I like to make larger quantities to extract to allow them to age for at least a year before using it. You can use any alcohol as long as it is 80 proof. The best and most popular choices are vodka, bourbon, brandy, or rum. Vodka is the most versatile because it has a neutral flavor. Madagascar Bourbon vanilla beans are the most popular and what I use by far the most. Another option is Tahitian vanilla beans.
A third option is Mexican vanilla beans. Each have their own subtle nuances. You can experience how the difference between the Madagascar and Mexican vanilla beans play out in our classic Pots de Creme and Mexican Pots de Creme recipes. How fun is that? Grade B is specifically meant for extracting and generally yields the most flavor. Grade A vanilla beans are meant for cooking. Grade B is typically also cheaper than grade A, which works out well.
Use glass jars. I like to get a combination of 2 ounce jars and 4 ounce jars. I also recommend using dark glass jars to keep light out which will help preserve the oils and flavor of the vanilla extract. Use a small funnel. Most recipes for homemade vanilla extract call for vanilla beans per cup of vodka. This will result in a more potent vanilla extract that will make your baked goods and desserts soar.
That will also enable you to use less extract in a recipe to get just as much vanilla flavor without any alcohol flavor. Scraping it out is optional because the flavors will distill into the vodka regardless, but I like the presence of the vanilla bean flecks that settle at the bottom of the bottles. Use any glass jar with a fitted lid that you prefer. I used my quart-sized canning jar this time. Place the scraped out vanilla flecks and beans in the jar with the vodka and screw the lid on tightly.
Make sure the vanilla beans are submerged under the alcohol otherwise any exposed parts can become slimy and potentially ruin your extract. Now your job is simply to give it a shake every now and then during the ripening process. It will become very dark within just a few days. Aside from the quality of the vanilla beans themselves, the most important factor that determines the quality of your finished vanilla extract is how long you allow the vanilla extract to age.
While you can use it in as little as 8 weeks the flavor becomes vastly superior the longer it ages. Add the bean hulls to your jar. For a decorative touch, you can use a tall glass bottle that showcases the whole bean, but chopping the beans and muddling them inside your jar actually speeds up the extraction process—ugly, but effective. Pour enough vodka over the beans and seeds to cover them. Feel free to use the cheapest vodka you can find—all the flavor comes from the vanilla anyway.
Whichever spirit you choose, use approximately 8 ounces of at least proof alcohol per 4—6 vanilla beans the same standards issued by the FDA.
Secure the lid on the jar and shake vigorously. Store in a cool, dark place, like a cabinet, for as few as two months, shaking daily for the first week or two and then occasionally after that, until the alcohol turns a rich brown color and smells of fragrant vanilla.
For the best, most potent final product, you can let your extract bloom for up to six—12 months before using it. As you use it up, you can just keep adding vodka to the bean hulls and bottom-of-the-jar-seeds to keep the extraction process going.
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