Where does vanilla come from?
Who doesn’t love the scent of vanilla? My sister Rosalyn sent me some vanilla beans several years ago. She had ordered some and had more than she could use, so she sent them to me with instructions on making vanilla. Store-bought vanilla has become a thing of the past in our cottage. Her gift has been enjoyed and shared many times over.
Did you know that vanilla comes from an orchid? Spanish explorers arriving on the Gulf Coast of Mexico in the early 16th century found the Aztecs using vanilla and gave vanilla its current name. Later that century Spanish and Portuguese sailors and explorers brought vanilla into Africa and Asia. They called it vainilla, or “little pod”. Although it is native to Mexico, it is now widely grown throughout the tropics. Indonesia and Madagascar are the world’s largest producers.
When a cyclone hit Madagascar and destroyed the harvest. the price of vanilla sky-rocketed. Currently, vanilla is fetching upwards of $600 per kilo—about $60 more than the price of precious silver. The cost of vanilla is about 10 times what it used to cost just a few years ago. For the treasured flavor and aroma of vanilla for baking, making it yourself is cost effective and results in a premium product.
Make your own vanilla extract
I love baking and sweetened delights almost always are enhanced with the delicious fragrance of vanilla. Rather than using imitation vanilla, make your own for a fraction of the store-bought price. The process is simple. Depending on your desired strength of vanilla extract, you will need 13-23 oz of vanilla bean to one gallon of vodka. You could use bourbon, brandy or rum instead of vodka; as long as it’s 80 proof alcohol, it will suffice. I use vodka because it is the most neutral in taste of the alcohols. You can use the extract as soon as six weeks but vanilla extract only gets better and better with age and optimally you should wait 6 months.
Supplies
I gathered the necessary equipment: vanilla beans, steeping bottle and vodka. Most recipes call for splitting the vanilla beans lengthwise and scraping the tiny vanilla beans from the bean, but I have just put the whole bean in the alcohol and let the beans steep with good results. I inserted Vanilla beans into a fancy bottle with a stopper and used a funnel to pour the vodka over the beans and up to the neck of the jar. Shake the bottle daily for a week and then put it away to continue steeping. Shake it occasionally to mingle the ingredients.
The steeping process shows in the color change from clear to amber in just two days. It will be at least six weeks before the vanilla is ready. I just leave the vanilla beans in the bottle until it runs out. I have been known to refill the bottle with vodka and use the beans again for a second steep with good results. Vanilla extract makes a wonderful gift.
Other kitchen uses for vodka
The 1.75 liter of vodka was only $13.99. Note: I also use vodka to preserve ginger root so that it doesn’t spoil before I have a chance to use it in various recipes. Just peel the ginger root, put it in a glass container with a tight lid, cover it with vodka, and refrigerate between uses. I’m also going to make the Apple Vodka recipe I saw on Pinterest the other day with the left over alcohol from the vanilla project.
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