Once you know, you know: homemade vanilla extract is out-of-this-world amazing! With only 2 ingredients, it’s super easy to make… and very cost effective, too.
One of the best and simplest things I’ve ever done is make my own vanilla extract. And it is a delightful homemade food gift idea.
Desserts and baked goods taste better, homemade ice cream is nothing short of incredible, and making your own is much more cost-effective than store-bought.
Now, wait… Aren’t vanilla beans super expensive?
Yes! They are.
But 32 of them and a 1/2 gallon of liquor is still less when you consider you can pay up to $20 over and over again for tiny little bottles of organic vanilla extract.
Plus, I’ll show you the perpetual method of making pure vanilla extract so you can get the most out of your beans by using them over and over again!
Table Of Contents
What type of alcohol is best?
You can use vodka, bourbon, rum, or brandy — but make sure whatever you choose has at least 40% alcohol, or is at least 80 proof.
Vodka is the most common option, as its neutral flavor yields the most pure vanilla extract.
My favorite is bourbon, though. It’s deep, rich, and delicious!
For non-GMO options, check out this article!
What are the best vanilla beans to use?
There are many different varieties of vanilla beans.
Madagascar bourbon vanilla beans (the most popular choice) are known for their sweet and creamy flavor, while Tahitian vanilla beans have floral, cherry, and chocolate notes (source). You can’t really go wrong with either of those!
In addition to variety, there are different grades of beans based on moisture level, length, and quality. Grade A are the highest quality, being the most moist and over 6 inches in length. (Source.)
Grade B, on the other hand, are of lesser quality but also less expensive, and typically the best choice for making extracts. If you can’t find Grade B, Grade A works well, too!
Single-Fold Vs. Double-Fold Vanilla Extract
Most commercial vanilla extracts are single-fold, meaning that they are made with 0.8 ounces of vanilla beans per 1 cup of alcohol. You can achieve the same result at home with 4 vanilla beans per 1 cup of alcohol.
Double-fold vanilla extracts are much more potent, more expensive, and made with 1.5 ounces of vanilla beans per 1 cup of alcohol. This would mean using about 8 vanilla beans per 1 cup of alcohol.
In this recipe, I’ve chosen to go the single-fold route, but feel free to adjust depending on your preference! Homemade vanilla extract is delicious (and better than store-bought) no matter what!
How To Make Homemade Vanilla Extract
With only two ingredients, making your own vanilla extract couldn’t get easier!
First, split the vanilla beans in half lengthwise. You can use scissors or a knife.
Scrape out the seeds with a spoon, and collect both seeds and beans in a clean 1/2 gallon jar. (Or, you can put the seeds and beans directly into your bottle of vodka or other liquor. Just keep in mind the ratio of beans to alcohol!)
Fill with liquor until the beans in the jar are completely submerged. Cover tightly, then shake gently.
Store in a cool dark place for at least 6 to 8 weeks before beginning to use, shaking it up every few days.
To make perpetual vanilla extract, simply replace any used extract with additional liquor. For example, if you use 1 teaspoon of extract in a recipe, add 1 teaspoon of liquor back to the bottle.
Over time, this extract will be increasingly diluted, so be sure to add a few vanilla beans, a few times a year, to keep it fragrant and flavorful!
If this perpetual method doesn’t appeal to you, you can still reuse your beans to get the most out of them. Simply use up your extract, then add fresh liquor to your old beans.
The resulting extract won’t be as flavorful, so again, you may want to add more vanilla beans. Find what works for you.
Pure vanilla extract has an indefinite shelf life, so don’t worry about having to use it up quickly!
Note: Don’t want to make such a large batch of vanilla? Feel free to scale down, keeping in mind the ratio of beans to liquor discussed above!
Video Tutorial: 1/2 Gallon Of Homemade Vanilla Extract!
Homemade Vanilla Extract
Once you know, you know: homemade vanilla extract is out-of-this-world amazing! With only 2 ingredients, it's super easy to make... and very cost effective, too.
Ingredients
- 32 vanilla beans
- 1/2 gallon vodka or bourbon, rum, or brandy (at least 80 proof)
Instructions
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Split the vanilla beans in half, lengthwise.
