Home made vanilla extract

I'm a vanilla enthusiast - have made it a few times. I'm betting Patrician has, too. She's the other vanilla freak on here that I'm aware. of.

If you love vanilla -real is the only vanilla for you. Incidentally - I've used it for cologne, too.

can you expand on that ? I love vanilla, it never occurred to me
to try and make my own.

After the 6 weeks do you separate the alcohol from the "been juice" some how?
or is the alcohol now part of the extract?

And here's the article about using rum and bourbon in addition to vodka:
Homemade Vanilla Extract Recipe

Actually, I've used both vodka and rum. I really didn't like the rum as well as the vodka. I just like vanilla without any other flavors mingling into it. I don't take the beans out, but I've never added to them either. Seems like sooner or later you'd end up with a very diluted extract that way. I would never use bourbon - I can't even stand the smell of that stuff.

I love vanilla. I would have never thought it was made with alcohol though. You'd think the taste of the alcohol would come through. Let us know how turns out, Kurt. If yours turns out well I'll try it.

Hey,

According to Organicfacts.net, vanilla extract has antioxidant properties that protect the body from disease and damage. Antioxidants are believed to have cancer-fighting abilities, guarding cells and tissues against cancers of the colon, bowel and more (Reference 1). Vanilla-bean extract prevents the growth of some cancerous cells, so it also has some anticarcinogenic properties.

Oh wow! V-A-N-I-L-L-A!

Kurt - this is your old auntie, Pat, and my address is: lol

As 'extracts' go - some are better than others and since yours is not 'IMITATION' Vanilla Extract it will rock - not an imitation!

I have seen the recipes for extract and sugar, etc. and was going to do it but the site I was on was in the UK and the dollar exchange rate was way more than I expected so I cancelled the bean order.

I have one lotion that is 'herbal vanilla' - and this is the only vanilla scent that ever has come through - most think 'vanilla' means 'plain vanilla' which mean plain - nothing - no scent, flavor etc. It's a travesty.

This is the most delicious scent imaginable - if you want to smell like pure cotton candy and I sure do. Something is different here - bigger than extract or fragrance -

With Ecco Bella organic, herbal Vanilla lotion they report "vanilla fragrance, vanilla (plantifolia) extract."

So I am thinking plantifolia is the reason - believe me i have tried everything labelled vanilla anything - candles, incense, soaps, perfume, lotions, food, etc and there is nothing like this -

I hope your vanilla extract is good - but as someone said above you don't want to smell ANYTHING but the Vanilla - so I would say vodka because it is clear and not those boogey man rums and bourbons (yuk) which would have a scent and flavor of their own. (ever seen vanilla vodka? i did somewhere and while i was tempted, I don't like anything mixed with Vanilla - it is very delicate and needs to be the top note.

If you are nice to me I will dig out my recipe for Irish Cream - every year I think of giving people bottles of that - very vanilla - but haven't made it in years - thinking about it alone has no calories or assault on your liver. (made of course with Irish Whiskey - but even at that it is a 'HEAT' and not really a flavor per se - so no interference with the vanilla goodness - and the cream helps with that).

I got my beans yesterday and made some extract. They don't smell as vanillay as I thought they would. Hope the flavor comes through over time.

I bought a cheap bottle of vodka. It had a miniature bottle of "whipped cream" flavored vodka attached. So I added a vanilla bean to it. It actually smells pretty good.

I also bought two miniatures of Bacardi rum that are clear and added a bean to each.

Plus, I made some vanilla sugar and vanilla Splenda for them. Not sure how the Splenda will work, and not sure why it won't. One aunt is diabetic and uses Splenda.

It's only 5 weeks till Christmas. Hope that's enough time. If not, they'll have to let them age a little longer.

I've never made it, but that sounds delicious.