Homemade Vanilla Recipe - Sous Vide Extract - Savoring The Good® (2024)

FAQs

How do you make high quality vanilla extract? ›

You only need 2 ingredients for homemade vanilla extract: vanilla beans and vodka. Let the vanilla beans infuse the vodka for as little as 8 weeks, but for optimal flavor, wait at least 6-12 months before using. Homemade vanilla is more cost efficient than store-bought options. You can try homemade vanilla sugar too.

Remember that all "Pure" extracts are required to have a minimum 35% alcohol content, which is just as much alcohol that is in hard liquor. Alcohol is needed for extraction. Since this may be your first time making extract, you may notice characteristics that you didn't before in your store-bought "pure" extract.

Store it in a cool, dark place.

Heat and light can cause evaporation and cause the extract to turn cloudy.

Tahitian vanilla beans are the most expensive type of vanilla bean, but don't let that deter you. These vanilla beans have a superb flavor and aroma.

Anything over 80 proof is fine and makes a lovely extract. It's true, though, that the higher the proof, the more vanilla essence will be extracted into the liquid.

The liquid should be dark golden or brown. The darker the color, the stronger the vanilla flavor.

The amount of alcohol in pure vanilla extract varies by brand. Some contain as much as 35% alcohol by volume (ABV), which is equivalent to 70-proof vodka. However, a teaspoon of that vanilla extract has very little alcohol, somewhere closer to 1%.

There is a difference of opinion about the difference in flavor. Some people say or report that alcohol, that non-alcohol vanilla, which is often used in raw desserts, has less of an aroma than the pure alcohol extract.

Select a dark glass or amber-colored bottle for your vanilla extract. Light can degrade the quality of the extract by breaking down its aromatic compounds. Dark glass helps to protect the extract from light exposure, preserving its flavor and aroma. Air can also impact the quality of vanilla extract over time.

Vanilla bean pod particles may also break down over time, so it isn't uncommon to see specs or "floaties" in your extracts, especially if you sliced or cut your beans before submersing them. This is normal.

How many times can you reuse vanilla beans to make extract? ›

Re-fillable: Once you run out of vanilla, refill the bottle with Vodka and use the beans for another batch (they will last for up to two batches). Also, the vanilla extract wont expire as long as it's stored in a cool, dry place.

If Everclear 189/190 isn't available in your area, Everclear 151 or 120 will do the trick. If you cannot purchase Everclear at all, the highest proof vodka you can find will work. You'll need to infuse much longer (closer to the 12 months mark) and use more vanilla beans per bottle of 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 will always smell some alcohol in your extract. However, the smell of a finished extract is usually vanilla first and spirit second. Also remember that no two noses are the same. Someone may smell more vanilla than alcohol, while someone else may smell more alcohol than vanilla.

Combined with the hot, humid climate and rich soil, hand pollination by the country's skilled and patient farmers has enabled Madagascar to become the world's top vanilla producer in both quantity and quality.

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.

The best vanilla extracts are made from premium grade vanilla beans that have a high natural vanillin content. This means big flavor. Extracts that contain no sugar or only a small percent of sugar and no corn syrup or caramel color are cleaner tasting.

Grade B Vanilla Pods have a lower moisture content. They are best for infusing into alcoholic or creamy bases (such as crème anglaise) or for making Vanilla extract. The flavour of Grade B Vanilla is deep but lighter than Grade A.