Sunday, November 25, 2012

Making lots of vanilla


Close up of vanilla beans.
I am making a large amount of vanilla. I saw a blog that someone just made it right in the vodka bottle. Sounded like a good idea to me!! Done and put away to age for six months or so.

8 comments:

Mark Willis said...

Erin, what is the liquid? Is it actually vodka?

Erin said...

Hi Mark...it IS vodka. I have been cleaning up my diet. I am getting the GMOs out of my diet and all chemicals. I discovered that there is sugar or corn syrup in a lot of Pure Vanilla Extract. I started reading labels and sure enough. Sugar is half sugar beet which are genetically modified. Corn syrup is I believe about 90% GMO. So iread and decided it is easy and much cheaper to make your own. Mine isn't at the point I can do a taste test, but my first batch is smelling right! Use three vanilla beans per one cup of vodka. I have tried leaving them whole and splitting them and scraping the seeds out and put them in as well. I find splitting them works much faster. I have read anywhere from two to six months in a cool darker place. Shake the bottle every two weeks.

Joan said...

where do you get your vanilla beans from? I've wondered about quality and freshness of the beans and how you tell. Can you enlighten me? I've thought about it in the past but haven't tackled it yet.

Diana Studer said...

when I used to bake in Switzerland, we could buy little packets of vanilla-infused powdered sugar. A few years back GMOs weren't such an issue. Since I used to buy it at the health food shop, I guess today one could find an organic GMO-free version of vanilla sugar. I'll pass on the vodka, thanks. How will you use your end result?

Erin said...

Hi Diana. I'm not sure about the vanilla sugar. I was really surprised to find sugar in my vanilla extract. I read it in someone's blog. I think there's had high fructose corn syrup. So I dug mine out, looked at the ingredients and saw that my PURE vanilla extract had sugar in it. I'm not sure where you are but I know that in the US and Canada our sugar is cane and sugar beets. Sugar beets are GMO. Vanilla extract is made infusing vodka with vanilla beans. It is really simple and anyone can make their own. Anyway, hope this is helpful.

Erin said...

I forgot to answer your question. I will be using it to bake with when vanilla extract is called for.

Miss Lady Bug said...

Hi Erin, it's Miss Lady Bug! I like your post. I just made some infused vodka with apples and honey... supposed to leave it for four (4) months but it is delicious after only a week! OMG! What to do.... can I leave it for four months?? haha Yes, I had to taste it!
Miss Lady Bug

Erin said...

Hi Lady Bug !!! Did you use vanilla beans at all, or just the apples and honey?? I love your creativity. I found some lovely little Kraft labels to make the labels when I'm really to bottle it. They'll be really cute and 'old' looking.