There's Vodka In There? - Vanilla Extract

by Stacy Yoshioka


DIY project #2 Vanilla Extract! 

​1 cup cheap vodka, 3 withered and used vanilla beans. Steep for 3 weeks or more shaking daily to combine.  Vanilla extract is ready when it is a nice brown color and smells like vanilla.

​1 cup cheap vodka, 3 withered and used vanilla beans. Steep for 3 weeks or more shaking daily to combine.  Vanilla extract is ready when it is a nice brown color and smells like vanilla.

Seriously, vanilla extract is made from soaking old withered vanilla beans in vodka!  Who knew?  We've had a bottle of cheap vodka leftover from a party in our liquor cabinet for way too long and while I kept saying we would make penne a la vodka I still haven't gotten around to it so when I saw that all I needed to do to make vanilla extract was to take some old withered vanilla beans and soak them in vodka I ran to the store, got some cute bottles, researched a vanilla bean supplier (since spending $10 for a single bean at the grocery store is insane) and finally cracked open that big bottle of vodka.  Now all I have to do is shake it every day and wait 3 weeks until it is ready to use.  My husband still can't believe that vanilla extract is as simple as that and every day since I've filled the bottle he shakes it for me to help with the steeping process and declares, "I had no idea there was vodka in there!"

Once my big bag of beans arrives I think I might make a bunch of bottles and steep them for months and give them away as gifts.

Shoot.....now you all know what you are getting for Xmas!