OT (sorta) Pure vanilla extract

Village Idiot

In reading my new favorite book, Chef Folse's The Encyclopedia of Cajun and Creole Cuisine (thank you Nolaegghead), I read that unless you buy very expensive vanilla extract, you are probably buying extract from the tonka bean, which has a very vanilla aroma but very little taste.

However, it is quite easy to make.  Buy 750 ml of Jack Daniels (you can use bourbon, brandy, or vodka), add the scrapings from 6 vanilla beans.  Also add the bean itself, cut into 1 inch pieces.  Tightly seal and keep for 6 months (the longer the better - like a fine wine), shaking it every once in a while.  It will keep forever, non refrigerated.  At the end of 6 months, you can strain out the vanilla beans with a coffee filter.

I've had mine going for about a week, and it already smells like wonderful vanilla.  Still a hint of the Jack Daniels .... which isn't a bad thing.  I can only imagine how good it will be in 6 months.

P.S.  I found the cost of vanilla beans to be all over the map.  If you buy from Whole Foods or CM, you'll pay about $7 per bean.  Penzy's had them - 3 beans for $9.xx

FanOfFanboys

Wow. I am doing this.

nolaegghead

glugg glugg glugg....and a little dash in the cookie dough....glugg glugg glugg

win-win!

fishlessman

go add some cherries right now, those pickled red ones, fresh cherries turn brown.
or do another batch

Village Idiot

fishlessman said:

go add some cherries right now, those pickled red ones, fresh cherries turn brown.
or do another batch

What do the red cherries do?

travisstrick

Yep, I'll be doing this. Thanks Gary. 

fishlessman

every other day flip the jar and eat one, the cherries are addicting, the jar with the cherries tastes different than the vanilla one but you can still work with it. if i remember you can also do a cherry vanilla kalhua. you want one jar with cherries so that you get into a routine of flipping the jars, dont understand the shaking, simply flip them upsidown one day, up right the next. i did several jars of cherries a few years back, jack, makers mark, rum, vodka, when they are done, they are gone

Village Idiot

fishlessman said:

every other day flip the jar and eat one, the cherries are addicting, the jar with the cherries tastes different than the vanilla one but you can still work with it. if i remember you can also do a cherry vanilla kalhua. you want one jar with cherries so that you get into a routine of flipping the jars, dont understand the shaking, simply flip them upsidown one day, up right the next. i did several jars of cherries a few years back, jack, makers mark, rum, vodka, when they are done, they are gone

That sounds like a specialty batch.  I wouldn't want to do that with my main vanilla batch, but it sounds good for a cherry buzz.

I don't "shake" the extract.  I have it in the original Jack Daniels bottle, and I turn it upside down for a few seconds, then upright it again.  That lets the beans, etc. move around and penetrate the JD more.  Then, back into the dark closet, where I have my batch of Lemoncello going too.

travisstrick

Village Idiot said:

fishlessman said:

every other day flip the jar and eat one, the cherries are addicting, the jar with the cherries tastes different than the vanilla one but you can still work with it. if i remember you can also do a cherry vanilla kalhua. you want one jar with cherries so that you get into a routine of flipping the jars, dont understand the shaking, simply flip them upsidown one day, up right the next. i did several jars of cherries a few years back, jack, makers mark, rum, vodka, when they are done, they are gone

That sounds like a specialty batch.  I wouldn't want to do that with my main vanilla batch, but it sounds good for a cherry buzz.

I don't "shake" the extract.  I have it in the original Jack Daniels bottle, and I turn it upside down for a few seconds, then upright it again.  That lets the beans, etc. move around and penetrate the JD more.  Then, back into the dark closet, where I have my batch of Lemoncello going too.

Now I know were else to look when I come to steal your Nikon 300   :ar!

Village Idiot

travisstrick said:

Now I know were else to look when I come to steal your Nikon 300   :ar!

That's Nikon D300 to you, Gomer.

nolaegghead

travisstrick said:

Village Idiot said:

fishlessman said:

every other day flip the jar and eat one, the cherries are addicting, the jar with the cherries tastes different than the vanilla one but you can still work with it. if i remember you can also do a cherry vanilla kalhua. you want one jar with cherries so that you get into a routine of flipping the jars, dont understand the shaking, simply flip them upsidown one day, up right the next. i did several jars of cherries a few years back, jack, makers mark, rum, vodka, when they are done, they are gone

That sounds like a specialty batch.  I wouldn't want to do that with my main vanilla batch, but it sounds good for a cherry buzz.

I don't "shake" the extract.  I have it in the original Jack Daniels bottle, and I turn it upside down for a few seconds, then upright it again.  That lets the beans, etc. move around and penetrate the JD more.  Then, back into the dark closet, where I have my batch of Lemoncello going too.

Now I know were else to look when I come to steal your Nikon 300   :ar!

Don't forget to hit up the gun safe bolted to the concrete.  The combo is Pam's b-day.

travisstrick

Village Idiot said:

travisstrick said:

Now I know were else to look when I come to steal your Nikon 300   :ar!

That's Nikon D300 to you, Gomer.

