Have you ever tried baking using Mexican Vanilla? Or any other vanilla besides the vanilla extract available in the US? If you have not, you are truly missing something! Imitation vanilla extract, how "vanilla" for baking is generally sold in the US, is "...imitation vanilla made using wood byproducts and chemicals to simulate the flavor, not the real vanilla beans." (via differencebetween.com). Now I don't think the vanilla flavoring is bad, but whenever possible, and feasible, I like to stray from the use of additional chemicals. I know, an entire cake has like 1 teaspoon of vanilla in it... So I'm not pretending that changing from the artificial vanilla sold at Safeway, to making your own, is going to dramatically alter your lifestyle and prolong your life by 6.8 years. But when something is SO easy, tastes SO good, and makes great gifts, why not?!
I made several small bottles of this as Christmas Gifts this year. Even though some of the recipients don't bake (like my sister...), it's a great gift for using as you would essential oils. Most people really like the smell of vanilla and this is made with vanilla beans and has a great smell. Just use a dropper to add to candles, melted wax (in your light bulb wax melter thingy ma bobs), on pillows (not cases, the pillow itself) etc.
Okay, enough jibber jabber. Here is how to do it! First, GO SHOPPING! Hope that isn't too much of a burden. Pick out a pretty clear glass jar. Make sure it's not one of those from your craft store that's labeled "display only". It needs to be rated for food stuffs. Don't get a huge one, unless you do A LOT of baking...Then, get some Vodka. Yep, from the liquor store. Just plain VODKA. Not the really cheap stuff, but it doesn't have to be the most expensive either. I have heard most brands work just fine. Finally, you will need vanilla beans. You can buy these online at Amazon, or try a health food store. I actually found mine at Costco - it was just for Christmas time though. Fresh, NOT DRIED, vanilla beans.
That's it. Now go home and get a few things together. A small measuring cup with a pour spout and a funnel (depends on the bottle you pick for your vanilla, really) and scissors. The kind you use for food. Fresh vanilla bean is very very sticky. Like almost maple syrup kind of sticky.
Pour ONE cup (8 oz) of vodka per container. Then cut your vanilla beans in half both vertically and horizontally. So each bean should have the center exposed and you've cut the length down to fit in your bottle. I used 8 of these stalks per cup of vodka. So that's about 2 full large beans per cup. Make sure your beans are down IN the vodka. Put the cap on your bottle and put in a safe place away from children, for 30 days. What? Yes, 30 days. Bummer, huh? Below is the picture of day 1 of my vanilla bottles. I made 7 total. But mine won't be "ready" until Jan 20. No, I didn't plan it well. But the recipients of the vanilla are well aware they cannot use it until Jan 20. I like to swish the bottles around once a day or so, even with the corks on, the vanilla smells so good!
Well, that's my easy peasy lazy craft for today. Have so many to catch up on! Now that the holidays are over, I can hopefully find more time to bore entertain you all!
Happy New Year!!
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