How to Make Vanilla Extract (2024)

FAQs

What is the best alcohol to make vanilla extract? ›

Use either. 80 proof Alcohol: Vanilla extract is most commonly made from vodka, but you can use bourbon, brandy, or rum instead. I usually use vodka, but the one bottle of bourbon vanilla I made 7 months ago is DIVINE. No need to splurge on expensive alcohol.

Vanilla extract—the kind that explicitly says “pure vanilla extract” on its label—is made by soaking vanilla beans in an alcohol solution to “extract” (get it?) all of their flavor compounds. According to the FDA, vanilla extract must be at least 35% alcohol with a minimum of 100 grams of vanilla beans per liter.

Just remember this ratio: 6 vanilla beans per 8 ounces of alcohol. So if your jar is 12 ounces, use 9 vanilla beans. If it's 16 ounces, use 12 beans.

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.

With Vodka, you get the taste of the pure vanilla bean, as the alcohol is completely tasteless. With Rum, you get a very sweet taste and the maximum vanilla taste. With Bourbon, while you do get a wonderfully enhanced vanilla taste, there are specific smoky notes that emanate through the extract.

Pure vanilla extract—the kind made with real vanilla beans and at least 35 percent alcohol—has an indefinite shelf life.

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 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%.

Place the vanilla beans in the bottle of vodka and seal. Store in a cool, dark area such as a kitchen cabinet for 3 weeks, shaking the bottle every week. Three weeks is the minimum, store it 6 months for the best flavor.

All you need is a container, waxed paper, vanilla beans, and some alcohol. If you don't drink alcohol or use alcohol to cook with, you can use food-grade vegetable glycerin. Container: You can use any glass container you would like that has a lid. I like to use pint-sized mason jars with plastic lids.

What is the best vanilla bean to make vanilla extract? ›

Vanilla beans come from different areas and have different grades assigned to them. Grade A is called a “gourmet” bean. It is supposedly a softer bean that is easier to cut and extract the vanilla “caviar” from the inside to use in cooking. Grade B is typically recommended for making homemade vanilla extract.

Bacardi Superior White Rum - This is a simple, affordable and very sweet rum. We like white rums because of their neutral flavor that allows the vanilla beans to be the star of your extract show, but since they are a sugar-based, they add sweetness to your vanilla that only rum can.

Leaving the Beans Whole

There are two primary benefits to leaving your vanilla beans whole: Vanilla extract makers will tell you that there is a richer vanilla taste when the vanillin is extracted by seeping through an uncut vanilla pod. It's easy to harvest the caviar or reuse the bean when your extract is finished.

12+ months is great! As you begin to use your vanilla, you can refill with a little vodka each time. Give it a shake after you refill and give it a shake before each use, too. If you're gifting the vanilla or if you don't have any more alcohol to refill, remove the beans completely after first use.

With grade-A vanilla beans you can make still make very sweet vanilla extract, and much, much more. Grade-A beans (often called "gourmet vanilla beans") are visually a more beautiful bean. They are plump, pliable and full of fresh vanilla bean caviar. Their color is dark and chocolate-like, sometimes with hints of red.

Vanilla extract may contain up to 35% ABV, which is the equivalent of a shot of hard liquor like vodka or bourbon.

Using high-quality Mexican vanilla beans and a neutral alcohol such as vodka will contribute to a more flavorful and aromatic extract.

Vodka has the most neutral flavor, but you can also use bourbon, brandy, or rum to create unique extracts. There's no need to use a top-shelf or high-proof alcohol when making vanilla extract. An inexpensive 40% (80 proof) alcohol will work just fine. (Commercial vanilla extracts are typically 35% or 70 proof alcohol.)

Generally speaking, for longer-timed baking projects including making vanilla extract or vanilla sugar, Grade B can be a good choice. For shorter-timed stuff including culinary use, such as dinner or desserts, Grade A beans will be much the better option.