Originally Posted by
nancyw
How do you make homemade vanilla extract
OH MY GOODNESS!!
Homemade vanilla is not only the best tasting stuff I have ever tasted, it's easy and so much cheaper than store bought.
Get yourself some vanilla bean pods...I order from Amazon, got a great deal from this seller:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...ls_o01_s00_i00
Once you get some vanilla bean pods, you slice one side of the pods open and submerse them in clear alcohol. I had rum, so that's what I used. Some people use vodka with success, too. Put the jar (I used a washed pasta sauce jar) full of booze with 6 or 8 pods in a dark cabinet and resist the urge to peak at it more than once a week when you take it out and swish it around. You can use it after 8 weeks, but the longer it sets, the better. After 3 months or so, you can take the bean pods out and put them into another jar of booze and start brewing more. I don't strain out the tiny bits...that's what makes the taste.
If you do the math, it's infinitely cheaper than store bought.