After a few interesting days and a bad back, I'm able to pop in here and write up the vanilla tutorial. It makes SO much sense to make your own vanilla. The taste is incomparable, you save so much money in comparison, and it's so very easy.
Why not give it a try? I order my vanilla beans online. There are various sources. I got a great deal from Olive Nation, but there are many other places online. If you want organic, just put "organic vanilla beans" in your search engine.
OK, ready?
I get all my bits and bobs ready. You can see in the picture below that I have my vanilla beans (no, I didn't use them all LOL...I've planned ahead to make BUCKETS of vanilla!). I have a sharp knife, and a cutting board, and 100 proof vodka
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Take six vanilla beans, and, leaving the first inch intact, split them right down the middle. No scraping necessary, just split them. I've shown you the first one done. No need to be perfectionist about it, it doesn't have to be precise.
The last step is to put all the split vanilla beans into a canning jar, cover with vodka, put the lid on and let it sit in a dark cupboard for about 6 weeks, giving it a shake every now and again. If you look carefully, you can see small brown bits of vanilla floating around. At the end of the "brewing" time, you'll have the darkest, richest vanilla you could ever wish for! Also, as a gift idea, you can buy small brown bottles and share your vanilla with your friends. Don't forget to make some lovely homemade labels!
I hope you've enjoyed this tutorial. As with the last one, please comment when you've tried it and let me know how it went!
God bless!
Fiona
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