Homemade Vanilla Food

HOMEMADE VANILLA

Steps:

• Submerge vanilla beans in vodka and store in a cool, dark place for several weeks, shaking occasionally.

VANILLA EXTRACT

Steps:

• Combine the vanilla beans and vodka in a jar tall enough to hold the vanilla beans. Allow the mixture to sit at room temperature for at least a month until the vodka becomes vanilla extract and the beans are soft enough to cut the end and squeeze the seeds out. Add more vanilla or beans, as needed. The extract can sit at room temperature indefinitely.

HOMEMADE VANILLA ICE CREAM

Steps:

• Whisk the cream, milk, sugar, vanilla and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Beat the egg yolks in a medium bowl. Slowly whisk 1 cup of the hot cream mixture into the beaten yolks, then pour back into the saucepan, whisking, and return to medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the mixture thickens, coats the spoon and reaches 180 degrees F on a thermometer, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from the heat and strain the custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl or measuring cup; discard the solids. Stir often until the mixture cools to room temperature. Lightly press plastic wrap directly against the surface of the custard to prevent a skin from forming. Chill until cold, about 3 hours. (For faster chilling, set the bowl of custard in a bowl of ice water and stir until cold.)
• Freeze the mixture in an ice cream machine according to the manufacturer's instructions. (Take care not to over-churn the ice cream or it can have a grainy texture.) Place the ice cream in the freezer to set up for at least 1 hour. Serve.

HOW TO MAKE VANILLA EXTRACT

Steps:

• Cut the vanilla beans in half lengthwise with scissors or a knife. Leave a bit intact at the end if desired. Cut the beans down to fit the height of your jar if necessary.
• Put the beans in an 8-ounce jar. Cover with the vodka. Screw the lid on and give it a good shake.
• Place in a cool, dark place. Let sit for at least 2 months. The longer the vanilla sits, the stronger the flavor will be. While it's sitting, give the jar a shake every week, or as often as you can remember.

HOMEMADE VANILLA EXTRACT

Steps:

• Place vanilla beans in a tall jar; cover with vodka. Seal jar tightly. Let stand in a cool dark place at least 6 weeks, gently shaking jar once a week.

HOMEMADE VANILLA EXTRACT RECIPE

Steps:

• Determine how much vanilla extract you would like to make. A standard 750 ml bottle of liquor contains slightly more than 3 cups of liquid. As a rule of thumb, 3-4 fresh vanilla beans will infuse nicely into 1 cup of alcohol.
• Use a sharp paring knife to split the beans. Place the vanilla beans into an impeccably clean glass bottle or jar with a tight-fitting lid.
• Pour alcohol of choice into the container-as an alternative, you can also drop the beans into a bottle of vodka or bourbon-just make sure the beans are completely submerged.
• Seal jar or bottle tightly then store in a cool, dry place for at least 12 weeks. Once a week, give the bottle a good shake to disburse and diffuse the vanilla beans. The vanilla flavor will intensify the longer the beans remain in the solution.
• Download the vanilla extract label printable and open in Adobe Reader. Print and cut out the labels where indicated and attach to bottles. Funnel prepared extract into individual bottles, including the beans if desired. Seal well. The extract will keep indefinitely at room temperature! Enjoy!

HOMEMADE VANILLA EXTRACT RECIPE

Steps:

• Have a clean 8 ounce bottle handy with a fitted lid.
• Gently slice vanilla lengthwise in half, no need to scrape. Place beans in jar. Fill with vodka. Shake. A funnel will make filling the jar easier.
• Always keep the vanilla beans covered with alcohol. You cut the beans into smaller pieces to fit the jar if necessary.
• Shake every week. Allow at least 8 weeks, at this point the majority of the curing process has happened.

HOMEMADE VANILLA EXTRACT

Steps:

• Cut the vanilla beans in half so they will fit in the bottle. If desired, split the beans down the middle with a sharp knife. (You can do this to create more of a speckled look in your extract, although we have never noticed a significant difference in the outcome of flavor by splitting the beans).
• Add beans to bottle.
• Add vodka until full.
• Cap bottle and store in a cool, dark place for 8-12 weeks for full flavor to develop.

