I don’t remember where I first saw instructions for making vanilla extract, but it’s a safe bet that it was on the internet. I do know that I was shocked at how simple it is, and I may have kicked myself for spending so many years buying those tiny, pricey bottles of it at the store.
I don’t think you should kick yourself, but I do think you should think about making some vanilla extract. This really is way simple, and it makes a lovely and powerful extract.
Step One: Gather your supplies
- 3 vanilla beans per cup of vodka
- cheap vodka
The last time I made vanilla extract, I made it in the bottle the vodka came in. This time, though, I had a gallon jug that had previously held some fancy apple juice, and I thought it would make a nice container for a gigantic batch of vanilla. But that meant that I needed a lot of vanilla beans and vodka. My in-laws found a wholesale source for vanilla beans online and bought a very large number of them awhile back, so I didn’t have to buy beans for this project. I did have to buy vodka, though. I don’t drink,* and it felt very odd to go into the liquor store and ask where to find the cheapest vodka. And then to buy two giant bottles of it. The liquor store guy didn’t look at me in horror, though, so I guess he’s heard it all before.**
Step Two: Prepare the vanilla beans
Using a sharp knife, split the beans open lengthwise. That is all.
Step Three: Combine
This is exceptionally easy if you’re using the vodka’s original bottle: Drop the beans into the vodka. If you’re using a different bottle, it’s only standard-issue simple. I dropped the vanilla beans into the bottle, then I used a funnel to pour in the vodka. If you’d like to ramp the difficulty up a notch, try to take a picture of yourself pouring it in. And then be happy with the one resulting picture that actually has the bottle in frame.
Step Three: Cap & Stow
Put the cap on, give it a shake or two it you’re feeling saucy, then put the bottle away in a cool, dark place and forget about it for a couple of months. I take the bottle out every now and then and give it a good shake, but I don’t know if that’s actually necessary. It does, however, make me feel like I’m contributing to the process.
I’m sure there are other things I buy that I ought to make myself. (This does not and will not include: Frocks, socks or ketchup.) So tell me: What readily available item do you make, and do I have what it takes to make it, too?
*I don’t drink alcohol. I do drink other liquids, because I am not a robot.
**He did not, however, ask for my ID. It was the third time in a row that I wasn’t carded in a cardable situation, which leads me to the unavoidable conclusion that I am most assuredly Getting Old. And also Looking The Part, apparently.
We spent a few days this week on an extended field trip, and it was probably my favorite couple of school days thus far. I definitely need to schedule more field trips into our days. Tuesday found us at a children’s museum, where the kids played with simple machines and learned about West Africa. Then we spent five hours Wednesday at the aquarium. I could’ve stayed for five more, but the children were ready for a break. It was a delightful trip, and I’m going to share more details about it next week. 
change of environment, there was a change of intellectual stimuli. I kept expecting to have the same encouragement I received in graduate school and at work. Encouragement was there but in a different way. Sure, no one is giving out awards for mopping. The reward I will get is the boosting impact I make in my children’s lives, day after day.