Making vanilla extract at home is easy, fun, and the result is way better than storebought. This post will explain exactly how to make vanilla extract, and you can make it now so next week when I share how to make an amazing cranberry-cocoa fermented paste and an amazing homemade vanilla ice cream recipe, you’ll be ready to rock dessert. Read on Wildflowers!

Vanilla beans + alcohol (typically vodka, but we’ll get to other options in a bit) is all it takes to make homemade vanilla extract. That, and time.

Vanilla beans are typically very, very expensive. In my local grocery store, I could buy 2 vanilla beans in a glass jar for $12. I did not buy the shriveled, brown beans that way. I went on Amazon and bought a package for $25 that has 25, 5 to 6-inch tall vanilla beans in a vacuum sealed bag. I have purchased this package 3 separate times, over a year between instances, and haven’t been sorry yet. The label (which has remained unchanged) makes me laugh every time. It tells the buyer how to make vanilla extract, and step two says, “Chop the beans into ½ inch pieces. Slicing is ok, but is a waste of time.” Thanks, www.vanillaproductsusa.com for not wasting my time!

I realize that there are probably fresher, better, more expensive alternatives out there but I live a very, very long way from a metropolitan area that might sell such high-quality beans and this is a great way to add real, customized vanilla flavor to the sweet things I like to make.

If you haven’t ever handled whole vanilla beans, you are in for a treat. They smell divine even through plastic packaging. It almost becomes a worry when faced with how to wrap up the remaining beans after you have made your extract. I usually split the purchase with a friend in order to maximize the freshness. As the helpful label explains, “For best results, triple wrap in ziplock freezer bags immediately upon receipt.” I wrapped twice and put them in a mason jar when I have had leftovers. They are not to be frozen or refrigerated, either.   

The versions of extract I have tried to feature different types of alcohol and each has its merits.

I used Bacardi Oakheart Spiced Rum (left at my house after some festive occasion) for my first batch and it turned out to be a great way to use up the spiced rum. The “notes of brown sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon” are an obviously nice, however not-top-shelf it may be, pairing. I think this is my favorite- I use vanilla extract in homemade ice cream and in whipped cream and in both applications I find it to be so, so good.

I have used bourbon as the medium after I saw vanilla beans advertised as being infused with bourbon flavor (I never bought them myself, but was intrigued nonetheless). I found this option to be the least desirable of the three because the whiskey flavor was really strong, and when mixed in things like whipped cream…it was too much competition for the vanilla. The vanilla should be the star.

The standard go-to alcohol for making homemade vanilla extract is inexpensive vodka. While this isn’t all that creative, it is certainly very versatile and foolproof.

Chop up the vanilla beans as the package describes and cover with the alcohol of your choice. I used a quart of vodka to cover the 25 vanilla beans that came in my package. Lid, shake and store on a shelf. The extract gets better and better the longer you can wait, but I have used it in a week in a pinch and it was okay. When I am ready to use it, I give the jar a shake and pour it into my measuring spoon. I leave the beans in the jar and never remove them until the liquid has been all used up.

After you create your infusion, you then get to use a delightful infusion lid with which to dispense your flavorings. You can get an infusion lid from the delightful folks at Cuppow. They are the clever minds behind the BPA drinking lid that turns a canning jar into a travel mug  They have kindly shared an infusion lid called the Mason Tap AND drinking for this post giveaway and you can enter to win here! Remember, the giveaway program rewards you with extra entries so share, share, share!

Click to enter the Mason Jar Tap & Drinking Jar Lid Giveaway!

If infusions are right up your alley, then you are in for a treat. I found some terrific recipes from other blogger friends that you might enjoy making and that you could use with the above infusion lid. Head here to buy your own!

More Infusion Inspiration:

Make Rosemary Infused Olive Oil with this simple tutorial.

http://www.thriftynorthwestmom.com/rosemary-infused-olive-oil/

Blueberry Vinegar looks simple and perfect for vinaigrettes. http://www.sidewalkshoes.com/2013/08/blueberry-vinegar.html

Homemade Mint Extract would be right at home in lots of sweets- and who doesn’t love mint in their iced tea on a hot day? http://www.sidewalkshoes.com/2013/11/diy-mint-extract.html

Rhubarb is one of my favorite fruit flavors and this Rhubarb Infused Vodka infusion sounds easy and delicious. Pass the whiskey and sparkling water please 🙂  http://simplydarrling.com/2013/07/rhubarb-infused-vodka/

If you love making homemade and found this tutorial helpful, you are going to love this:

I have created a  completely free canning basics course for busy beginners (that is as clear and simple as this post!) that will teach you the equipment, the process, and the way to know how canning is safe. Get in the free course here!

What infusions have you tried, Wildflowers?

Chocolate Cranberry Mole: A Fermented Paste from The Fermentista’s Kitchen. This post will share the recipe for a fermented paste that is sweet, spicy, totally unusual, and utterly delicious. Read on for the full tutorial!

I live very rurally, as many of you know, so when something exciting happens in my neck of the woods, I try my best to go. When I saw that there was a fermenting workshop a mere 90 minutes drive (as in 90 miles) from my home, on a school night, I corralled two of my dear friends to accompany me and attended. The workshop was hosted by the cooperative extension office, which is a fabulous resource. Nationwide, universities have extension offices that basically offer education in a very wide range of topics for free or cheap to adults. The availability of programs ranges widely with some counties having super up to date websites and tons of programs from crafts, food, garden, livestock, health, and more to some little counties with just a few programs and understaffed offices. Your local extension office could be a wealth of Domestic Wildflower-themed information and I encourage you to investigate your nearest office.