VANILLA EXTRACT RECIPE

Steps:

• Slice vanilla beans in half lengthwise to reveal inside of beans. Cut if needed to make them fit into your jar.
• Place them in a tall glass jar.
• Pour the alcohol of choice over the beans.
• Cap tightly and shake gently.
• Store in a cool, dark place for at least a month, shaking occasionally. I prefer to leave 2-3 months for best flavor.

HOMEMADE VANILLA EXTRACT

Steps:

• Using a sharp knife, slit the vanilla beans so the beans are exposed. No need to completely split the bean in half, just slit down the middle. If the length of the vanilla beans don't fit into your bottle or jar, cut the vanilla beans into smaller pieces. Place beans into bottle or jar.
• Pour vodka on top. A funnel helps. Use a little extra vodka, if needed, so the beans are fully submerged. Shake a few times.
• Store vanilla at room temperature out of direct sunlight. Shake about once per week or once every couple weeks. Vanilla can be ready to use in as little as 8 weeks, but I recommend at least 6 months for optimal flavor. 12+ months is great!
• As you begin to use your vanilla, you can refill with a little vodka each time. Give it a shake after you refill and give it a shake before each use, too. If you're gifting the vanilla or if you don't have any more alcohol to refill, remove the beans completely after first use. The beans will become a little slimy if they aren't almost fully submerged.
• Unused aged vanilla extract (with the beans fully submerged) will last several years. If it still smells good, it's still good to use! Aged extract without the beans will last indefinitely. Once you begin using the vanilla and adding more alcohol after each use, the beans will eventually need to be replaced. It's hard to give a specific amount of time as some may use (and refill) the vanilla more quickly than others. After about 1 year of frequent use and refilling, you will you find the vanilla flavor less intense. Simply remove old beans, add fresh beans, shake, and continue to use/refill.

HOMEMADE VANILLA EXTRACT

Steps:

• Cut the vanilla beans in half crosswise, then use a sharp knife to cut a slit down the center of each and open.
• Place the alcohol in your jar, then add the vanilla beans and secure the lid tightly.
• Store in a cool, dark place for 8 weeks, shaking the bottle from time to time.
• After 8 weeks the extract is ready to use, and you can remove the beans and use elsewhere. (I leave the beans in which intensifies the flavor over time)

HOMEMADE VANILLA CREAM

Steps:

• Put all the ingredients in a sauce pan including the empty vanilla bean. Whisk it well together.
• Heat up on medium heat, while whisking constantly, until the cream is boiling and getting thicker.
• When the cream has your preferred consistency; take it off the heat and pour it in a bowl.
• Remove the empty vanilla bean and let the cream cool off.

VANILLA MILKSHAKE

Steps:

• Blitz the ice cream, milk and vanilla extract in a blender until combined and creamy. Pour into a large jug.
• Dip the rims of four glasses in the melted white chocolate, then some sprinkles, if you like. Leave to set slightly, then divide the milkshake between the glasses. You can customise your shake with different toppings, such as mini cookies, marshmallows, pretzels, sweets and squirty cream.

HOMEMADE VANILLA EXTRACT

Steps:

• Place the vanilla beans in the bottle of vodka and seal. Store in a cool, dark area such as a kitchen cabinet for 3 weeks, shaking the bottle every week. Three weeks is the minimum, store it 6 months for the best flavor. After using, replace with more vodka. The same beans will continue to flavor the vanilla for up to a year.

HOMEMADE VANILLA EXTRACT

Steps:

• Roughly chop 4 scraped vanilla pods and pack into a smallish jar or bottle. Fill with alcohol, about 40% proof (I used 100ml white rum to four pods; vodka would also be good), and seal well. Shake daily. The extract is strong enough to use after just one week, but will benefit from a month of steeping. Store in a cool, dark place.

BASIC VANILLA FROSTING

Steps:

• Combine ingredients and beat on medium speed until smooth and fluffy.