Save money and ensure that you have the highest quality ingredients by making your own vanilla extract. It's super easy to make and makes a great gift.
Cut the vanilla beans lengthwise to expose the inner seeds. Place them into a glass bottle or jar.
Add the alcohol to the bottle, fully covering the beans, and shake the bottle to help disperse the vanilla throughout the alcohol.
Store the bottles out of the sunlight for several weeks/months. Shake the contents occasionally. The vanilla extract will progressively darken and take on a stronger vanilla flavor. It will be "ready" for giving as gifts in about a month.
As you use the extract, you can top it off with a little more alcohol. If you notice that the flavor is weaking, you can add a fresh vanilla bean or two.
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Notes
To be considered a pure vanilla extract, the alcohol used should be 35% alcohol or higher and you should use a minimum of 100g of vanilla beans per liter of alcohol. 200g of vanilla beans per liter will make a double-strength vanilla extract.To save money, use extract-grade vanilla beans.