Have you heard the one about the woman you went into the liquor store and asked for a gallon of vodka?
And you should have seen the looks on their faces!
Apparently, vodka is not sold by the gallon, it’s sold by the liter. So, then I had to try to figure out how many liters make a gallon.
We finally decided that 2 1.75 liter bottles would be about a gallon.
This little vanilla adventure started when I saw a blog post about making your own vanilla.
Since I had recently thrown mine out (after I discovered the stuff I had contained high fructose corn syrup), I wanted to give it a try.
So I got a few vanilla beans and a small bottle of vodka. I stuck the beans in the bottle and waited.
After about 6 weeks I was enjoying using my very own homemade vanilla extract.
No artificial anything, and no HFCS!
I decided that homemade vanilla extract would be a great Christmas gift for my friends and family that bake.
And that, my friends, is where that whole gallon of vodka comes in. I ordered my Premium Bourbon Madagascar Vanilla Beans from this great website called OliveNation.
They have lots of other great stuff, as well as free shipping on their vanilla beans. Saving money on shipping is always a plus!
It takes anywhere from 4 to 6 months to make a gallon of extract.
At 4 months you can begin to use it and at 6 months it is double strength.
And as a bonus, after I made the extract I dried the beans and used them to make vanilla sugar and vanilla cinnamon sugar. I used dehydrated sugar cane juice, but any kind of sugar will work.
Here are the directions for making a gallon of homemade vanilla extract.
The first step is to split the vanilla beans lengthwise to within about an inch of one end.
Put the lid on the jar and shake it well.
Now put the jar in a cool, dark place.
About once a month or so you need to shake the jar again.
After 4 months it should look like this.
I kinda rushed things for Christmas, but next time I will let it sit for the full 6 months so it will be double strength.
When you are ready to bottle it, strain it through a coffee filter or cheesecloth into a large pot.
I used a coffee filter this time, but next time I will use the cheesecloth. The beans have some oil in them and that seemed to clog up the filter I used.
All that’s left is to put it in the bottles.
I put a vanilla bean in each bottle before adding the extract. That way, the recipients can add a little more vodka to the bottle as they use it.
I made some labels for you too! Click here to download the templates. You will need 2″ round labels for printing.
The vanilla is perfect for gift giving.
The sugars also make great gifts. I like to use the plain in my hot tea and I sprinkle the cinnamon sugar over my soaked oatmeal.
What would you use the sugars for? Can’t wait to hear your ideas!
I love making my own vanilla. It tastes so much better than store bought.
Hope to see you again at the Homestead Blog Hop this Wednesday. You were FEATURED! stop by and grab the featured badge.
Thank you Kelly! I’m honored! And I agree, it absolutely tastes better.
I make a triple vanilla cupcake that calls for vanilla, vanilla bean and vanilla sugar 🙂 They are my favorite!
Wow, Jeni! That sounds amazing!
So sweet Janice, thank you!
How do you make the vanilla sugar with the left over beans and where do you buy the vanilla beans in bulk?
Hi Terra! I just put the beans in a big jar with a bunch of sugar. I let it sit for several weeks, shaking occasionally, until it tastes the way I want it to.
I haven’t purchased any this year because the price has gone up a LOT.
I do get the madagascar ones when I order them, though.