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hi
my name is Lisa from the blog farmhouse
on boon comm where I like to make food
from scratch talk about natural living
and a handmade home here in our
farmhouse I want to show you how to make
homemade vanilla so this is some vanilla
that I've already made that's been
steeping for about three months it's
almost ready and I want to show you how
I did it
and then I'm also you know gonna have
more going for another batch so supplies
you'll need some vodka or rum I like to
use vodka it makes some more mild
vanilla kind of more the taste you're
used to with the vanilla some kind of
container you can use oil and vinegar
with the little spouts the top you can
use mason jars I have these small mason
jars I like to use those mason jars for
just like everything in my kitchen I
have all of the plastic lids and
different sizes and I find them to just
function really well let's talk a moment
about Villa beans I have made it with
Tahitian vanilla beans and I have made
it with Madagascar vanilla beans
Tahitian vanilla beans are more for the
aromatic compounds and more for the
smell and the Madagascar beans are
better suited for culinary uses so I
purchased the Madagascar beans this time
I've done it both ways and honestly
haven't noticed a huge difference so
you're free to choose whichever the
Madagascar beans do run about three
dollars a bean whereas the Tahitian
approximately two I purchased mine on
Amazon and I will link that for you so
that you can see the ones that I
purchased and I'm going to show you how
to make it so basically it's just like
any herbal extract or t-shirt where you
put something that has a desirable taste
or component benefit to it into
something that extracts it so liquids
that extract those properties would be
alcohol glycerin vinegar so because the
taste is the most important thing in
making homemade vanilla extract we
aren't going to use vinegar I've used
glycerin I don't really like the
sweetness that it adds like
what my Vanilla's to be unsweetened and
so vodka is my preferred source of
extracting the properties from the
vanilla beans I like to cut with very
sharp pair of scissors the vanilla beans
down the center to let out all of the
little seeds inside and to make sure
that the taste gets completely through
and then I have to cut it in half to fit
in my little jars now if you're using
the tall oil and vinegar jars you can go
ahead and leave them long just cut them
down the center also leave them whole
and not cut them down the center but it
won't be extracted as quickly I like to
leave my vanilla extract
on for about 4 months the way that I can
gauge if it's done is if I open the jar
and it still smells like vodka I know it
needs time so these these to me these
been going three months they're starting
to smell like vanilla but they still
smell like vodka so these aren't done
once it smells like pure vanilla I know
that they're done we're gonna let those
steep a little bit longer for me four
months seems to work really really well
what do I do with all my vanilla I
talked about this on my blog post also
which I will link in the description
which will have sources for all of these
things that you need I put it in
everything we used so much vanilla
around here I like to have extra in my
pancakes I throw it in coffee tastes
really delicious and a banana raw milk
smoothie so I freeze bananas add a
little bit of raw milk vanilla maybe a
little bit of honey it's basically like
ice cream sometimes I'll add some
cinnamon and nutmeg and pumpkin some
canned pumpkin or just pureed cooked
pumpkin for a wonderful small smoothie I
just love the taste that vanilla adds to
so many things so once you have homemade
vanilla extract in your kitchen at all
times you'll probably find yourself
throwing it in everything that you make
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so after you've snipped your beans down
the center it's time to add them to your
jar and then pour vodka over it I
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discuss in the blog post more about the
types of alcohol and the types of
vanilla beans just make sure I head on
over to the blog and check that all out
but for now I used plain old vodka and
Madagascar vanilla bean you add them to
your jar I like to use three vanilla
beans for this size jar I think they
look really pretty when the liquid still
clear and you can see the vanilla beans
and make sure that the vodka completely
covers the beans that you don't risk the
tops of them molding homemade vanilla
makes a beautiful Christmas gift imagine
this alongside one of my handmade
beeswax candles which you can find a
tutorial for on the blog a pretty tea
towel and a little basket and what a
pretty gift that would be for someone on
your list so you just don't know what to
get for them so all of those things are
so simple to make and it makes such a
beautiful housewarming or gift basket if
you don't make this far enough ahead of
time for Christmas you could just put a
little tag on it that says open in
February or you know use this vanilla in
February everyone uses vanilla
especially in holiday baking so it's a
wonderful gift it will last a long time
so if they open it in February and don't
use it until the next subu airy or a
couple years it's vodka it'll it'll
laugh after it's been for months you can
shrine out the beans a lot of times I
leave mine right in there I have gotten
the liquid down too far and the vanilla
beans were sticking out for a long
period of time and I have had mold
happened so once the liquid goes below
the vanilla beans when you're using the
vanilla it's time to go ahead and strain
the liquid off and discard the beans and
just use the vanilla so again I like to
smell it to be sure if it's done if it
still smells like vodka I know it needs
a little bit more time usually about
four months we'll do it perfectly what I
love about homemade vanilla is it just
that it's an inexpensive way to get real
vanilla that isn't the fake extract
stuff the imitation vanilla you find at
the grocery store really cheap it's
cheaper but I also love that it has all
of the little components of the vanilla
bean
so you'll find just little bits of
vanilla seeds floating around and when
you're pouring the last bit into your
yogurt it'll be dotted with vanilla bean
seeds and it's just pretty and delicious
and it's something that you can use so
easily in your kitchen but often
overlooked so I definitely recommend
making it it's fun it's so easy it works
just like any other herbal extract or
tincture where the good properties are
extracted and you're left with something
delicious or beneficial enjoy making
your homemade vanilla subscribe to my
youtube channel I upload new videos
every week on food from scratch natural
living in the handmade home here at the
farmhouse thank you so much for stopping
by and I hope to see you again
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