Random: Homemade Vanilla Extract

I respect the five food groups, but I have some opinions of my own on some amendments. Three to be exact. Chocolate. Lime. And Vanilla. If these were each food groups I would be the healthiest person walking the planet, because I try to get a serving or two of each of those in a day in addition to the normal groups. (That's right, margaritas would be a food group in my world...)

I use vanilla every chance I get. And that is an expensive habit, people. I buy pure organic vanilla extract and it runs $15 for 4 ounces or $3.75 per ounce. This is where my addiction gets real - I am going to monetize it. (Have you ever done this with your daily coffee? It's horrifying.) I will be bold here, but I bet I average one 4-ounce bottle a month over the course of the year. That equates to $180/year in vanilla. Whew. That is right up there with my pedicure habit.

I have come across - several times now - articles about people making their own vanilla. After doing some research into the price of vanilla beans, I realized I would be saving a boatload of money and it would be homemade. An obvious win-win.

Boy's sister (we will call her "Gladiola") has introduced me to Debra's Natural Gourmet which is a local market in her neighborhood. I am hopelessly obsessed with this place. In my never-ending quest to find things locally and organically I am always at a loss for words standing in their bulk aisle. Debra's carries everything from rare, whole spices to crazy varieties of organic flour. I thought I had died and gone to heaven. Back to my point though. We wandered in last weekend and I found that they had great looking vanilla beans at a price that was very competitive with ordering them online. I excitedly picked up a gaggle (that obviously means 12) of vanilla beans and was on my way.

Making vanilla extract involves soaking scraped vanilla beans in booze. And crappy booze at that. Amazing, I know. You can use just about any alcohol, but the two most common I saw mentioned were vodka and bourbon. Vodka is what is traditionally used, but bourbon creates a more complex flavor. (Yes, please.) I decided to make one jar of each.

Vanilla Extract
5-8 vanilla beans
3-4c. low-quality liquor (I used Jim Beam bourbon and Stolichnaya vodka. Tequila was also mentioned, but that will have to wait.)

Slice the vanilla beans down the center and scrape goo from the middle into jar. Follow this process with all vanilla beans and put the beans in as well. Fill jar with alcohol, but leave enough room at the top that you can vigorously shake to mix. Let rest in a place that is away from light for 2-3 months. Shake daily for the first week and then once weekly for the remainder. 

The moral of the story is that I have 56 ounces of vanilla that will be waiting for me in about two months. And it will have only cost me around $30. That is $0.54 per ounce down from $3.75. Obvious win.

I will post results in a couple months!