filled treat bags, undelivered laundry detergent (yes, I give laundry detergent to friends and teachers for Christmas…I’m THAT friend), and Christmas cards that I post on Facebook 6 days after Christmas is over. Some of you may think I’m kidding or exaggerating. I’m so not. All of these things have happened.
Basically…I’m here to help anyone else who feels a little frazzled by the time December rolls around. If you’ve never made your own vanilla, it’s amazing–the taste is incomparable (especially when you consider the cost of making your own vanilla vs. buying real vanilla extract), and if you make it for gift-giving, you can start now. October. Pre-holiday burnout. And when you give it as a gift, people can make their own dang cookies and your kitchen stays mess-free, which is pretty much the greatest gift you can give yourself AND your children during the busiest time of the year.
You’re going to need some supplies–vanilla beans, liquor (yes, vanilla extract is made with liquor–I know people who were genuinely shocked to learn this), and bottles. And labels (eventually, but you can get them now if you want). If you’re like me and live in a place where you can conveniently purchase large bottles of hard liquor in grocery stores and places like Sam’s Club and Costco whilst buying baby food, milk, and eggs, the liquor purchasing is no biggie (unless you’re trying to draw as little attention to yourself as possible and proceed to lose your Sam’s Club receipt, so you’re waiting in line to get a duplicate receipt so they’ll let you leave, then you spill your entire 32-ounce Diet Coke and run into your ecclesiastical leader with a giant bottle of vodka and a giant bottle of white rum in your shopping cart…not that I know ANYTHING about this scenario…)
ANYWAY. I decided I wanted to try making vanilla with both vodka and white rum to see what I liked better. For the record, they both smell like death.
When it comes to booze, I pretty much know nothing from firsthand experience, so I was just going off what I was reading on the internet. Vodka is often the standard for vanilla-making, but a lot of people also recommended using rum. But…I don’t like the flavor of rum–I find it sickly and overpowering. So I decided to try using white rum, which is just about as flavorless and straight-up alcohol-y as vodka.
I was actually pretty surprised to discover that even though the vodka and white rum smelled almost exactly the same before I added the vanilla beans, once they had brewed for awhile, they were very different. The vodka vanilla was similar to what you buy in a store, so if that’s what you’re after, go for the vodka. The rum vanilla was sweeter and more fragrant. After a few years of making this, I only use white rum to make vanilla because it’s hands-down my favorite.
I bought my bottles and vanilla beans from Amazon. Don’t even think about buying your vanilla beans in a grocery store–they’re, like, $10/bean, plus 20% of your soul and a security deposit on your firstborn child. Think about how many bottles you want to make, and shop around for the best price according to your needs. These ones are great. OliveNation also has really great sales on them sometimes, so be sure to check them out and watch there, too. If this turns into “your thing” you’re planning on doing every year like me, I’d recommend just kind of watching all of the time, so you can get a feel for how prices are fluctuating.
I use these 4-ounce glass bottles.
I think these are ideal because it’s the perfect size for gift-giving and the dark-colored glass helps protect the flavor of the vanilla.
There are lots of different methods to making vanilla, but I like cutting the ends off.
This helps the brewing process go faster, so if you get a late start (like mid-November), you could still conceivably have enough time to get it done.
I divided up my beans equally into large mason jars…
and then covered them with the rum (or vodka…but really, it’s all about the rum.)
You could also put the beans directly into the bottle, but I wanted to use the beans later for something else and I didn’t want to risk them getting stuck in the narrow neck of the bottle.
Place the lids on your jars and shake them vigorously. Then place them in a cool, dark place (like a closet or a cupboard) and shake them once a week or so.
In about a month, the vanilla flavor will have started infusing the liquor and it will be darker and fragrant. It will never get as dark as commercial vanilla because they almost always use artificial coloring, but as long as it smells good, you’re good to go.
It’s usable at this point, and likely better than most stuff you can buy in the store. But if you can, I would let it brew for another month at least. This year, I started mine in July!
Finally, when you’re ready to give these away, carefully (like…use a funnel. This stuff is precious) fill the bottles.
I also stick a bean in each bottle so the flavor will continue to get stronger (you may need to trim it down a little to fit).
