Homemade vanilla extract

Some time in April this year we decided that it was about time we got down to making our own vanilla extract at home. It is a mark of our laziness that the thing which prevented us from making home-made vanilla extract for two whole years was our inability to drag ourselves to the market and buy a small bottle of vodka to be used dedicatedly for this purpose. There is not a lot that you need to make vanilla extract at home—vodka (or bourbon or rum, if you’re feeling more adventurous), vanilla pods, and lots of patience. Patience that is well worth it because within just a couple of weeks, you can walk up to a cupboard in your kitchen, open a bottle and smell heaven.

Home-made vanilla extract

180 ml vodka (a brand new bottle of vodka is best for this)
2 vanilla pods, slit lengthwise, leaving an inch on the top

1. Unseal your new bottle of vodka and drop the slit vanilla pods in it. Make sure the pods are completely submerged.

2. Close the bottle now, and give it a good shake.

3. Let the bottle sit in a cool, dark place for at least a month, giving it a shake once in every few days.

4. After a month, your vanilla extract is ready. You can strain this extract and store it in a clean jar or bottle, or leave the pods be in the same bottle, as we did.