It was time.
*rubbing my hands together in glee*
There are, perhaps, many reason to have vodka in the house. Or, perhaps, not... depending on your relationship or lack thereof with alcohol. But every house needs vodka, I think, for this one reason if for no other.
The lovely couple: A cheap bottle of vodka and a stunningly gorgeous organic vanilla bean.
Grab a knife. Things are gonna get just a bit violent. But first, good luck getting the bean back while everyone is waving it under their nose once. Or twice. You may have to threaten and blackmail and arm wrestle some of the small children to get it back.
The bean is that unreal.
Amazing new technology! Scratch and sniff! Watch out for the knife.
Didn't work? Sorry.
Ha. Hahahah!
Did I mention vodka?
Caution: Don't drink while dissecting your vanilla bean (or blogging)
Slice one side all the way down the length, but only half-way through the width. This exposes all the millions of wonderful tiny itty bitty balls of vanilla goodness that are hiding in there. Do it on wax paper in case any of them escape. You must not lose a single one.
It's okay if they get on your fingers.
Mmmmmmmm...
I've been
Here's the really difficult part. Put the vodka down and pay attention!
(It took me over a minute to find an exclamation point for that last sentence. And did any of you notice that at the end of yesterday's blog post I thought today was the 10th? I took half of my 10 on 10 pictures before I realized it. Help. Someone help me. I've misplaced my brain. And there's a hen sleeping in my entryway.)
Yes, pay attention people.
Bravely shove that bean right in.
Then, drown it.
And there you have it. Homemade vanilla extract for a tiny fraction of the cost of store bought. Today it doesn't smell like anything special, but let it sit for a couple weeks and the wonderful will nearly kill you every time you open the lid. As you use it bit by bit, keep adding more vodka to fill it up. A year and a half later when it loses that yummy vanilla scent, you grab yourself a new bean and start fresh again.
So easy. And frugal. And fun.
I love this.
13 comments:
I laughed when this popped up in my reader. All sorts of possibilities popped in my head, especially knowing you have a half-naked, depressed-looking chicken in your entryway. And then I actually started reading, and that's when the drooling started. SO disappointed that the scratch and sniff didn't work!!
(and yes, I noticed the 10 on 10 thing, but thought maybe you knew something I didn't) :)
I have always wanted to try this!! Someday soon, I hope. Honestly, when you mentioned the 10 on 10, it did not even cross my mind that it was not quite yet the 10th. (minor details).
So glad you posted this! I was gifted with a "vanilla-making-kit" a few Christmases ago---complete with beans and directions---but they did not slice the bean open. Mine ended up okay, but I can't wait to try it your way next time.
Yum!!!!! I LOVE Vanilla!!!! I will definitely have to try this.
Hahahaha!
Funny and informative... I'm impressed. :)
Seriously, though, I'm going to have to give this a try.
You know, I've always wanted to make my own vanilla. I spied vanilla beans in the store the other day... now that I know how easy it is, I'm so buying a bean and some plain vodka.
I doubt my chocolate-flavoured vodka would work ... although, maybe that would be extra delicious... ;)
You definitely had me with your title! I want to make my own vanilla extract someday.
Ha! Love it!!! I was so excited to do the top 10 and then realized it wasn’t the 10th! (I then thought you might just be posting from last month since you’ve had issues with your service.)
I’ve been meaning to try making Vanilla for a while now, and love how you just re-used your old bottle! So smart! Maybe I’ll have my Tim bring some true Vodka back from Siberia!
I completely did not realize you could do this... AMAZING!
Wow, I never knew this trick! Thanks for sharing! I knew there was a reason to keep vodka in the house. A justifiable reason that is.
There's a lot I want to say.....
first, that vodka bottle is mostly empty. Is that only from extract making? ; )
second, I honestly have never heard of this method. Do I live under a rock or what?!?! I must try this some time. I'm sure it is simply amazing. Thanks for the step by step.
thirdly, you shouldn't blog and drink at the same time?!?!?
lastly, since 2004? I'm inspired and impressed.
Yum! My mother in law got me into doing this last year, and vanilla's never been the same since! happy baking. happy drinking... ;)
First, I thought you were making vanilla vodka. One of my faves. Then I thought, "Wow, she's making it one shot at a time?" Then, there was the "Oh! Extract!" moment. :-)
Post a Comment