Making vanilla extract at home is so simple, requires a few ingredients and lots of planning ahead. This is great for gift giving adds a personal touch.

The difference between shop bought vs homemade:

Yes, its readily available in all major supermarkets and cake decorating shops. Most recipes will call for extracts more suited than homemade, and that is fine. If you are making pavlovas, or meringues then shop bought is fine. If you are making cakes, cupcakes, macarons, you can definitely use your own, so easy to make and will save you some serious pennies.

Taste?

Well, nothing can beat the pure vanilla flavour you get from homemade; its pure vanilla extract and it tastes amazing! Strong in flavour, which means only a little is needed, unlike shop bought!

Ingredients:

  • 1 litre vodka (80 proof / 40% alcohol content)
  • 12 vanilla beans (the best kind, grade B)

Equipment:

  • x4 250ml clip top bottles
  • Knife / scissors / chopping board

Method:

  1. To clean the bottles: unclip the lid, add some fairy liquid and fill halfway with warm water and shake! Drain and wash the bottle with hot water. Allow to dry completely.
  2. Preparing the vanilla beans: good quality beans will be soft and bendy. Don’t worry if you have dry ones. For bendy beans: carefully cut them down the middle in half, then cut in half horizontally. You should have 4 pieces. For dry beans: use scissors, cut into 1 inch pieces.
  3. Add 3 vanilla beans in each bottle. Fill with vodka leaving a little gap at the top.
  4. Leave the bottle in a dry and dark place for 3 months before using. It will turn into an amber colour when it’s ready to use.

Top tips:

  • Be sure to sterilize and clean out the bottles. They should be completely dry before using
  • Make sure to buy good quality vanilla beans, grade B is preferred.
  • Make sure to leave your vanilla extract in a cool, dry place to mature. Leaving it in a place with light will result in a cloudy looking vanilla.
  • If you can’t use vodka, replace with food grade glycerin, but remember, shop bought extracts contain a bit of alcohol, and it’s burnt off in the baking process, leaving zero traces of it.
  • Homemade vanilla extract can be used in our vanilla cupcakes, vegan vanilla cupcakes, key lime pie, lemon meringue. There are plenty of ways in which you can use it!
vanilla extract isolated on white