The short answer: to make homemade vanilla extract, split 6 to 8 vanilla beans (about 24 g), put them in a jar with 240 ml (1 cup) of 40% vodka, close it and keep it dark for at least 8 weeks, shaking once a week. That is about 100 g of beans per litre.
Vanilla extract is vanilla beans soaked in alcohol. That is the whole recipe. What makes it good is the ratio, the beans and the time you give it. Start this week and you will have extract ready to bake with, and to give away, by Christmas.
| At a glance | |
|---|---|
| Hands-on time | 10 minutes |
| Waiting time | 8 weeks minimum, 6 months for a richer extract |
| Ratio | About 100 g beans per litre, or 24 g per cup |
| Keeps | For years, closed and dark |
What you need
- 6 to 8 vanilla beans (about 24 g), grade B if you can find them
- 240 ml (1 cup) vodka, 40% alcohol (80 proof)
- A clean glass bottle or jar with a tight lid
Grade B beans are drier and cheaper than the plump grade A beans sold for cooking. Since the alcohol pulls out the flavour anyway, they are the better buy for extract.
The spirit: vodka gives the cleanest vanilla flavour. Bourbon adds caramel notes, rum adds sweetness, and brandy sits in between. Use at least 35% alcohol: weaker spirits extract less and keep less well.
The ratio
The commercial standard for "pure vanilla extract" in the United States is 13.35 ounces of beans per gallon of liquid at 35% alcohol. In kitchen numbers that is roughly 100 g of beans per litre, or about 24 g (6 to 8 beans) per cup. Use more beans for a stronger extract; fewer beans give you a weaker one that takes longer.
| Batch | Vanilla beans | Spirit |
|---|---|---|
| Small gift bottle (100 ml) | 3 beans (10 g) | 100 ml |
| Kitchen bottle (240 ml) | 6 to 8 beans (24 g) | 240 ml |
| Large batch (1 litre) | 25 to 30 beans (100 g) | 1 litre |
Which vanilla beans to use
| Bean | Flavour | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Madagascar | Rich, creamy, the classic vanilla taste | Everything: cakes, cookies, custard |
| Tahitian | Floral, fruity, a hint of cherry | Fruit desserts, cream, ice cream |
| Mexican | Warm, slightly spicy and smoky | Chocolate, coffee, spiced bakes |
You can mix origins in one bottle. Many home cooks start with Madagascar beans and add one Tahitian bean for a rounder scent.
How to make vanilla extract
- Split the beans. Cut each bean lengthwise with a small knife, leaving the tip joined if you like. This exposes the seeds to the alcohol.
- Bottle them. Put the beans in the jar. Cut them in half if they are taller than the jar, so every bean stays under the liquid.
- Cover with spirit. Pour in the alcohol, close the lid and shake.
- Wait. Keep the jar in a dark cupboard and shake it once a week. After 8 weeks it is ready to use. After 6 months it is noticeably richer.
- Use and top up. When the bottle is half empty, top it up with more spirit and add a fresh bean now and then. A well kept bottle can run for years.
How to tell when it is ready
- The colour is dark amber, close to strong tea.
- It smells of vanilla first and alcohol second.
- A drop in warm milk tastes clearly of vanilla.
Making a thick vanilla concentrate
Finished extract is mostly alcohol. If you reduce part of that alcohol away, you get a thicker, more concentrated vanilla that bakers use like a paste: less liquid in the batter, more flavour per spoon.
The NOIDS Herb Lab has an Evaporation function made for exactly this. It reduces the volume of an infused liquid whose boiling point is no higher than 100 °C / 212 °F, and it stops by itself at 102 °C / 215.6 °F.
- Strain 200 ml of your finished extract into the Glass. Stay under the MAX mark.
- Cover with the Dish Lid, place the Glass in the Main Body and turn the Rotary Control to Evaporation.
- Evaporation runs at about 50 ml per hour. Turn the Rotary Control to OFF when the volume is where you want it: about a third is a good start.
- Let the Glass cool, then pour the concentrate into a small bottle. Use about a third of the amount a recipe asks for in extract.
Safety, because this step evaporates alcohol: use only food-grade spirits; run Evaporation in a room larger than 50 m³ with fresh air coming in; and keep the cooker at least 5 m from any open flame. If you want to collect the alcohol instead of letting it into the room, fit the Condenser.
Gift bottles
- Small amber or clear swing-top bottles of 100 ml are the classic size.
- Put one whole bean in each bottle so it keeps working after you give it.
- Label it with the date you started, the spirit and "ready from" eight weeks later.
Questions
How long does homemade vanilla extract last?
For years. The alcohol preserves it. Keep it closed, dark and at room temperature; the flavour keeps improving for the first year.
Can I reuse the beans?
Yes. Dry spent beans and grind them with sugar to make vanilla sugar, or leave them in the bottle and keep topping up with spirit.
Why is my extract cloudy?
Usually the spirit was below 35% alcohol, or water got in. A little sediment from the seeds is normal and harmless.
Can I make it without alcohol?
Not as an extract that keeps. Glycerin-based versions exist, but they are weaker and do not keep as long.