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Scrape out the seeds.
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Put the seeds and beans in a clean 1/2 gallon jar and pour in vodka.
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Cover the jar, then shake it gently.
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Put the jar in a dark cupboard.
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Shake it up every few days.
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Start using it after a few weeks, though after 8 weeks it will be good and dark. Use anywhere you would use vanilla extract from the grocery store!
Why Make Homemade Extract
I used to buy vanilla extract made from bourbon at Trader Joe’s and really liked what it did for our ice cream, so when I set out to make my own, that’s the kind I wanted to make!
Using homemade vanilla extract, our ice cream (and many other dishes) are out of this world. Like 500 times better.
Perhaps that is an exaggeration. But the point is, homemade vanilla offers much more flavor.
Here’s an example of what it can do…
I made ice cream with some frozen cream (a bit freezer burned) and the Trader Joe’s vanilla extract. Nobody liked it, no doubt because of the freezer burn.
Then, a few months later, I made another batch of ice cream with freezer-burned cream using my vanilla extract made from bourbon. The ice cream was amazing — the whole family thought so!
Homemade vanilla extract is so good, it can mask mild freezer burn!
Using The Homemade Vanilla Extract
Use anywhere you’d use store-bought vanilla extract! Here are a few of our favorite recipes!
- Best Ice Cream: Chocolate or Vanilla
- Dairy-Free No-Churn Blackberry Ice Cream (pictured above)
- How To Make Homemade Whipped Cream
- Basic Eggnog
- Instant Pot White Hot Chocolate
- Sourdough Chocolate Cake
- Paleo Double Chocolate Chip Cookies
Have you tried homemade vanilla extract? What is your favorite combination of beans and liquor?
This post was originally published and written by Wardee Harmon on 8/11/10. It was updated and republished on 5/22/20.
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Hi Wardee! Just wanted to add that Ina Garten (the “Barefoot Contessa”), who also makes her own vanilla, doesn’t scrape her beans first-she leaves them whole to marinate, and once the vanilla is ready, she then can scrape out the beans as desired and use them for baking, etc., so they serve double duty (I bet the beans would be awesome in ice cream!). She also does say that she has had her bottle sitting in her pantry for almost 20 years!! I just think that is so awesome….:-)
can you mix the vanilla paste made with bourbon to a vodka based vanilla batch??
Hi Wardee,
Thanks for the recipe!!!
Do you use the oz or 4oz. size of vanilla beans from Mountain Rose Herbs?
Erin
Erin, I bought an 8 ounce package, with more than 64 vanilla beans. That’s enough to make 2 1/2-gallons of vanilla. So I think a 4 ounce size would work for you.
Thanks for sharing. I’m excited to try this. After watching you use your vanilla in the sourdough chocolate cake ecourse it had me wanting to try it. Now I’ll be able to try it. Wardee you are a blessing.
Wardee, I’m so glad you posted this! I was telling DH about this and he asked what type of bourbon? He wondered if Jack Daniels would be ok. What type/ brand did you use? I was just thinking some cheap stuff, but if it makes a difference then I’ll get something better.
Robin — That’s good to know! Thanks! Definitely easier, with a great benefit. 😀
Tara — I bought one of the cheapest. Really, this could probably use some research. I looked at the ingredients for the most expensive to the cheapest and I think they were all the same. So, I bought the cheapest. There might be more to it — if you find anything out, let me know!
It’s worthwhile considering buying corn free vodka.
Good idea to get organic, Vodka is made from grains so huge chance gmo’s are used.
i’ve been wanting to make vanilla for a while, but bourbon vanilla is even more intriguing. filing this idea away…
This is such a fantastic idea. It would be great for inexpensive Xmas presents. I <3 MRH and they have a bunch of small pretty bottles that would be wonderful for this.
Wardee,
I knew I was going to win! I have never won a blog give-away, but we are going camping this week, and I just knew. Thank you and thank you Katie! I am very new to camping, but my husband and my children absolutely love camping, so there is a lot for me to learn. And they eat out of cans and boxes the whole time, so maybe I can sneak in some real food slowly but surely. I just wish I had spelled my name correctly, so that when it was mentioned in your blog it would be right!
