Homemade Vanilla Extract Made in the Instant Pot- Easy Recipe! (2024)

FAQs

How is vanilla extract made step by step? ›

How to Make Homemade Vanilla Extract. Split the beans partway down the middle. Use kitchen scissors or a sharp knife to cut the vanilla beans in half most of the way up its length. Add 5 or 6 of them to each 8-ounce jar, or 20-24 vanilla beans if you are doing a larger batch in a quart-size jar for personal use.

I like to use pint-sized mason jars with plastic lids. Waxed Paper: A piece placed between the lid and the jar helps to keep the extract from leaking when you shake the jar. It also helps to create a better seal. Vanilla Beans: Grade A Madagascar vanilla beans are best.

You only need 2 ingredients for homemade vanilla extract: vanilla beans and vodka. Let the vanilla beans infuse the vodka for as little as 8 weeks, but for optimal flavor, wait at least 6-12 months before using. Homemade vanilla is more cost efficient than store-bought options.

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.

Vodka is the preferred alcohol for extractions like this, as its flavor is neutral and does not compete with that of the vanilla beans.

You need only 2 ingredients: vodka and vanilla beans. That's really it! You can use rum or bourbon instead of vodka, but the flavors won't be as clean. I used rum for a batch, and we didn't like it very much.

Step-by-step photos and instructions for how to make the best Homemade Vanilla Extract! All you need is vodka, vanilla beans and a few tips and tricks. You'll find that homemade vanilla is less expensive (store-bought vanilla extract can cost $4 an ounce) and more flavorful than store-bought, and it's so EASY to make!

The nice thing about making your own vanilla extract is that you can add more or less beans as you'd like.

Should homemade vanilla be stored in a dark bottle? ›

Select a dark glass or amber-colored bottle for your vanilla extract. Light can degrade the quality of the extract by breaking down its aromatic compounds. Dark glass helps to protect the extract from light exposure, preserving its flavor and aroma. Air can also impact the quality of vanilla extract over time.

What is the shelf life of my vanilla extract? When stored properly, vanilla extract will keep indefinitely, but using it within five years will allow for best flavor and aroma. Do not refrigerate or freeze, even after opening.

You can use clear or amber glass bottles. Amber bottles will help block light so that your vanilla extract will keep well. Clear glass bottles are just fine, though. Just be sure to store them in a dark place like a kitchen cabinet.

This allows the flavour compounds from the pure vanilla bean to infuse into the alcohol/water mixture, which then forms the pure vanilla extract. While vanilla beans can be extracted without alcohol, it is very slow, ineffective and results in a lower quality vanilla extract.

But BEWARE the trap of buying flavored vodkas for vanilla extract. They don't always marry well with vanilla beans and the result can be disheartening. Stick with plain Smirnoff and you'll do just fine. Ciroc - A five-times distilled French vodka will deliver a beautiful, pure extract.

Vanilla is a spice derived from orchids of the genus Vanilla, primarily obtained from pods of the flat-leaved vanilla (V. planifolia). Vanilla is not autogamous, so pollination is required to make the plants produce the fruit from which the vanilla spice is obtained.