Believe it or not, you can make this popular ingredient at home, too—and, boy, is it worth it!
INGREDIENTS
6 Madagascar vanilla beans
6 Mexican vanilla beans
1 (1.75-l) bottle vodka
DIRECTIONS
1. Split and scrape vanilla beans.
2. Place scraped beans and seeds in vodka bottle.
3. Screw cap on tightly, and shake bottle vigorously. Place bottle in a cool, dark place.
4. Shake bottle vigorously once a week for at least 3 months.
5. Store for up to 1 year (the vanilla will darken as it ages).
This makes a wonderful gift, too! Using a funnel, pour the vanilla extract, straining if desired, into decorative glass jars to give to somebody special. My daughter and I did this over the holidays and it was such a hit!
From our home to yours, Tina Turbin
If you have any questions or suggestions just email me at Info (at) TinaTurbin (dot) com.