If you have beans left over, be sure to squeeze out the bean paste from the beans
and save it in an airtight container. Use it in ice creams, sweet sauces, whipped cream, jams, jellies, etc. You can also allow the pods to dry out (after you squeeze out their insides) and then grind them up into a powder using a coffee or spice grinder and sprinkle it into anything that you’d like to add vanilla flavor to (or mix it with sugar to make your own vanilla sugar).
To make the labels, I used some Martha Stewart kraft paper labels that were once available at Staples, but they don’t make them anymore. Here is what I’ve found that you might be able to use instead:
Also, I found this handy-dandy punch if you want to get creative.
I’m not including a printable because you might want them to say something different or more customized (plus, chances are your name is not Jones…and what if you use Tahitian vanilla beans? Or Mexican?). But I will tell you how I made them in the printable instructions below, so never fear.
Check out how cute they are on the bottles!
Also…remember these cookies? Giant oatmeal chocolate chip cookies? They call for a whole tablespoon of vanilla, which is part of what makes them so delicious. So if you really love someone, you could tuck a copy of that recipe in with a bottle of this amazing vanilla with a bag of high-quality chocolate chips (these Ghirardelli milk chocolate chips are my favorite for that particular recipe).
Excited?? I hope so! This is the only way our neighbor/co-worker gifts get done!
This is how I did things…please feel free to customize everything to your own needs/tastes.
Homemade Vanilla
Description
A practical, original, and yummy gift – perfect for the holidays!
Ingredients
- 2 1.75-liter bottles vodka or white rum
- 60 vanilla beans
- 4-ounce glass amber bottles (between 30-40) washed (you probably won’t use all of them at once)
- Martha Stewart Kraft Labels, Flourish style
Instructions
- Cut the ends off the vanilla beans and divide them evenly among 4-5 1-quart glass mason jars.
- Cover with vodka or rum and close tightly. Shake vigorously.
- Place in a cool, dark place and shake the bottles about once a week for at least 1-2 months (but you could do this forever if you wanted).
- When ready to gift, carefully fill each glass bottle with vanilla extract and secure the lids tightly. If you’d like, you can include a vanilla bean (you’d likely have to trim it) in each bottle.
Notes
- If you have beans left over, be sure to squeeze out the bean paste from the beans and save it in an airtight container. Use it in ice creams, sweet sauces, whipped cream, jams, jellies, etc. You can also allow the pods to dry out (after you squeeze out their insides) and then grind them up into a powder using a coffee or spice grinder and sprinkle it into anything that you’d like to add vanilla flavor to (or mix it with sugar to make your own vanilla sugar).
For the labels, this is what I did:
1. Use the template designs OR make your own to print using this Avery template.
2. The print font is Penelope Anne and the script font is Lavenderia. Everything is centered.
JONES FAMILY (Penelope Anne, 14 pt font)
Madagascar Vanilla (Lavenderia, 26 pt font)
ALL-NATURAL * HOMEMADE (Penelope Anne, 14 pt font)
If you’d like, you could include favorite recipes that use vanilla and a key ingredient, like a bag of chocolate chips.
Just a note on Mexican vanilla, bought in Mexico. At one time you could buy vanilla in Mexico for a very low price. It does have a wonderful sweet distinctive smell. Please be aware, though, that some Mexican vanilla had/has Coumarin in it…this is also used in rat poison and is toxic to humans. Perhaps this has since been banned, but I would be very careful to make sure of what you are getting before using it.
I think the industrial container supply store in Salt Lake City has amber bottles, and many other containers of various shapes and sizes, for very affordable prices. I’ve never ordered from their website because I live close enough to visit the store occasionally. The employees are helpful and friendly. The website is wwww.industrial container.com
I have been trying to figure out a cute gift to give for Christmas this year but just wasn’t able to decide what. I looked at all those mason jar things but wasn’t really feeling it. This seems absolutely perfect and in the end I’ll have vanilla bean paste for myself! I think I’ll try the rum version! I was wondering if by chance you knew if using dark rum would work too. I know you don’t drink but was curious if anyone has tried it.
HAHA! Ya, I JUST saw the few posts above me that answered my question. AWESOME. Sorry to ask AGAIN!
I’m so sorry if this has already been answered in the comments, but how many beans per mason jar? I’m making a different sized batch than your recipe! Thank you!
