Homemade Vanilla Extract

[baymule]

Home made vanilla! Mmmmmm........... I gotta try this!

 

[Marianne]

OH this is so good! Ever since I found out about this, I have had two bottles with vanilla beans in the cupboard at all times. Definitely worth it.

 

[k15n1]

So apparently vanillin [1] is a chemical and that's the main component in artificial vanilla. But there are hundreds of flavor compounds in a real vanilla bean. Knowing that, I had to make my own extract. It's about a month old now and I can't wait to try it.


1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vanillin

 

[Daffodils At The Sea]

So if I get more beans than I can use for the first batch, can I freeze the rest? Or how best to store them?

 

[KnittyGritty]

Yes, I freeze my extras.

 

[Britesea]

the Pure Vanilla Extract that I buy lists water, alcohol, and "vanilla bean extractives" as the only ingredients. I wonder what "vanilla bean extractives" are?

 

[k15n1]

So if I get more beans than I can use for the first batch, can I freeze the rest? Or how best to store them?

My package says there's no need to even refrigerate. I, however, remain skeptical.

 

[ORChick]

According to many sources refrigerating or freezing the vanilla beans can lead to them drying out, and sometimes even to mold. I keep mine in a glass clamp top jar - the kind with a rubber gasket - in my pantry, which is the coolest room in the house.

http://www.kitchenbutterfly.com/how-to/with-vanilla/

The first thing you ought to know is how to store your Vanilla beans not in the fridge or freezer cold dries them out and may promote a particular type of Vanilla mold! I keep mine in a small closed container in my kitchen cupboard (aka cool, dry and dark). The experts recommend opening the container every couple of weeks or so to let the air circulate a bit and for you to be hit by the earthy fragrance of Vanilla. If they are vacuum packed them leave them as they are till youre ready to use them.

 

[KnittyGritty]

Uh oh, mine have been in the freezer for a LONG time - I guess I'd better take them out and examine them!

 

[Marianne]

That's interesting. I have mine rolled in three freezer zipper bags...what is that, about 10 layers of plastic??
Then they're stored behind stuff in the cupboard. Hasn't been that long since I checked mine, but the mason jar sounds like a good idea, maybe with an oxygen absorber in it also.