The fermenting workshop was particularly interesting to me because fermentation is something I have really wanted to learn more about but was a bit hesitant to try on my own. I made my first batch of sauerkraut this winter with the help of the GoFerment lid (which I love) with great success and our weekly, toddler-requested hot dogs were greatly improved as a result. Beyond that, the realm of zymology got a bit fuzzy for me and in a classic flaw of my personal character, I didn’t experiment further because I only like to do things I am good at.

I was also excited for this workshop because the featured teacher was the authoress of “Fermented Vegetables,” Kirsten Shockey. I thought to myself that I HAD to attend this workshop because when in the heck else would I get to meet a published author of a super rad book, on a topic that is hot hot hot, in my super remote slice of heaven on Earth? Participation was not optional.

Well, my friends and I drove across state lines, got Mexican food to go, and miraculously arrived on time to the workshop.

In the workshop, we learned about the basics of fermentation, saw several different types of recipes prepared, and were enlightened by several pearls of fermentation wisdom including the fact that fermented foods are much higher in vitamins than their unfermented counterparts. This is due to the fact that the vitamins are no longer bound to their cellulose walls once fermented, making the vitamins more accessible to our bodies. Fermented foods are more easily digested and contribute to overall digestive health, and cultures around the world known for longevity and overall good health consume fermented foods.

It is widely stated by the fermenting community (and I could find no evidence to dispute this claim) that no one has ever died from fermented foods. In some ways, fermenting is much easier than you might think because when the good bacteria are overcome, the result is food that you clearly and instinctively would not eat.

Thus, for those of us interested in cooking more at home, eating better, and creating more of what we enjoy, fermenting is a fun and safe avenue full of culinary delights.

At the end of the workshop, we were treated to a sampler of so many cultured foods I could never have tried them all. I personally gravitate towards fruit more so than pickles, and sweet more than savory, so I filled my plate with fermented rhubarb, apple, raisins, and the like, in addition to many delightful and totally unusual krauts and pickled vegetables.

In between sampling, I got to meet the lovely Fermentista herself and I can say without reservation she not only knows what she’s doing but she’s a kind, fun soul to boot. I also learned that I didn’t have to feel like I would never have a chance to meet her ever again because she actually lives in Southern Oregon, so that joke was on me. I am so glad I felt that way, actually, or I might not have rearranged childcare, Heaven, and Earth to attend.

Kirsten was kind enough to share a copy of her beautifully photographed, entirely comprehensive book (375 pages!) for one lucky reader. Remember, the giveaway rewards you for sharing with extra entries for you, so share away!

Enter to win the "Fermented Vegetables" cookbook!

Because of what I learned in the workshop, I felt inspired and excited to try a recipe from Kirsten’s blog for Chocolate Cranberry Mole. I have a real sweet tooth and this sounded weird and delicious and because it pairs with ice cream I was sold. Here is her recipe and I will note where I changed a few things; namely I used frozen cranberries instead of fresh.

Fermented Chocolate Cranberry Mole

1 pound cranberries (I used frozen- let them sit out and soften a bit before processing in the food processor)

1 cup dried cranberries (unsweetened)

1/2 cup dried cherries (unsweetened, and sub in more cranberries if you prefer)

5 tablespoons pasilla chile powder (2 ounces)

2 ¼ teaspoons cocoa powder

¾ teaspoon salt

½ cup fresh orange juice (I used bottled lemon juice and it turned out lovely but I bet orange would have been really good)

Process all ingredients in a food processor until a paste is formed. This ferment will not be wet the way sauerkraut would be and is in fact almost dry.

Press paste into a clean vessel (I used a quart mason jar, though it would have fit in a pint and a half jar), try your best to press tightly so air pockets are removed. Press plastic wrap against the surface and lid with a loose canning lid & ring or another fermenting lid (I used my GoFerment and it worked swimmingly).  Allow to sit on the counter and ferment for 7-10 days. Mine sat for 10. You know it is “done” when it has a lemon flavor and a whole new flavor is created. I tasted on day 5, 7, and 10, and I suggest you do the same just so you can taste how it changes. It is remarkable how it just happens overnight. Fermentation is magic, my friends, and Kirsten the Fermentista is a wizard.

Lid and store in the fridge with a round of wax paper atop the ferment, or store in a container just the right size for the amount of mole.

I served this with homemade vanilla ice cream made with homemade vanilla extract and together it is the perfect combination of spicy hot, chocolate and fruit, cool sweet, creamy and piquant. If you like Mexican Hot Chocolate cake, you’d love this ferment. Next, I want to try it on cheesecake 🙂

Oh, and it is THE most beautiful shade of red. No wonder it was featured at Valentine’s Day ferment.

Enter to win your copy of “Fermented Vegetables” here!

Enter to win the "Fermented Vegetables" cookbook!

Or, don’t risk missing out and grab your copy from Amazon from this affiliate link here!

Cheers to fermenting, Wildflowers! What ferments have you tried? Share in the comments below!  

Psst- one more thing! If the idea of preserving foods really lights your fire, I want you to check out my canning course, Start Canning, that will be ready in about 2 weeks! Sign up here to be the first to know and to download your checklist so you are ready to Start Canning!