How to make natural and homemade vanilla extract

Vanilla is known as the queen of spices. It is not surprising, then It is included in countless pastry recipes. It guarantees a pleasant aroma explosion in cookies and other sweet preparations, dairy products, teas, ice creams, etc.

Since vanilla beans are quite expensive, synthetic flavorings are often used that barely resemble the original vanilla flavor. The solution to these extracts full of synthetic substances is homemade vanilla extracts. The essence is easy to make and you will find it especially useful for all the confectionery of the Christmas season. Vanilla essence is also a nice gift to give to people who are fond of confectionery.

Vanilla extract is also called vanilla essence. In the supermarket you often only find flavorings instead of real vanilla. An extract of supposed “real” vanilla, consisting of vanilla beans with alcohol and sometimes sweeteners it easily costs more than €10 per 100 ml.

Only the real vanilla bean can offer the authentic flavor. Therefore, we recommend that you simply prepare your own extract at home. It won’t take you more than 5 minutes of work and a little patience for the rest time. In this way you will achieve in your recipe the flavor that you will quickly identify as that of authentic vanilla without additives.

Homemade vanilla extract step by step

In recipes, when you are asked for vanilla sugar or the pulp of a vanilla pod, you can substitute them for your vanilla extract. One teaspoon replaces a soulless vanilla sugar packet, approximately. Please note that the alcohol in the vanilla extract dissipates during cooking and can therefore also be used in children’s recipes.

The Vanilla planifolia either fragrans It is a liana of the orchid family that climbs the large trees of the Central American jungles. Its flowers are ivory white, slightly yellow or green, have a very short life and an intense aroma. The fruit is a pod that, even when picked at full maturity, does not give off any odor. It must undergo various manipulations to detach its indescribable aromas.

After briefly scalding the pods, they are deposited in padded boxes where they remain for about 48 hours. In them they ferment and darken. After a week of exposure to the sun, its aromatic force is released. And, later on, they continue to mature inside wooden trunks that are placed for several months in a well-ventilated room.

The most prized vanilla beans come from northern Madagascar, Indonesia or China. The most valuable is the call bourbon, like the island where it began to be cultivated, today called La Réunion, north of Madagascar. Tahitian vanilla is also recognized, whose flavor is slightly reminiscent of anise and pepper. And finally the vanillion from the Antilles, with a musky aroma.

Ingredients:

5 vanilla pods200 ml of vodka

Preparation:

Cut the vanilla beans lengthwise, place them in a bottle with a hermetic seal with a capacity of approximately 250 ml and fill it with vodka. Let them sit in a cool, dark place for at least 2 weeks. Sterilize the bottle that you will use to store your extract by keeping it in the oven for 10 minutes at 150 degrees or boiling it briefly. After 2-4 weeks, pour the vanilla essence into sterilized bottle using a funnel through a very fine strainer (or tea bag). Vanilla extract has a virtually unlimited shelf life due to the alcohol, but the essence is best consumed over the course of a year.

Homemade Non-Alcoholic Vanilla Extract Recipe

Ingredients:

8 tablespoons of vegetable glycerin for internal use 2 tablespoons of water 2 vanilla pods

Preparation:

Take the two vanilla pods, open them with a vertical cut along the entire length of the pod. Scrape the pulp from the pods with a knife. Cut the emptied pods into three or four pieces. Place the pulp and the pods in a glass jar with sterilized thread. Add the 8 tablespoons of vegetable glycerin and the water and stir well. Cover the jar and place in a cool, dry place for 2-3 weeks; Shake it every day. After the time has elapsed, strain the contents of the jar and put it in a small bottle. It can be kept in a cool and dry place for several months.