I would like to try making vanilla. I am going to put it on my list of things to do.
Kelli – I can fix that! I wondered about the spelling but just went with how you did it. 🙂 Enjoy!
I have been trying this for a number of months with vodka, since it is nearly flavorless, but I haven’t got it to taste good yet. Now I see I probably need more beans to liquid volume. And maybe the bourbon adds better flavor too. I’m excited to keep trying.
I’ve used vodka as well as rum when making vanilla. The vodka has no flavor so flavor is reliant the beans. Rum, depending on brand has minimal flavor but is a little better than vodka. Any bourbon, depending on brand, makes it more of a maple syrup flavor. When ever I bake I usually use the one with rum but I’ve never seen any of my gifts re-gifted. 🙂 you can also run the cheaper brands thru a water filtration system, brita, and improve the flavor of the alcohol.
I made bourbon vanilla back at X-Mas time and just took the cap off of one of the bottles. I was knocked over by the bourbon smell and there was no vanilla smell what so ever. I used two organic beans to 8 oz of bourbon per the recipe I had.
Thoughts?
Maybe too few beans. I’ve seen recipes that said 7 beans per cup. Just made some using 7.
7 beans per cup, it would be Much cheaper to buy a bottle.
Wardee-
That’s a lot of vanilla extract!! Would it be safe to say that you could 1/2 or even 1/4 the recipe successfully?
Jen — Definitely! The original guide I followed said to combine 1/2 cup of bourbon with 2 vanilla beans. I scaled up for the 1/2 gallon of bourbon I purchased. I do use alot of it — every two days I use 1/2 cup for water kefir cream soda.
I love cream soda! Can you share your recipe for the kefir cream soda please? Thanks!
What type of jar covers are those? Where can we find them?
Hi, Coco,
It is a piece of cute cotton fabric. 🙂 You can find cotton fabric at any fabric store.
~Peggy, TCS Customer Success Team
My sil, who is also a gnowfglins ecourse member…I haven’t figured out her username yet (that’s something I’ve been meaning to ask her) Anyway, she was just talking about this and thinking on using the vodka because it apparently can be made from grapes or potatoes or grain and she is looking for something totally gluten free. We were both wondering about bourbon and how it is made. If anyone has any more info on that please post! We’d be interested in it.
Well, Wikipedia says “The typical grain mixture for bourbon, known as the mash bill, is 70% corn with the remainder being wheat and/or rye, and malted barley. ”
This does look really amazing. I’d love to try it soon.
Thanks for looking that up, velcromom. 😀 I’d say the issue is that this is GMO corn. Ick. If anyone runs across non-GMO corn bourbon, let us all know!
Wild Turkey and Four Roses uses only non GMO ingredients 🙂
Four Roses is an exceedingly good choice of bourbon. 🙂
I am interesting in the process of having an on-going supply. You say you just continue adding bourban and vanilla beans, do you ever at any stage remove the old ones?
Kylie — I don’t think you need to, but probably at some point they will take over. I haven’t gotten that far yet, but when I do, I’ll just scoop out the old ones.
Toni — That’s interesting about vodka v. bourbon. I’m glad to know that and I’m sure others who are gluten-free will appreciate that you posted it. Thanks!
Miriam — I hope this helps you! This vanilla has alot of flavor. 😀
Karen — I haven’t seen their bottles, but thanks for mentioning it! Next time I order, I’ll take a peek!
Suzanna — It is so good! I hope you enjoy it when you get to doing it. 🙂
I’ve done this w/ vanilla beans and vodka. The bourbon vanilla extract you buy is generally called “bourbon” because of the type of vanilla bean. You can use bourbon for the extract, but it’s not necessary.
I bought my vanilla beans on ebay when I did this. You can sometimes find great deals. I also got “grade b” beans which are smaller – but are fine for this purpose.
If you want to find bottles w/o paying a lot for shipping (to make small gifts) – try pharmacies or medical supply stores. You can sometimes get the dark bottles that get used for liquid medicines.
One other tip I heard was to take the beans out when you are finished w/the extract and after they are dry – put them in a container of sugar. Let it sit for a while – and you will get vanilla sugar. Not sure I will do that as I don’t want to consume that much sugar – but it sounds like an interesting idea.
