I have been baking and using vanilla for more years than I care to admit. I used the brand vanilla that my mother used. I never gave it a second thought. Since, I always thought my mother was the smartest woman that ever lived, I never questioned her brand of vanilla. But, last winter I actually read the ingredients on the vanilla box. I must have been really bored that day. The box boasted it was "pure" vanilla. Oh, it had alcohol and extracts of the vanilla bean. But, it also contained water, sugar, caramel coloring and a couple of things that I couldn't even pronounce. That started the wheels in my brain turning. How could something be pure if it contains so many ingredients? After a bit of research I discovered it was not hard to make vanilla. You just have to be patient because it does take at least 6 months for vanilla beans to steep in alcohol before it can extract enough of the flavor to be used in baking. If you don't give it enough time you just make flavored vodka.
Now, patience is not one of my virtues but, I decided it would be worth the wait. So, I bought a good quality vodka and lots of vanilla beans. If you purchase vanilla beans at the grocery store you will pay about $8.00 for 3 beans. So, you need to find a good source on the internet and purchase them in a very large quantity. Simply split the beans down the side and put them in the vodka. Store in a cool dark place. Shake occasionally to keep things stirred up a bit. The minimum wait time is six months. Your patience will be rewarded with the purest vanilla you have ever smelled. It is simply devine. I love the word devine. Using it makes me feel very sophisticated.
Making you own vanilla is not hard to do. If you want more complete instructions, hop over to http://www.howtomakevanilla.blogspot.com/. Give it a try. It is well worth the wait. Simply devine!
