Description
This Homemade Vanilla Recipe will make enough to fill approx. 48 (4 ounce) Bottles. You can always scale the recipe up or down depending on how much you want to make.
Ingredients
- 1 lb. Vanilla Beans (I use the Premium Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla Beans from Olive Nation – they sell them on their website directly or here through Amazon)
- 3 x 1.75L Bottles of Vodka (Most experts say that all Vodka is gluten free since the distillation process eliminates any trace of grain. But if you are a Celiac or extremely Gluten/Grain intolerant, then you can find Gluten Free Vodka made with either corn, potatoes, cane sugar, pineapple & anything other than a grain.
ADDITIONAL TOOLS & SUPPLIES:
- 48 x 4oz Amber Colored Bottles with Caps (I buy mine direct from 4 Ounce Amber Bottles with Lids” href=”https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003G2ZXKQ/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B003G2ZXKQ&linkCode=as2&tag=alitins-20&linkId=E4DSA7BX7YKZCK7R” target=”_blank” rel=”nofollow”>Amazon for about .90 cents a bottle) You can also make any combination of 2, 4 or 8 ounce bottles – but I find that 4 ounce bottles are just the right size for gifts & pantry. Be sure to buy the ones from ‘Glass Bottle Outlet‘ on Amazon — the are the best quality & come packaged well.
- Small Funnel for Filling the Jars
- Kitchen Shears or Scissors for Cutting the Vanilla Beans
- Cutting Board
Instructions
- Wash Bottles & Caps in warm soapy water, then rinse well and allow to dry completely.
- With a Sharp Pair of Scissors, cut open Vanilla Beans in Half Lengthwise (all the way down the middle, splitting the bean pod open)
- Cut the Beans again, but this time Widthwise in Half. This will give you 4 quarters of each bean pod.
- Stuff the quartered Vanilla Beans into your bottle & fill with Vodka until it reaches within 1/4″ – 1/2″ of the top.
- Wipe the rims of each bottle with a clean towel.
- Place the cap tightly on the bottle and give it a vigorous shaking.
- Repeat the process until all of the bottles have been filled.
- Set filled bottles aside in the box they came in & store in a cool, dark place until giving or use.
- Typically, you want to let the Vanilla brew for at least 2-3 months before using it – shaking it periodically. You can also brew it several months in advance so that the Vanilla flavors concentrate more. However, I typically make it about a month before Christmas & give it away with a little set of instructions (CLICK HERE for the free printable I made for you to use).
You will need the following amounts of Vanilla per Bottle:
- Eight Ounce Bottles = 4 Vanilla Beans (cut into 16 quarters)
- Four Ounce Bottles = 2 Vanilla Beans (cut into 8 quarters)
- Two Ounce Bottles = 1 Vanilla Bean (cut into quarters)
Notes
ALTERNATIVE BULK BREW METHOD: If you are not planning to give away the bottles as gifts or if you want to brew it in bulk, you can use your 1 lb. of split Vanilla Beans & (almost) all of your Vodka by placing everything in a 5L jar (like this one) or divided into several quart sized mason jars, and letting the mixture brew for several weeks in a cool, dark location in your pantry. As long as you shake it periodically and make sure all of the beans are covered in Vodka, the Vanilla should stay good for years!
FILTERING TIPS: If you decide you want to filter your Bulk Prepared Vanilla before use, you can do so through a Nut Milk Bag, Fine Sieve, or Several Layers of Cheese Cloth over a Colander & Bowl. If a few seeds (the tiny black specks) get in there, don’t worry about it, they are delicious & safe to eat!
MAKING VANILLA SUGAR WITH LEFTOVER BEAN PODS: If you decide to filter out your Vanilla Beans after brewing for several months, don’t throw them away! Instead, you can make some homemade Vanilla Infused Sugar. Just place a few of the bean pods in a glass container & cover with sugar. Let it sit for a few weeks & your sugar will have a lovely Vanilla scent & flavor accent… perfect for making Sugar Scrubs or in Recipes.
ADDITIONAL TIPS: You may also need to wipe down the outer bottle as well before placing your labels on.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Teaspoon
- Calories: 28