It’s officially September! That means Fall is here….ish, it’s coming soon to say the least.;) And after Fall, comes Christmas! Wouldn’t it be nice to knock out a few Christmas gifts EARLY?! Like now even? Today we’re sharing DIY vanilla extract, which makes perfectly unique gifts, and is fun for yourself too! Right now is the perfect time to start because it needs a good 6 weeks or more to be ready to use. The longer it sits, the more flavorful it is.
My husband is the one who wanted to try this, so a few years ago we made some and gave away a couple bottles. We have loved doing it ever since and always have homemade pure vanilla.
All you need to make pure vanilla extract is:
- Vanilla beans
- Vodka, Rum, Bourbon (or any hard liquor)
- Glass bottle
We have tried Rum and Vodka, just for fun. 🙂 We have purchased vanilla beans from both Amazon and Costco and the bottle we used is from Ikea. You can even use the liquor bottle if you’d like. There are so many cute bottles out there - some small ones like THESE from Save-on-crafts would be adorable as neighbor gifts. Or check out THESE from The Container Store.
Okay, now to make the vanilla:
Simply split the vanilla beans lengthwise and place in the bottle, then pour the Vodka into the bottle. A good ratio is 1 vanilla bean per 1/3 cup of Vodka. Date it and store it in a cool, dark place for at least 6 weeks. It’s ready to use after about 6 weeks, but the flavor will continue to improve for at least another 6 to 12 weeks.
That’s it! It’s so easy, and pretty, and as pure as vanilla extract can get. It also makes me feel very gourmet when I’m making chocolate chip cookies. 😉
Linking up to some of these parties:
