There’s just something about having real vanilla extract in your pantry. It’s so tempting to reach for that imitation vanilla extract on the grocery shelf when you see that price tag on the real extract. But there is such a huge difference in flavor when you use the real stuff.
I’m not going to go into the problems and scary information that will want you stay away from the imitation extract. There’s not need to create fear or disgust. So I’m just going to focus on the good and benefits of the real vanilla and add value to making the purchase of the real vanilla beans to make your own extract and other products.
How to make a Vanilla Extract
All you need to make your own extract is vanilla beans, 70-proof alcohol (or higher), and a glass jar (with a sealing lid) to extract. The three most common alcohols used are bourbon, rum, and vodka. (My preference is vodka because it has the least amount of alcohol flavor.) A general rule of thumb is to use 4-6 vanilla beans for each 8 oz of alcohol.
Slice the vanilla beans down the length of the bean. This opens the bean up to create the most surface area for extraction. It also releases the bean, which heightens the flavor of the extraction.
Put the cut beans into your jar and fill the jar up to the brim with your alcohol of choice. Tighten the lid and give the ingredients a good shake. Place in a cool dark place for a minimum of two months. (For a rich potent extract, let it sit for 6-12 months.) Shake the jar daily for the first two weeks.
The draw backs of making your own extract
What everyone tells you is that as you use your extract, you need to keep topping off your jar.
My big problem is that I use vanilla extract a lot and I quickly found that my extract quickly became diluted! I didn’t do anything wrong. It’s just that the non-vanilla alcohol quickly overtook the extract. And so my vodka quit tasting like a vanilla extract and began tasting more like vanilla infused vodka. That’s not so much of a problem if you’re after flavored liquor. But it’s a huge problem if you’re using the extract for baking.
My solution is making a few jars of vanilla extract at the same time. Yes it is a little overkill at first glance, but bear with me. Once your jar starts giving you a less potent extract, it’s time to shelve it and let the vanilla beans go to work and extract more. By giving this first jar a little vacation, and grabbing a second jar, you get the benefit of having vanilla potency as well as keeping the extract cycle going.
Some people say that your beans will last for 5 years. My mom had gifted me a bean from Hawaii where it was marketed to last up to 25 years. I’m not going to put an expiration date on your beans. My Hawaiian bean and the second one that I added to it, are still in their jar maybe 18 years after I first received it. I just recently fished this jar back out from the back of my cupboard because I finally had beans and alcohol to start back up on my real extract. The older beans are only giving off a diluted vanilla extract now. So I added 2 new beans in to jump start my extraction and get real vanilla back in my life. And I have a larger bottle started, which I should get to the longer extracted window before I need to use it and give my smaller bottle a break and refortify itself.
Benefits of Vanilla
If you grew up like I did, the only thing you were exposed to was imitation vanilla extract. If you were fortunate enough to have a family member go to Mexico, they might have brought back a real vanilla extract. But all you knew was that it was a luxury and yes it tastes amazing.
What you May not know
Vanilla beans contain B Vitamins (niacin, thiamin, B6, Pantothenic acid), potassium, riboflavin, copper, magnesium, and iron. They also have these properties; antioxidant, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, and are neuroprotective.
Depending on if you want to just make your own real vanilla extract, or would like to use vanilla to help meet your other health needs, the above information is a great starting point to talking with a naturopath or herbalist to see how vanilla can find a new course for healing your body.
I started looking a little deeper into what other benefits I could gain from vanilla (aside from incomparable baking goodness) when I got into soap and lotion making. It’s probably well thought about how vanilla is great as a comforting aroma therapy to soothe anxiety and calming the stomach. After all vanilla bean ice cream is pretty much a comfort food.
What was new information to me is that there have been studies that show there is the potential of vanilla having the benefits of increasing hearth health by helping to reduce LDL cholesterol, it’s antibacterial properties help treat acne, the antioxidants have healing properties to boost your immune system, help heal split ends and strengthen hair, and slow down the aging process (age spots and wrinkles).
All of these benefits were what has been found in the studies that have researched the compound Vanillin. These studies have done work in vanilla extracts and the seeds. And if this interests you, these studies are well worth reading up on.
Even if you don’t want to pursue vanilla for health reasons, it is worth knowing that vanilla beans contain over 200 compounds. And their concentrations are dependent on the region from where the beans are harvested. Again, this is another area of diving into that is well worth the look. I wanted to mention this (as well as point you back up to the vitamins and minerals mentioned in the beginning) to point you toward the benefit of using real vanilla extract over imitation vanilla extract (which has absolutely none of these components).
Extract is not the only thing you can make from Vanilla
Vanilla beans can also infuse oil.
In the infusion that I made, I used 4 vanilla beans, a quart sized mason jar, and olive oil. (You can choose your own carrier oil, like jojoba oil, or any other that is better absorbed into your skin. Each oil has its own benefits that it offers the infusion.)
Follow the same steps as above, with the vanilla extract. The only difference in the method is that the vanilla beans are scraped from the bean pod. The pods are what I put into the oil. (The beans I put into a lotion–this will be its own post in the future.)
Instead of keeping my oil in a cool dark place, I left mine in a westward facing window and used solar heat to help the infusion for 2 months. Even using winter sun, the finished oil has a warm vanilla scent.
This oil can be used for so many different needs.
- Use the oil on your skin for massage or relieve dry skin
- Use to improve sleep whether you put a drops of oil in a warm bath or smell the oil before going to bed
- Improve your skin health by adding a couple drops into your face wash or lotion
- It is reported to soothe minor burns when you add 2-3 drops to effected area
- Use in desserts (for whatever recipe calls for oil and you chose a cooking oil like avocado or olive)
I also use infused oil in products I made for sale.
If you are interested in using vanilla beans for cooking only, you can put a bean in with some sugar in your food processor and blend together. This will give you a fancy sugar that you can dust on top of desserts or use as a sugar rim on a drink of choice. The same can be done with salt (even though savory herbs are usually matched with salt).
The most important thing to keep in mind when using vanilla beans, whether in extract or infusions, make sure that your beans have an oily sheen to them. Many compounds are found in the oil of the bean and speak to the overall health and quality of the bean.
There is so much goodness found in vanilla beans. Hopefully, you have learned something new about vanilla. That it has so much more to offer than just being the flavor of a beloved ice cream or just a simple ingredient that you add to your cakes and cookies.
What have you used Vanilla for?
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Are you looking for a new place to buy vanilla beans? I am very pleased with this vendor.
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