Wardee, I’ve always meant to do this but never had. Next stop…figuring how to make my own bourbon. ;p
I love making my own vanilla extract, too! And if we start now, it’s just in time to use some as Christmas presents. 🙂
I’ve made my own vanilla extract with vodka, bourbon, rum and brandy. So far I like the bourbon best, but vodka is a nice, bland liquor to extract into. My least favorite was the rum. No matter what I used it in, I could taste the rum! Good for some applications, not for others.
I use at least twice as many beans — 1 per ounce of alcohol! In my last batch, I made it in 4 oz. dark brown glass jars and used 5 beans per jar. I read a lot about extract and I think what you’re making, all though wonderfully flavored, would be more of a “flavored liquer” and couldn’t legally be called extract if you were selling it. Take a look at this: http://www.vanillareview.com/make-vanilla-extract/
Kate — A friend called my attention to the fact that my math was off in this recipe. I said 4 beans per cup, but then only called for 16 vanilla beans in the half gallon. A half gallon is 8 cups, and 8 x 4 is 32. Not the 16 I originally typed! Now that I updated it, the recipe calls for double the vanilla beans — 32 — which is more in line with what you said and probably now considered vanilla extract. 🙂
I picked up some Knob Creek yesterday and took about 8 vanilla beans and started my batch. I’m very excited to try this. I agree that it will make wonderful holiday gifts. Thank you, Wardee!
oooh Wardee this looks fabulous. These would make easy and impressive gifts for all my foodie friends and family 😀
Hi Wardee~ This looks fabulous! I’ve got my vanilla beans and bourbon all ready to go – but have a quick question … I ordered waaaay too many vanilla beans — how do you suggest I store them for future use? Thanks so much!
Wardee,
I’m considering making vanilla for Christmas this year, and a friend shared this resource with me for AWESOME little bottles: http://www.specialtybottle.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=19
Now I want to try vodka vanilla and bourbon vanilla and compare!
🙂 Katie
Katie — I have bought bottles from them before and been very happy! I look forward to your comparison, you are the best at those. 🙂
Elaine — I have my extra beans stored in a dark cupboard. I suppose the freezer would be best, if you have room. I do have room, so mine are going in the freezer now. 🙂
Wardee, this is amazing! I’ve been trying to figure out an inexpensive way to replace ours when it runs out, but haven’t been too impressed with homemade vodka based ones. Bourbon is a fantastic idea! Thank you so much for sharing this!
.ambre.
I am so excited to try this! I have my beans on order and am wondering what kind of Bourbon to use. Does anyone have a favorite brand?
I am also wondering, with trying to use as many organic things as possible, what do you know about the purity or quality of the alcohol you are using?
I am so blessed to benefit from all of your experiences! Thanks to everyone sharing!
Jack Daniels or Jim Beam are both good bourbons that we use
I just started a batch of vanilla extract with vodka in May and it keeps getting yummier and yummier as the weeks go by!
We have to be gluten free, but regardless of what kind of grain it is made from it is gluten free because it is distilled. Beer is brewed and not safe, but liquors are safe.
I’ve been thinking about making it into Christmas gifts too. Nice gifts and money spent now and not in the month of December!
I have heard that a vanilla bean will last a LONG time…that you can actually use it over and over again to make new extract. Someone told me this but I can’t remember who! Has anyone done any research on the longevity of the beans?
Also…last year around the holidays I saw whole vanilla beans at Costco next to the spices. I’m regret not purchasing a bottle then but I will keep a lookout for them this year.
I was looking at my grocery store yesterday for bourbon and vodka, I was thinking of making two different kinds and see how they turn out. Everything I found at the store said it was diluted and 42 proof. I really don’t know anything about liquor, but my husband got online and found a few blogs that said you have to use at least 75 to 80 proof. which means I would have to go to a liquor store ( not crazy about that idea ) has that been your experience Wardee? if you used a less proof for the grocery store and had a good experience then I would try it as well and save myself the headache and high price of a liquor store.
Thanks again for all you do!
