"??????" > wrote in message ...
> Anyone here ever attempt making thier own vanilla extract? If so, was the
> effort worth it and what's the recipe?
>
> Thanks-
>
>
I tried it years ago, and wasn't impressed as the stuff still smelled and
tasted like booze. I suspect that the 'recipe' is lacking in enough beans.
I have a recipe for Kahlua that calls for mixing the ingredients and then
adding a bean or two and allowing the mixture to stand for 30 days. I'm
always rushed at holiday time so I decided to get an extra fifth of vodka at
Christmas, add two beans to it and let it sit until next Christmas. This
works out much better. Each year I just add two more beans to the
bottle(bottle full of beans) and fill the bottle with vodka and I'm getting
some mellow tasting vodka now that I just add to the Kahlua recipe to taste,
but it still doesn't remind me of the more rounded, complex taste of
store-bought vanilla extract although the aroma is very similar. I do slit
the beans. For Kahlua you definitely do want to use the real beans, or at
least real vanilla extract. The imitation vanilla has a nasty taste and
smell in the finished product, like Mounds candy bars or something. Ack!
Janet