Homemade Vanilla Extract

November 19, 2010

The baking for tomorrow's Winter Fair is going full steam! Just wanted to share one little thing with you all this morning.

For all my baking this morning, I'm using homemade vanilla extract that I made a few months ago. Did you know you can make your own vanilla extract from just vanilla pods and vodka?



It's really easy and works great!

Here's how I did it:

I got a bottle with a tight-sealing cap (from Ikea, if you must know). I filled it with vodka. Then I added 4 vanilla pods, sliced straight down the middle.

I sealed the bottle and put it in the cupboard for 2 months, giving it a quick shake every week.

Most recipes on the internet say you need 2 vanilla pods per cup of alcohol, but mine might be a little less. The finished product is less dark than the kind you buy in the grocery store, but it smells just as strong and works just as well!

The cool thing is that you can remove those vanilla pods and add them to a canister of sugar and presto! Vanilla sugar!

I'm off to America on Sunday, but I'll be posting a full report of the Winter Fair when I'm off the plane and over the jet lag.

Have a lovely weekend! Hope to see some of you tomorrow!