Katie, I got mine from the liquor store and it was a high proof. I don’t have the bottle anymore to declare how high. Perhaps your husband will shop for you? 🙂
Katie — I just made more vanilla yesterday after buying more bourbon. At the liquor store, all their bourbon was between 80 and 90 proof (40% to 45% alcohol).
What did you decide to do?
I have been meaning to find a good recipe for homemade vanilla! Thanks so much for posting this. It’s perfect. Can’t wait to try it!
Wardee, what do you think? I bought some vanilla beans. I split them, cut them in half (to fit my jar) opened them up. Then I put the split beans into my jar of bourbon. I shook the bottle up and could see the vanilla lifting from the beans. Scraping the vanilla bean was such a mess. So I thought leaving the open pod in the bourbon would do the job? Especially shaking the jar as you suggested every few days. Carol
Carol, I think that would be fine. Up there, someone else commented that she doesn’t scrape the seeds out and then the vanilla bean paste can be used later in dishes. It is a good idea, and I’m going to stop scraping mine now, too.
i’ve been using vodka and doing this for about a year. i’ll never buy vanilla again!
Hey, everyone! I’m adding a comment because *sheepishly* my math was off when I typed up this recipe. 1/2 gallon of bourbon actually needs 32 vanilla beans — or 4 per cup.
So sorry! If you’ve got a half gallon brewing, just add 16 more vanilla beans (the original amount I mentioned was 16) to make it up to 32 vanilla beans.
I saw a comment about storing beans in the freezer… and this vanilla bean site says absolutely not in the freezer– store in a cool dry place. They also say that they can keep for a year this way.
Q: How should I store my gourmet vanilla beans?
A: Vanilla beans should be stored in a closed, but not air-tight, container in a cool, dry, relatively dark place. Do not store vanilla beans in the refrigerator or freezer! (The cold will dry them out and may promote a particular type of vanilla mold.) The important thing is that the temperature be relatively constant and that air circulate a bit (unless they are vacuum packed, in which case you can keep them that way until use). If you do store them in an air tight, sealed container, we recommend opening it every couple of weeks or so to let the air circulate a bit.
from http://www.amadeusvanillabeans.com/faqs/
Thank you, Melanie! I hope mine aren’t ruined. 🙁 Thanks for taking the time to update this post with your knowledge.
Does this bourbon vanilla ever smell and taste more like vanilla and less like strong alcohol? I’ve used very strong (90%) bourbon and it still is just hard alcohol. Or will it be vanilla alcohol?
Tara — I just smelled mine today. I still smell hard alcohol, but when comparing to a backup bottle of bourbon, the vanilla scent is clearly there.
Great post, Wardee! Thanks! Too bad I’m just now finding it so close to the holidays. I guess that I’ll have some really great-tasting vanilla next year! I can’t wait to get started.
Hi Wardee, I was just reading another blog (Cheeseslave) about making homemade vanilla extract and a few people said that the brand “Makers” bourbon was GMO free. I haven’t had a chance to see if they carry this brand in California yet (I know nothing about alcohol) but as soon as I get to town I am going to do some checking. Thank you soooo much for posting this information. You have been a real help in my Kitchen. I love your cooking classes!!!!
I saw this post as I was researching this last night for our late-night vanilla making party.
Part of the rules of bourbon whiskey is that it needs to be at least 80 proof.
From culling different sites I determined that the longer it sits, the more vanilla-y it gets and, it get extra strong with a higher proof alcohol.
Last night we filled a dozen woozy bottles with 2-3 split beans.
We tried these alcohols:
jamaican rum 80 proof
Early Times 150th Anniversary bourbon 100 proof
Early Times 354 bourbon 80 proof
a cheap $5 vodka
Old Crow Reserve bourbon 86 proof
W.L. Weller Special 7 year bourbon 90 proof
a rare old scotch whisky I had around (I’m a bourbon man)
Buffalo Trace White Dog Mash #1 125 proof (this is what they use to make bourbon, but instead of putting it in the barrel for 4+ years to make bourbon, it’s bottled up, quite vile but it may make a great vanilla extract)
Will report back in 3-4 months with the results.
Easiest recipe I found was buy a fifth of bourbon, take out two shots worth, add 8-12 split vanilla beans, and let sit in the dark for 3+ months, but shake bottle weekly.
