{"id":1342,"date":"2017-05-22T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2017-05-22T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/toh.test.rda.net\/how-to-make-vanilla-extract\/"},"modified":"2024-10-07T05:54:34","modified_gmt":"2024-10-07T10:54:34","slug":"how-to-make-vanilla-extract-at-home","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/article\/how-to-make-vanilla-extract-at-home\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Make Vanilla Extract"},"content":{"rendered":"\"Vanilla\r\n\r\nWith hundreds of flavors of ice cream available, from mint chip to rocky road, surveys show that year after year, vanilla remains the popular favorite. It's one of the most loved flavors in the world-quite a feat for an ingredient as difficult to grow and harvest as vanilla.\r\n\r\nThe vanilla bean is a stalk of flowering orchids. The plants take two to three years to flower, and must be pollinated by hand for the beloved beans to develop. Once ready, the beans air-dry for a full month. The labor-intensive process is part of the reason vanilla can be quite pricey, but its myriad uses make it worth it. From adding signature flavoring to chocolate chip cookies<\/a> and classic frosting<\/a>, to creating surprising cameos in glazed veggies<\/a> and even turkey<\/a>, we find ourselves reaching for vanilla all the time.\r\n\r\nWhile we enjoy store-bought vanillas, making homemade vanilla extract is a great way to control the flavor of the extract-plus it's a great excuse to buy vanilla beans, which contribute flavor to the extract and then can be re-used for other purposes (we've got a whole list below). (Here are 45 other foods you're buying that you should consider making instead.<\/a>)\r\n\r\n \r\n

Choosing the Right Ingredients for Vanilla Extract<\/h4>\r\n \r\n\r\nHomemade extract uses only two ingredients: vanilla beans and alcohol. Your choice of what kind of each to use will impact the flavor, so let's take a quick look at your choices.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nWhat's the differe<\/strong>nce between vanilla bean varieties?<\/strong>\r\n\r\nThere are several varieties of vanilla beans, each with its own flavor profile. (They may have different price points as well, depending on availability.) Here are our favorites:\r\n