I'll steal that too.

fishlessman

Village Idiot said:

fishlessman said:

every other day flip the jar and eat one, the cherries are addicting, the jar with the cherries tastes different than the vanilla one but you can still work with it. if i remember you can also do a cherry vanilla kalhua. you want one jar with cherries so that you get into a routine of flipping the jars, dont understand the shaking, simply flip them upsidown one day, up right the next. i did several jars of cherries a few years back, jack, makers mark, rum, vodka, when they are done, they are gone

That sounds like a specialty batch.  I wouldn't want to do that with my main vanilla batch, but it sounds good for a cherry buzz.

I don't "shake" the extract.  I have it in the original Jack Daniels bottle, and I turn it upside down for a few seconds, then upright it again.  That lets the beans, etc. move around and penetrate the JD more.  Then, back into the dark closet, where I have my batch of Lemoncello going too.

the vanilla ones are the best, i have a couple cherry trees. im ok with the cherries going brown but the red jarred ones work out better. vanilla really makes it

Village Idiot

Fishlesman,

I know you're not trying to hijack the thread, but what you're talking about is entirely different than my original post.  I'm talking about pure vanilla extract.

Perhaps, you should start another thread.

fishlessman

wasnt hijacking, just suggesting a way to remember to flip the vanilla jar. its real easy to forget what your doing. wasnt hijacking at all

travisstrick

Most of you can consider yourselves reported. (Pure vanilla extract)

Tjcoley

Great idea VI.  I now know what a lot of family members are getting for Christmas.  

Village Idiot

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travisstrick

BLAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHA     ) ) )

Botch

) ) )

NibbleMeThis

I've known you could do this with vodka or grain alcohol but never even thought about bourbon.  I tried a vanilla agave recently and was amazed how great it worked in combination with savory meats.  I bet that vanilla/bourbon extract could be a powerful addition in a sauce. 

Thanks for posting the great tip!

DonWW

I am all over this.  One word has me a little confused, though.  "Scrapings."  Just to be clear, are you talking about scraping the outside of the bean, similar to the zest of a citrus fruit? 

FanOfFanboys

DonWW said:

I am all over this.  One word has me a little confused, though.  "Scrapings."  Just to be clear, are you talking about scraping the outside of the bean, similar to the zest of a citrus fruit? 

I think he is talking about splitting the bean and scrapping the inside.

Village Idiot

FanOfFanboys said:

DonWW said:

I am all over this.  One word has me a little confused, though.  "Scrapings."  Just to be clear, are you talking about scraping the outside of the bean, similar to the zest of a citrus fruit? 

I think he is talking about splitting the bean and scrapping the inside.

True.  The vanilla bean has a gooey like inside.  Split the bean down the middle (I used an Xacto knife), then scrape up the insides with a kitchen knife, and add it to the bourbon.  Then, cut the outside of the bean into small pieces and add it too.

billyray

Village Idiot

Here's a web site that has a bunch of vanilla varieties. Which do you think would be the best to use?

http://www.beanilla.com/vanilla/vanilla-beans?gclid=COXu57OakrMCFe57QgodG10ALw

Village Idiot

billyray said:

Village Idiot

Here's a web site that has a bunch of vanilla varieties. Which do you think would be the best to use?

http://www.beanilla.com/vanilla/vanilla-beans?gclid=COXu57OakrMCFe57QgodG10ALw

Billy,

I got the Madagascar vanilla beans at Penzey's.  They have both that and Mexican.  The Madagascar beans seamed a little flatter, and I thought I could scrape the insides better.  I don't know the others, but I'd stay away from the "Tonka".  The book I read said they have a great aroma, but not much taste.

bigguy136

I'm happy this thread came up. I got some "pure vanilla" from Mexico. What is the difference between pure vanilla and pure vanilla extract?

billyray

Found this on the internet.

The FDA has established that a gallon of Single-Fold Pure Vanilla Extract should contain the extractives of 13.35 ounces of beans at no more than 25% moisture content. After processing, the minimum alcohol content must be 35% and the vanillin content must be .11 grams per 100 ml. Anything less than these standards is labeled and classified as a Pure Vanilla Flavor, not as an extract.

http://www.arizonavanilla.com/Tutorial/whatisextract.html

 

berndcrisp

There is no such thing as 'french vanilla'.
Vanilla is a bean from an orchid found in Madagascar and Mexico, the Yucatan peninsula if my memory serves me correctly.
Made a liter of such 3 years ago, gets b

travisstrick

This looks like a pretty good deal..

http://www.amazon.com/Premium-Bourbon-Madagascar-Vanilla-Beans-beans/dp/B000ET4SM8/ref=sr_1_2?s=grocery&ie=UTF8&qid=1350870930&sr=1-2&keywords=vanilla+beans

DawgDays

travisstrick said:

This looks like a pretty good deal..

http://www.amazon.com/Premium-Bourbon-Madagascar-Vanilla-Beans-beans/dp/B000ET4SM8/ref=sr_1_2?s=grocery&ie=UTF8&qid=1350870930&sr=1-2&keywords=vanilla+beans

Wow. Well reviewed too.