The reason we went with smaller bottles was I had them on hand and had so many different bourbons in my bunker that i wanted to ind the best one.
QUESTION: This is my FIRST TIME making vanilla. I have used Absolute vodka and put 8 vanilla beans per cup. (I started with 6 beans per cup. After 5 months it didn’t seem strong enough so I added 2 more beans per cup, 3 months ago.) It has been curing for a total of 8 months and is VERY strong. I tried it in baking and it had a very strong taste. Last month I started a 2nd batch and I was thinking of mixing 4oz from the 1st batch with 4oz from the 2nd batch to dilute it. I prefer not to use a sugar syrup if I can help it. Any feedback or thoughts on how to make my first batch of vanilla less potent would be greatly appreciated.
Couldn’t you just use less in your recipes?
Wardee, I’m confused as to how you keep a batch going continually. How often do you add new alcohol? And doesn’t that dilute it so that it needs to sit for a while longer before using it again? It seems that would make it hard to maintain a consistent vanilla flavor.
Kim
Kim — Actually that bothered me as well (the possible dilution) so what I ended up doing was purchasing another 1/2 gallon of bourbon and starting more aging. So one 1/2 gallon is always aging while I use up the one that’s ready to go.
Wardee, I saw the commenter post above about the non GMO bourbon, and I just thought I would clarify that it is Maker’s Mark. 🙂 It is really good bourbon, and my husband was quite skeptical about using it for cooking and baking. He feels that it deserves to be consumed in a glass! haha
It’s probably so good because it is non GMO! 🙂 I went ahead and bought some tonight to start my vanilla tomorrow!
Wardee – can you recommend a particular brand of bourbon that you have tried yourself?
So, I’m wondering if anyone has successfully made other extracts, like lemon,
Orange, almond…
I did find out that Jim Beam and Jack Daniels both use GMO corn. The interesting thing is that the bourbon that is exported by Jim Beam is NON GMO corn. They only use the GMO corn for USA sales. 🙁
I make & sell vanilla extract. Vanilla extract reaches maximum flavor in two years, I don’t sell before then. It does not get any more flavor after two years. It can be fed; after taking some of the extract out add more liquor & a few more beans. I use 200 beans per gallon making it two fold.
144 beans per gallon for FDA rules, if sold.
FDA standards require vanilla extract must contain 13.35 ounces of vanilla beans per gallon during extraction and 35 percent alcohol.
The Federal Food and Drug Administration has specific regulations in the United States regarding commercial extract manufacturing, there are variables that create significant differences in extract flavor and quality. For instance, the FDA requires a minimum of 13.35 ounces of vanilla beans to a gallon of a minimum of 35% alcohol to 65% water mixture.
There are no regulations on the quality of the beans, so beans can range from premium-quality to the driest cuts and splits containing only small amounts of natural vanillin. Although 35% is the standard alcohol requirement, premium vanilla extracts often contain a higher percentage of alcohol in order to extract more flavor from the beans. More alcohol is okay with the FDA; less than 35% is not.
Double strength vanilla extract is made from 200 beans per gallon of alcohol, as opposed to the single strength vanilla extract, made from 100 beans per gallon (triple strength vanilla extract is made from 300 beans per gallon). It is a strength indicator, not a quality indicator. Thus, half (or a third, for 3x) of the amount is needed in the recipe. The product is used largely by culinary professionals who want to achieve specific results. For example, if making a white cake or frosting, the goal is to use as little extract by volume as possible, in order to preserve the pure white color. Using half as much vanilla extract enables this. Others use 2x and 3x vanilla to achieve a stronger vanilla taste. Twofold vanilla means that one only needs half the amount that the recipes calls for.
@susan smith,
I am very curious about the laws and regulations on making and selling vanilla extract. I have been pondering doing this on a small local scale for some time now, but have found next to nothing for information on regulations for doing this.
I would Love to have a conversation with you about this sometime.
Ted
[email protected]
I’m not sure is someone else already mentioned this, but it looks like Four Roses and Wild Turkey are two non GMO brands of bourbon.
FYI bourbon vanilla is name of the type of vanilla bean, not that bourbon was used to make the extract. Though I am sure a vanilla extract using bourbon as the solvent is very good.
