Homemade Vanilla

Today I’m going to show you just how easy it is to make your own vanilla. Like sooo easy.

The hardest part is convincing yourself that walking into a liquor store is okay and that you aren’t going to go to hell because of it and that the chances of running into someone from church is probably not going to happen.  The second hardest thing was convincing the cashier that I was buying it to make vanilla. When I finally did get the nerve to walk into the liquor store I seriously announced my intent as soon as I walked in. “Hello, I need some vodka. I’m making vanilla.” But seriously, he so didn’t believe me and kept telling me all these mixed drinks I could make out of it. “I’m making vanilla people. VANILLA!”

But enough of my story. I got me some vodka and ordered some vanilla beans and made me some vanilla. Well I should say, making vanilla because it has to steep for a few months.

Here’s just how easy it is.

When you go to buy the vodka. Don’t get the cheap stuff, get a midrange vodka. I also like it in the glass bottle since it’s going to be steeping for a few months.

Also buy some good quality vanilla beans. This was a pack of about 30.

The next thing you do is empty a little over a 1/3 of a cup of vodka out of the bottle for displacement caused by the beans. Do what you want with it.

Next you’ll want to slice your vanilla beans in half so as to expose those luscious beans. I started just about an inch from the curly part at the top and sliced through the rest. Keep the top part attached.

Then you just plop your vanilla beans in the vodka. Give it a good shake and let it steep in a cool dark place for at least 4 months but up to 6 is best. If you think about it, giving it a good shake weekly would be great but if you forget it will turn out fine.

Now let’s do some math. First I’ll tell you how to figure out how many vanilla beans per cup of vodka you need.

1 liter = 4.23 cups

You need 4 beans per cup.

This bottle was 1.75 liters which is = to 7.25 cups.

That means I needed between 28 and 29 beans.

Now let’s do the cost.

To buy from the store, I bought a 2 oz. size bottle of Publix brand vanilla at $6.59.

If you multiply that by how many oz. are in this bottle of vodka it would cost you approximately $185.00 to buy this much vanilla.

Now I spent about $15.00 on the vodka and about $45.00 on the vanilla beans. So my cost to make this is $60.00. That’s like half the cost of buying it in the store.

And let me note that as I was researching vanilla beans today I have seen that the price has almost doubled since I bought mine which would make the beans about $80.00 and your cost about $95.00 total. Still a lot cheaper than buying it at the store. Plus they make great gifts. I buy those little 4 oz. brown bottles and fill them when it’s done. If I love ya and I mean really love ya, you might get a bottle from me.

So there you have it. You gonna give it a try? Have you already tried it? Let me know.

HUGS!

Kim