All of your delectable delicacies use the same glorious, imported bean. Your cakes, custards, cookies, homemade ice cream, frosting, brownies, quick breads, puddings, french toast, waffles and many of your cocktails wouldn’t taste as delicious and balanced without it. But why must vanilla extract be SO freaking expensive? Check out these gnarly prices:
Cheaper isn’t always better.
This 2 oz bottle of Watkins is only $4.79?? And their 11 oz bottle is only $11.33?? How is that possible? Scope out the ingredients to find out:
Don’t be fooled. Artificial flavors and caramel color are a dead giveaway. The real stuff is required by the FDA to ONLY be titled “vanilla extra” or “extract of vanilla” and must contain 35% ethanol with no less than 1 unit per gallon of vanilla constituent. The FDA allows the real-deal extract to contain one or all of the following: glycerin, propylene glycol, sugar, dextrose and corn syrup, but nothing else.
Imitation vanilla.
The alternative shouldn’t thrill you. A synthetically derived, artificial flavoring called vanillin. Lots of our cheaply manufactured sweets and frozen desserts are flavored with vanillin. Don’t settle for the fake stuff. It’s much more cost effective ($11.43 for the 32 oz McCormick bottle above), but doesn’t taste the same, and neither will your baked goodies. Make your own. It’s insanely easy. Here’s how:
Learn how to make homemade vanilla extract from scratch using imported vanilla beans and grain alcohol. For baking, mixing drinks & cocktails.
$20 for 10 vanilla beans + a bottle of alcohol for $20 + a 6-pack of 8 oz swing top glass bottle for $11 = $51.
The amount you'll actually use: $10 for 5 vanilla beans + 1/7 of your handle of alcohol for $3 + 1 glass swing top bottle for $2 = $15.
Note: The 8 oz bottle of Rodelle vanilla extract = $19.66. You're making 8 oz for $15. That's a savings of $4.66, a free learning experience, and a means to give a very thoughtful gift to friends and family on special occasions.
Remove your vanilla beans from the plastic packaging. Place the extra beans in an airtight glass container at room temp for storage.
Snag your knife and cutting board. Place one vanilla bean on the board and make a very careful cut with the tip of your blade from one end to the other. You're exposing all of the flavor-packed components on the inside of each bean. Repeat with 4 more vanilla beans. Optional: cut them in half once to save space in your bottle.
Break out your swing top glass bottle. Shove all 5 sliced vanilla beans into the bottle. Swing top lids provide a watertight seal to allow shaking and travel.
Crack open that bottle of alcohol. Using a funnel, pour the alcohol into the glass bottle up to where the body meets the bottom of the neck. If you opted to use a mason jar to steep your extract, please ignore the funnel recommendation.
Allow to steep and slowly extract every possible flavor chemical compound from the vanilla beans. Place the bottle in a cabinet at room temp for 1 month, taste testing once per week. Begin to use at 1 month or whenever the flavor of vanilla completely overshadows the flavor of alcohol. Then proceed to use homemade vanilla extract in every possible dish and dessert until your friends riot. Or make you the mayor of yumtown.
Ingredients
Directions
$20 for 10 vanilla beans + a bottle of alcohol for $20 + a 6-pack of 8 oz swing top glass bottle for $11 = $51.
The amount you'll actually use: $10 for 5 vanilla beans + 1/7 of your handle of alcohol for $3 + 1 glass swing top bottle for $2 = $15.
Note: The 8 oz bottle of Rodelle vanilla extract = $19.66. You're making 8 oz for $15. That's a savings of $4.66, a free learning experience, and a means to give a very thoughtful gift to friends and family on special occasions.
Remove your vanilla beans from the plastic packaging. Place the extra beans in an airtight glass container at room temp for storage.
Snag your knife and cutting board. Place one vanilla bean on the board and make a very careful cut with the tip of your blade from one end to the other. You're exposing all of the flavor-packed components on the inside of each bean. Repeat with 4 more vanilla beans. Optional: cut them in half once to save space in your bottle.
Break out your swing top glass bottle. Shove all 5 sliced vanilla beans into the bottle. Swing top lids provide a watertight seal to allow shaking and travel.
Crack open that bottle of alcohol. Using a funnel, pour the alcohol into the glass bottle up to where the body meets the bottom of the neck. If you opted to use a mason jar to steep your extract, please ignore the funnel recommendation.
Allow to steep and slowly extract every possible flavor chemical compound from the vanilla beans. Place the bottle in a cabinet at room temp for 1 month, taste testing once per week. Begin to use at 1 month or whenever the flavor of vanilla completely overshadows the flavor of alcohol. Then proceed to use homemade vanilla extract in every possible dish and dessert until your friends riot. Or make you the mayor of yumtown.
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