This is awesome! Thanks for such a great gift idea 🙂 One question: the last few recipes I have tried to save to my recipe box have all defaulted to Southwestern Brown Rice Salad (or something) instead of the recipe I’m trying to save… anyone else having this issue? Or Kate, do you know why it might be doing that? As much as I love your Southwestern Brown Rice Salad (yum) I’d really like to get some other ones in my box as well 😉 Thanks!!!
So glad to see this post. I had everything prepared to make the vanilla except the alcohol. I had found recipes with different kinds but wasn’t for sure which type to get. Thanks for doing the experiment for me.
This is awesome! Just ordered my beans last night! Thanks for this awesome idea and for replying to all of our questions!
Such a cute idea for Christmas gifts!
Question- I ordered my bottles and beans last night and will be making these on a much smaller scale. I ordered the 20 count beans. So my question is how many bens per mason jar?? Can I do ten in one and ten in the other?? Please help. My stuff will be here tomorrow!
Yep, 10 beans per jar is perfect! 🙂
Kate, can I just say that I literally laughed out loud while reading this post. Number one, I also like to give homemade laundry detergent for gifts (and my husband and neighbors think I’m coo-coo for it). I also have lots of half-done gifts when the actual big day rolls around in December and honestly, I just usually end up keeping them or throwing them away, so I don’t have to deal with it. Thank you for making what starting out as a terrible, terrible day (I’ve been up since three, my youngest son looks like he has pink-eye for the second time in two weeks, and my printer is once again not working). Thank you Kate for making me smile today :).
HA! I’m so glad! 🙂
So I’m a little curious about the laundry detergent for a Christmas gift—is there some story or funny saying that goes with that???
Not really, hahaha. My husband is an engineer for Procter and Gamble in their laundry division, so we have obscene amount of laundry detergent that we could never possibly use. If I were super cool, I’d do something like, “We wish you glad TIDE-ings” or something about Cheer, depending on what we’re giving away. But by the time Christmas rolls around, I’m just lucky if they get delivered. 🙂
I have ordered bottles and beans from Beanilla.com There is a lot of information about all the different kinds of beans they carry and a good variety of bottles, different shapes and sizes. Its a great site to check out just for the information they provide.
Super fancy–I love it! This would be a fun gift to give!
I had no idea that vanilla was made from alcohol! Yuck. Is there a non-alcoholic version that would be just as simple that you can share?
You realize that ALL flavor extracts you buy in the store are made with alcohol, right? If you are baking/cooking with it, the alcohol evaporates out, if you are using it in a non-heated application, the quantity is usually so diluted as to be negligible. Also, a lot of medications have an alcohol base because the alcohol preserves the ingredients in the medication the same way it preserves the ingredients in flavorings.
I am very excited to attempt this next project! How many 4 oz bottles does your recipe make? How long are vanilla beans good for? Thanks~
This will make about 30 4-ounce bottles.
This looks so awesome! I want to make my own vanilla now :).
This is so hilarious ! It reminded me of when our former Stake President’s wife said she always bought beer to rinse her blonde hair with until a missionary came up to her and said she smelled like a brewery ! She quickly stopped doing that 🙂 A couple of years ago, I saw a male member in the grocery store, and practical joker that he is, sneaked a 6 pack of beer and some other bottles while I was talking to his wife and he covered them up with breads and other items I had in the cart. I then was in a hurry because of the long conversation, and didn’t discover them until the checkout ! Boy, oh boy….that was a good one on me!!
i need a recipe for alcohol free vanilla extract – anybody?
Bwhahahaha!!! I totally know how embarrassing it is when you have baking alcohol in your cart (vodka also helps make pie crust flaky), and you run into someone from church. So super awkward!! I love this idea, though! Thanks for sharing.
And Christmas list – done! Thanks! 🙂
Did you know that you can make an equally as good, non alcoholic vanilla extract using food grade glycerin. Similar method but split the beans first, scrape out the seeds and add them with the beans to the glycerin. Then let steep for several weeks and decant into bottles when ready. I buy glycerin by the litre and vanilla pods on the internet. Here in the UK, you can buy this type of extract in stores but it is very expensive. So much cheaper to make your own!
Is there a way to cut this is half? I would love to try this but vanilla beans are very expensive.
Yep, definitely! I would say a good ratio is about 10 beans per quart of alcohol, but you could even cut it down to 5 beans to a pint. And you can keep re-using the beans for about a year.
