Home-made Vanilla

For my birthday, my sister got me a little kit for making home-made vanilla extract.  (But you don't need a kit to make your own!)  Vanilla beans and liquor. How hard can it be? Well, speaking as someone who doesn't usually shop at the liquor store, baffling.

For your best vanilla extract, you want to use vodka.  I didn't realize there was so many choices!  There's a wide range of prices and brands.  I explained to the lady what I wanted to do with the vodka.  She looked at me like I was from Mars, or that I was a bad liar trying to cover up an addiction. But she was a treasure trove of vodka knowledge.

For a good tasting product, don't buy the cheapest vodka you find.  While it supposedly has no taste on it's own, the vodka should be smooth going down.  Apparently, the cheaper stuff ill feel like your swallowing turpentine.  So, I bought a mid-range, 100 proof vodka that should produce a strong, yet smooth, vanilla.

Here's what you'll need:
4-6 vanilla beans, depending on size
1 c vodka
glass bottle with a stopper top

On a cutting board, slice each vanilla bean length-wise.

Put the beans into the glass bottle.  DO NOT use plastic.  The vodka will cause all the absorbed flavors in the plastic to come out into the liquid, making a gross-tasting vanilla.

Pour the vodka into the bottle with the vanilla beans.

Close the bottle tightly.  Shake several times.

Keep the bottle on the counter, out of direct sunlight, for 8 weeks.  Make sure to shake it every few days. When the two weeks is up, your vanilla is ready to be used to make whatever vanilla flavored treats you can think of.

Enjoy!