How To Make Vanilla Extract

Get a high-quality bean and some 80+ proof unflavored white rum or vodka. It can even be cheap stuff. What’s important here is the quality of the vanilla bean, not the alcohol.

Pack jar – Place vanilla beans in one 16-ounce swing-top glass bottle or you can divide the beans between two 8-ounce bottles.
Pour – Fill the bottle with rum or vodka, giving an inch or two clearance at the top. Seal the lid and allow it to infuse for at least 6 months. Shake the bottle every two to three weeks before using it.

Two bottles of alcohol and some vanilla beans to make vanilla extract.

Say NO To Imitation Vanilla Extract

Imitation vanilla extract is not vanilla extract. Many imitation extracts contain “castoreum”. This is labeled on vanilla extract as “natural flavoring”. This can be tricky thinking that all vanilla is from Mexico is the real deal either. Check those labels. Even some “Real Mexican” vanillas contain several ingredients.

Where To Find Vanilla Beans

Vanilla beans are most commonly found in Mexico, Madagascar, and French Polynesia also known as the Tahitian Islands. They are more mass-produced in Mexico and Madagascar, but the best ones, in my opinion, come from French Polynesia. I will never buy my vanilla beans from anywhere else. Especially after seeing the time and care it takes into cultivating a single vanilla bean.

A single vanilla bean to make vanilla extract.

Vanilla plants on a vanilla farm in Tahiti.

The Vanilla Island (It’s A Real Place)

I bought our vanilla beans from Le Vallee De La Vanille on the island of Taha’a (aka the “Vanilla Island”) in French Polynesia. It took three flights to get to the island of Raiatea from Raiatea we took a boat to the island of Taha’a. Once on Taha’a, we rode bikes for two hours to get to Le Vallee De La Vanille. Once there, we were greeted by our friendly and knowledgeable tour guide and were given a fascinating tour of the farm.

Where To Buy Tahitian Vanilla Beans

Not everyone needs to go on this journey to get the famous vanilla beans from Le Vallee De La Vanille. This farm has the means to ship their vanilla beans directly to you if you so choose. You can contact them directly by emailing brianhansen.tahaa@gmail.com. They can be vacuum-packed and shipped while maintaining the same freshness as they had right there on the farm in Taha’a.

Interesting Facts About Vanilla Beans

We learned so much about vanilla and the cultivation process of vanilla beans during our tour. Here are some of the fascinating things we learned.

Producing – The process to produce one single vanilla bean takes over three years.
Hand-picked – The flowers that produce the vanilla beans must all be hand pollinated and it has to be done quickly and with great precision. The window to pollinate these flowers is only a matter of hours (this is after waiting over 18 months for the flower to bloom). If that small window is missed, the flower will drop from the stem and no bean will form.
The process – Vanilla beans are not picked and dried at once. They need to be moved back and forth many times from being in direct sunlight and then moved into a small room. Then back again so they can “sweat” off excess moisture. It is a delicate, yet tedious process and has to be done just right to retain just the right amount of moisture. They shouldn’t be dried out completely and must retain an almost oily texture, similar to a raisin.
Massaged by hand – Each and every bean at Le Vallee De La Vanille is massaged by hand. This will release excess moisture from the bean. Distributes the fragrant seeds evenly throughout the bean. Lastly, straightens the beans out so the seeds can be accessed more easily.
Variations of vanilla – You can use the entire vanilla bean to make vanilla powder, vanilla paste, vanilla sugar, or vanilla extract.

Why Are Vanilla Beans So Expensive?

After learning what a grueling process it is to cultivate these vanilla beans, the price per bean actually seems very reasonable! Totally worth it to get the best Grade A vanilla bean. What you want is quality when it comes to vanilla. It may be more of an up-front investment but these beans can be used for years. The cost will eventually even out over time because of how much you will get out of them.

Bottle of vanilla, a bottle of vodka, and a bottle of rum

What Bottles Are Best For Homemade Vanilla Extract?

For this recipe, I used 16-ounce swing-top glass bottles. You will use 12 vanilla beans when you are using this size bottle. If you want to make smaller bottles you can use 8-ounce bottles. If you use the 8-ounce size, you will only need 6 vanilla beans in each bottle.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you make vanilla extract?

Vanilla only needs two ingredients. Vanilla beans and vodka will be infused together in a jar over time and create a delicious and flavorful homemade vanilla extract.

What alcohol is best for homemade vanilla extract?

The alcohol is not as important as the vanilla bean itself. You will want to find 80-proof alcohol. Vanilla extract is usually made from vodka but you can also use bourbon, brandy, or rum.

Is it worth making homemade vanilla extract?

Yes! It is totally worth making homemade vanilla extract. The investment may be high ahead of time but over time you will see that you are saving money. Homemade vanilla extract has way more flavor and high quality compared to store-bought vanilla extracts.

How many times can vanilla beans be used to make vanilla extract?

Depending on the quality of the vanilla bean using them over and over again is perfectly fine and still have a delicious flavor to them after four or five times. The process does take several weeks so having an extra bottle on hand helps with the process and not letting you run out of vanilla.

Rotating Your Vanilla Extract

I highly recommend having at least two bottles of vanilla extract on hand. This makes it so you can “rotate” your vanilla to always have maximum potency. After your bottles of the vanilla extract have fully matured (infused for at least 6 months), only use one of the bottles until it becomes half empty. At that point, top it off with alcohol and switch it with the other bottle so the new batch of added alcohol has time to infuse before it is switched out again. You can keep rotating and switching out for years and you will always have fresh, highly infused vanilla extract on hand.

How Long Does Vanilla Extract Last?

Real, homemade vanilla extract can last for years, it really doesn’t have an expiration date. And once you start using the extract, you can just keep topping it off with more alcohol. The beans will keep infusing the alcohol with flavor. You can make those same beans last for 8 to 10 years or even longer. It won’t ever go “bad”, the beans will just eventually lose their potency but it takes a very long time for even that to happen.

Some Vanilla Recipes that are our Favorites

Most baking recipes are encouraged to add in vanilla extract to the cake, cookies, or muffins! With this new and improved homemade vanilla extract, you will be able to boost that flavor and change the whole dessert or baked dish taste!