In our previous blog posts, we’ve explored the fascinating world of premium vanilla beans, from the different grades we offer to how each growing region creates a unique flavor profile. Now, let’s unlock one of the most rewarding ways to use these incredible beans: making your own vanilla extract.
This simple, hands-on project allows you to capture the exceptional flavor of our beans in a versatile liquid form. It’s not only a fantastic way to elevate your baking, but it also makes for a thoughtful and truly special homemade gift.
Why Make Your Own Extract?
Making your own vanilla extract offers several advantages:
Exceptional Flavor: You control the quality of the ingredients, starting with our hand-selected vanilla beans.
Customization: You can choose your preferred vanilla origin to create a custom flavor profile. For example, Ugandan beans offer exceptional strength and depth of flavor for extract making , while Madagascar beans provide the classic flavor we all know and love.
A Perfect Gift: Bottled in a beautiful jar with a custom label, homemade vanilla extract is a heartfelt gift for any home baker or cook.
What You’ll Need
-Vanilla Beans: We recommend using our Extract Grade Vanilla Beans, which are slightly drier but offer incredible flavor and value for this purpose.
-Alcohol: Choose a clear, neutral-flavored alcohol like vodka for a classic vanilla extract, or choose a darker alcohol like whiskey or bourbon to add sweet, smoky, or complex notes to the extract. Based on your personal preference, you can also use other alcohol like rum.
-Glass Jars or Bottles: Make sure they are clean, dry, and have an airtight seal.
-Paring Knife: For slicing the beans.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Prep Your Beans: Use a sharp paring knife to carefully split each vanilla bean lengthwise, leaving about half an inch intact at the top. This exposes the tiny black seeds and allows the alcohol to circulate and extract the flavor more efficiently.
Combine Ingredients: Place the sliced beans in your glass jar. Pour your chosen alcohol over the beans, ensuring they are fully submerged. A standard ratio is about 1 oz of beans per cup (8 oz) of alcohol. For example, if one uses a quart of alcohol:
| Extract Strength | Vanilla Bean Weight |
| Single-Fold (Coop Formula) | 4 oz per quart (32 fl oz) |
| Double-Fold (Coop Formula) | 8 oz per quart (32 fl oz) |
Store & Wait: Store your sealed jar in a cool, dark place, such as a pantry or cupboard. Shake the jar once a week to help the infusion process.
Patience is a Virtue: The extract will begin to take on a beautiful golden-brown color in a few weeks, but for optimal flavor, we recommend letting it age for at least six months. The longer it sits, the more complex and delicious the flavor will become.
Level Up: The Double-Fold Extract
For a more concentrated vanilla extract, simply increase the number of beans. Our liquid vanilla extract is available in both a standard single-fold and a double-fold solution, which is twice as concentrated. You can easily replicate this at home by using twice the amount of vanilla beans per cup of alcohol.
The Perfect Gift Idea
When your extract is ready, you can pour it into smaller bottles for gifts. Add a beautiful label with the date and the type of vanilla bean you used. For a rustic touch, you can even leave a whole vanilla bean in each bottle.
Your vanilla journey has just begun. Ready to start your first batch of homemade vanilla extract? Browse our collection of Extract Grade Vanilla Beans from Madagascar and Uganda to get started!