Actually, odds are at least a few of us (besides me) are named Jones! My new baby Penelope was almost Penelope Anne, too.Crazy ccoincidence.
In a restaurant in Tahiti I ate a savory vanilla cream sauce that made me want to cry, it was so good. Instead I just ate way too much. And it tastes good on steamed veggies, potatoes, pasta, and rice, and scallops and shrimp too. Anyway, use your bean paste for that sometime. And then share the recipe, because there’s not a good one online, and I don’t want to waste my precious paste!
I’m surprised you didn’t mention this in your post, but you can make all sorts of flavor extracts with this method. This past spring a group of sisters from my RS got together at my house for what I dubbed and “Extract Party”. We made of course Vanilla, but we also made Hazelnut, Almond (a note about that to follow), lemon, grapefruit, orange, and mint.
The quality of the liquor will affect the flavor, so if you are going to the expense of buying the Vanilla beans, you might as well spent a little extra to buy good quality liquor.
The nuts you can buy in bulk, lightly toast them in the oven then lightly crush them (you want them broken, but chunky) and put in approximately 1/3-1/2 cup of nuts per 4-6 ounces of liquor. A note about Almonds, almond extract from the store is made from bitter almonds, which are poisonous for regular consumption and are not available for retail purchase. They have a significantly stronger almond flavor because they have much larger quantities of the molecule that makes the almond flavor, but the molecule that makes that flavor is attached to arsenic, so they are poisonous. The almonds that we eat also have arsenic, but in because the molecule that makes the almond flavor is very mild in the almonds we eat, the amount of arsenic is safe for consumption. What this comes down to, is you have to use a lot more almonds than other nuts to achieve the desired flavor you are looking for in making an almond extract.
For the citrus extracts, peel the skin off of the citrus fruit, try to avoid getting the pith, it will make your extract bitter. You’ll want to put in enough peel to very loosely fill your bottle, then fill it up with the liquor.
Do the same with the mint leaves.
A note, you’ll want to make sure that the citrus peels and mint leaves are completely submerged. If they are not then the portions that are sticking out of the liquor will begin to rot, if they are completely submerged, they will not spoil.
As for which liquors to use. Vodka works best for the sharper flavors, like the citrus flavors and the mint, you could go either direction with Vanilla, but Rum is ideal for the warmer flavors, like the nuts and the Vanilla.
I forgot to mention, when you are finally ready to use the extracts made with the nuts (And vanilla, cutting it up into 1 inch pieces will make the infusion process faster) strain it with cheese cloth or a very fine mesh screen before putting it into bottles for giving away or for using in baking, unless of course you don’t mind the little flecks showing up. This is especially true if you don’t skin your nuts before you put them in the liquor.
That’s awesome!! This post was so long already (seriously, like about 2.5 longer than normal, haha), but this would make a great post by itself! 🙂
We have been making homemade vanilla for years. On several times we have given it out as gifts. What we have done though is just find a nice look vodka bottle. One of our favorites is grey goose because of the pretty picture. We throw in the beans and gift it that way. Have to be careful with those that it might offend but we have learned that lots of our friends and family love watching the process. Then when they get low they just add more vodka to the bottle and it is constantly making more. I have always just done the bean whole with out cutting anything off, might have to try cutting off the ends to speed up the process.
My favorite experience with homemade vanilla was our LDS ward’s “Homemaking Meeting” where we learned how to make it. In the gym. Of the church. Awesome! I think that same evening someone also demonstrated how to force paperwhite bulbs to bloom faster by adding denatured alcohol (or vodka) to the water. So, two trips to the state liquor store were required for that event. It was a banner evening!
Ha! That literally just made me burst out laughing. Such a great visual. 🙂
Oh my gosh, I want to go to your ward, hahaha!
Me too!
beanilla.com is currently having a FREE SHIPPING sale!!
I haven been doing this for over a year and want to chime in with what I have learned:
1) Buying the cheaper vodka or rum or bourbon doesn’t change the flavor so I can buy a liter for 9 or 10 dollars. 2) You can buy vanilla flavored liquor and really boost the flavor faster. 3) The flavor is so strong that I only have to use half of what the recipe needs. 4) My favorite source for beans is olivenation.com (especially if there is a sale).
My friends and family love this gift!!! Many have started making their own.
Thanks so much!
If I wanted to make this in the 4 oz bottles how much of the bean would I put in.