Homemade Pure Vanilla Extract
As a baker, one ingredient you tend to use a lot of is vanilla extract. Whether its a vanilla cake, chocolate cake or red velvet cake, most cakes and baked goods always contain vanilla extract. It is a base flavor which accentuates other flavors. While there are several good brands of vanilla extracts out there, vanilla extract happens to be quite pricey. I’m talking about real vanilla extract of course (I wonder who uses artificial vanilla extract 🙂 ). Late April this year (2016), I decided to start making my own vanilla extract after the global price of vanilla products spiked. You know me, I’m a DIY kind of guy. I bought 30 Grade A vanilla beans from eBay. Vanilla beans can be purchased on several online retail websites like Amazon. They come in various grades which reflect their quality. Always go for Grade A as this will give you the best flavor.
My beans arrived at the end of April and I started the process of making vanilla bean extract on the 1st of May. By the end of June, I had my first batch of vanilla extract and trust me when I say this, the flavor is a lot richer than any extract you will buy in the market. Also, it cost less to make. A cup (236.6 ml) of vanilla extract costs about $16.50 cnd. A cup cost me about $9.50 cnd to make. That’s about $7 savings on every cup.
INGREDIENTS:
(1) Vanilla Beans
(2) Vodka. You can also use other alcohols like brandy, rum or bourbon. You want an alcohol which is about 70% proof and contains about 35% alcohol. I prefer vodka for several reasons. It is a neutral alcohol and does not impact any flavor or taste on the final product. It is also relatively cheaper than other alcohols.
TOOLS:
(1) A sterilized jar. I would prefer glass to plastic.
(2) A sharp knife.
THE PROCESS:
First, a few notes on ratios. It is generally agreed that for every cup of alcohol, you should use 7 vanilla beans. I however did not follow this ratio since I was making a large batch. The larger the batch, the more you can play around with ratios. I did a ratio of 1 cup of alcohol for every 5 beans. So for 30 beans, I used a total of 6 cups of vodka.
(1) Cut open the beans in the middle without detaching them and scrape out the seeds with a sharp knife.
(2) Put both the seeds and bean pods in the jar. Cutting the pods open and scraping out the seeds with help the beans impact more flavor.
(3) Pour in the alcohol and seal the jar. Place the jar in a cool dark place (not the fridge). The maturing process depends on how concentrated you want the flavor to be. I will suggest that you keep it for at least 2 months. Shake once every week or couple of weeks.
(4) After 2 months, your vanilla extract is ready to be used. You have the option of straining the extract before using. This is however not necessary as vanilla seeds are used in baking. The color of the flavor will depend on the type of alcohol used. If you use dark alcohols, you will get darker flavors. As an aside, I look at white colored vanilla extracts with suspicion.
END NOTES:
I will suggest that at the end of 2 months, you start using the extract in cups, thus leaving the rest to age some more in the jar. The beans can be left in the alcohol for up to 6 months after which they should be removed. If you find the flavor too intense, you can add in more alcohol to lighten it up. The used beans can be placed in sugar to make vanilla sugar.
Terry Adido is passionate about showing people how easy it is to recreate restaurant quality meals in the comfort of their kitchens. With a style of cooking he refers to as Afro-European Fusion, his meals are influenced greatly by French and Italian Cuisine with a West African twist. If you love good food, you are in for the ride of your life.
Nice one.Thumbs up to you. You are an assets to my generation. God bless u real good.
Thanks Chinwe.
Thanks for the tips and tutorial Terry. You are awesome. But am still thinking of where to get vanilla in Nigeria.
You are welcome. You will have to ask around.
oh my God . you are just too generous.
🙂
Weldone boss,thanks for sharing.
My pleasure.
Thanks,for your good works and the spirit of sharing which you have.
My pleasure.
Thank you for sharing
My pleasure Joy.
Thanks Terry. U re a real blessing. Awesome! is what u re giving out and I pray and believe in my heart that greater reward u shall receive in Jesus Name.
Thanks Ify.
Thanks a lot super boss. This will be helpful, will also be joining Jennifer on vanilla hunt in Nigeria
Happy hunting Mary 🙂
Thanks so much for sharing. I appreciate
You are welcome Blessing.
Thank you so much for sharing. I made your Nigerian cake recipe for my birthday and It was wolfed down! Added a tad bit of lemon and the taste was heavenly! Thank you! Please what seller did you buy from on eBay?
Thanks for the feedback. Sounds delish. I can’t rmbr the seller’s name now. I’d have to go find out.
Hello Terry Adido For the first time i just want to commend you on your selfless service. You are a man with a good heart. Thanks so much for sharing your recipes/tutorials. God bless you real good.
Thanks Justina. I appreciate your message.
Yes boss you the best. God bless you are a rare gem
Thanks Keji.
Good job keep it up
Thanks Alimat.
Thanks for this Terry. God bless your kind heart.
Please before you started making yours, which brand of pure vanilla extract were you using?
Compliments of the season to you and yours.
Hi Onyin. I was using Nielsen-Massey from the Vanilla Food Company (online store)
Thanks Terry, I appreciate.
You are welcome.
Is there any difference between Nielsen-Massey pure vanilla n the pure vanilla ( Organic )? Thanks
Pure does not mean organic. So one is organic and the other isn’t.