Just a quick remark which I see Jack already mentioned… “Bourbon” is the common name of all vanilla beans grown in Madagascar. It has nothing to do with “bourbon” the type of whiskey. I generally use vodka but a smooth bourbon or rum makes a great tasting vanilla also! And currently I have several different varieties of beans aging, all in vodka.
I made my first batch of vanilla last fall and gave some as gifts to my daughters, d-n-l, and great niece…it was the best vanilla I’ve ever used! I made mine with vodka, but will try the bourbon next time, but yes, there is no comparison to the added flavor it gives…to everything!!
I make my own coffee creamer using fresh raw cream, but after a day in the fridge, the vanilla taste from vanilla extract gives way to straight alcohol taste! I don’t add the extract until after I remove the cream from the stove, and I have even tried waiting until it cools, and even tried adding it while cooking it. Does anyone have any suggestions? All this is with high quality store bought extract. I haven’t yet made my own extract. I am very sensitive to alcohol, so I need to solve this. I have also tried vanilla powder, but I am not happy with that either. Help! 🙁
Do you know which type of vanilla bean is best? I have both Tahitian and Madagascar.
As was mentioned above, the Bourbon referred to in Bourbon Vanilla is the name of the island that the vanilla is grown on.The island is now called Madagascar.
Vanilla is generally made with vodka, which is flavorless, so that the full facets of the vanilla can be appreciated. I would think bourbon would distract from the taste of the vanilla, but it might make the bourbon better! In which case I’d use a cheap bourbon, and not mess with the taste of the finer brands.
The majority of the world’s vanilla is the V. planifolia species, more commonly known as Bourbon vanilla (after the former name of Réunion, Île Bourbon) or Madagascar vanilla, which is produced in Madagascar and neighboring islands in the southwestern Indian Ocean, and in Indonesia.[9][10]
Though bourbon-the beverage, can be used as the alcohol component, there are others that can be used. The name comes from the plant.
So in your case, you’re making Bourbon Bourbon vanilla. lol
I used to live in KY where they would make bourbon ball candy, I couldn’t even stand the scent of those, they made me wheeze(asthma).
It may be too late to save some people… BUT.
“Bourbon Vanilla” has absolutely nothing, I repeat Nothing to do with the American alcohol / whiskey known as ‘Bourbon’. Total myth perpetuated by people who don’t fact check.
The name comes from back in the 1700’s when the best vanilla beans came from Île Bourbon in the Indian ocean. Île Bourbon was owned by the French Royal family “House of Bourbon” and they sold their vanilla as “Bourbon Vanilla” to let everyone know of the quality. It was their BRAND.
Now it’s just a shorthand way of denoting Quality.
Anyone who makes vanilla extract with Bourbon whiskey is going to be disappointed because all you will taste is… whiskey.
I will like to know a reputable place to buy vainilla bean in bulk. Thank you in advance for the information.
Hi Maria,
These get good reviews on amazon. https://amzn.to/2Fvvw6S
It is important to use Grade B beans in vanilla extract. They are dried out more which is better for making extracts (less water content).
~Danielle, TCS Customer Success Team
I am making thing my own, right now it would be really great project if I would 😉
I don’t use alcohol in any cooking so what do I use as a substitute for the alcohol used in vanilla extract.
Hi, Charlotte: You can purchase alcohol-free vanilla at some stores (I know that Trader Joe’s sells an alcohol-free one), and you can do an online search to find recipes for making your own. Here are two that I found: https://wholenewmom.com/alcohol-free-vanilla-extract/ and https://www.thespruceeats.com/how-to-make-non-alcoholic-vanilla-extract-4155683. Please let us know if you try it! —Sonya, TCS Customer Success Team
There are recipes for making vanilla by using the Insta Pot. I’m wondering what your thoughts are on making it this way verses letting it sit for several weeks before it is ready?
Hi, Wendy.
Yes, that would work.
You can read more about using the Instant Pot for tintures here: https://traditionalcookingschool.com/health-and-nutrition/alcohol-free-herbal-tinctures-super-easy-askwardee-055/
~Danielle, TCS Customer Success Team