On Tue, 13 Apr 2021 10:52:45 +0100, Janet > wrote:


>
> I make my own with vanilla pods and alcohol (usually brandy but my
>current one is in vodka, I've also used sherry+rum. Just what we have
>that's already open).
>
> Get a small clean glass bottle with a screwtop lid. Those 200ml
>bottles from hotel minibars are ideal.
>
> Slit two vanilla pods lengthways, leave the seeds in. If your bottle
>is too short cut them in half lengthways to fit them in. Stuff all the
>pods in the bottle. Fill the bottle with alcohol to the top, making sure
>the pods are immersed. Put the lid on and shake it. Store in a cool dark
>place, and turn the bottle once a week. It's ready in 6 months.
>
> Janet UK
>
>
I have made my own vanilla for years. I love it. I ordered a dozen
dark amber pint bottles with screw tops (probably got them from
Amazon) and the box came with a few small funnels, too, making them
quite easy to fill. I have already put up a few bottles to give as
Christmas gifts this year.

There was a thread in the cooking subreddit the other day about
vanilla extract with one poster pointing to an article in "Serious
Eats" that felt homemade vanilla was a waste of effort and calling it
an "infusion" rather than an "extract" and by being so, that it lacked
nuance. The term used for homemade was "overhyped."

This is the article that was linked and that compared several high end
vanillas.

https://www.seriouseats.com/2019/12/...a-extract.html

So I replied to the person who linked the article:

Overhyped? Nah. No one has a contest between/amongst the brands and
homemade. If one is doing it correctly and with patience and decent
beans, homemade is just one of many vanillas available.

I have been making my own vanilla extract for years and years. I also
still have a bottle of Nielsen-Massey in the cupboard and I often use
that as a benchmark. Even then, as the article mentions, there are
many decent commercial vanillas extracts on the market (all, sadly,
with very high prices these day), each of them with their own nuances
and depth of layering of flavors. I think it is personal preference to
choose among those the author mentions or other brands/types.

I really love what I make at home, though. After all this time, I know
how to do it, I know how to vary the flavor by bean type and number of
beans, vodka or other alcohol used.

Making it at home takes time- I prefer a year or more. The bottles are
upended a few times a month so the liquid and beans move a bit and it
is all kept in a dark, cool cupboard.

Most importantly, I like the flavor imparted to my baked goods and
enjoy the idea of making the extract myself.