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Homemade Vanilla Extract

Thomas NielsenThomas Tranegaard Nielsen
   

Thomas is a school teacher, i.a. in food science and English, he is a diligent amateur baker and overall food geek, and he develops almost all his recipes himself - most of them can be found here on the site. Thomas is the host of GastroFun's TV kitchen, as well as co-owner and part of the editorial staff on this page. You can also see him in the Danish MasterChef 2021.

2. April 2019
Did you know that you can create your own delicious vanilla extract to use in sweet dishes? Fill a glass jar with vanilla beans and pour vodka over them.

Recipe for homemade vanilla extract

Did you know that you can create a delicious vanilla extract all by yourself? Fill your new or used vanilla beans in a glass jar with a lid, and pour in alcohol. After that, it requires a bit of waiting time – but then you will have the most delightful vanilla extract that you can use in your sweet kitchen.

I have a bottle of rum standing, into which I always put used vanilla beans – and now, after 4 years, where it has been extracting the flavor from the beans, it tastes heavenly.

A homemade vanilla extract is also practical to have in a kitchen where a cake goes through the oven from time to time. Here, you also get a brilliant idea for an original hostess gift.


Servings: 1 bottle

Homemade Vanilla Extract

Did you know that you can create your own delicious vanilla extract to use in sweet dishes? Fill a glass jar with vanilla beans and pour vodka over them.
Author: Thomas Tranegaard Nielsen
Course: Sides
Cuisine: Danish
Prep Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients

  • Vanilla Pod
  • Alcohol Vodka or rum

Instructions

  • It's important that the glass jar used can be sealed tightly. It could be a canning jar, a jam jar, a mustard jar, an alcohol bottle, or something similar.
  • Ensure your container (and its lid) is thoroughly washed before use.
  • Take a couple of vanilla beans, split them, and cut them into pieces so they fit in your jar. If you have saved any after baking, you can use them as well.
  • Put the vanilla beans in the jar and pour alcohol over them until they are completely covered. This ensures they do not start to rot.
  • Let the mixture sit for about 14 days before you start using it.
  • If you only use the beans (without seeds), it takes 4-6 months before it becomes good.
  • You can add more alcohol and vanilla beans at any time.
  • I typically scrape the vanilla seeds out of my beans and put the beans in the bottle, so it's an ongoing process to get the most out of my ingredients.
  • Therefore, I also use leftover bits of rum that I top it up with.