How to make your own vanilla extract
13.7 years ago cheap, storing, vanilla, vodka
Every time I buy vanilla I always have to stare at the bottles for a few minute contemplating if I should pay the extra cost for “Pure Vanilla” versus the imitation stuff. Provided the real stuff costs 15 times more than the fake stuff when I walk away with my little eye dropper worth of pure vanilla extract for the small fee of $7.99. Just for the record that equates to $638.72 per gallon, which makes gasoline look pretty cheap.
The last time I made this purchase I decided this is the last time I would be buying vanilla and in the future I would simply make my own. After looking into the process I was blown away by how simple it was. Take some vanilla beans seep them in some alcohol and wait until it looks like vanilla. There are many advantages to making your own vanilla first of which is cost. For the same $7.99 I purchased 2 ounces of vanilla for I can make 12.68 ounces of my own. Another great benefit is as soon as you start looking for vanilla beans online you will see there are many different types to choose from creating your own special blends using beans from different areas as well as a variety of alcohol to infuse it in.
Many recipes I came across describe how to make super high concentration versions that require to to reduce your usage by quarter or half. I decided to attempt to make some single strength vanilla so mine should be similar to that purchased in the stores. I confirmed that commercial vanilla extract has 13.35 oz. of vanilla beans per gallon of alcohol. Provided I am using 375 ml of alcohol in my batch I would need 1.33 ounces of vanilla beans which equates to approximately 2.5 vanilla beans, which I picked up for $2.99 for 3 pods. Next was alcohol choice, for this you want something about 70 proof (35% alcohol) some obvious choice in this range are vodka, rum, or bourbon. With a desire to keep costs low and a desire to be able to see how the liquid’s color changed I went with the second cheapest 375 ml bottle of vodka I could find (I splurged and spent the extra 50 cents).
Step 1: As mentioned above the process is very easy, you start by splitting the vanilla beans lengthwise.
Step 2: Take the split beans and cut them to one inch lengths.
Step 3: Insert cut beans into bottle of vodka
Step 4: Shake bottle (when you think about it)
Within a few days your alcohol will begin to get dark and have a nice vanilla smell, but keep holding out for the good stuff.
After about a month your vanilla should be fully infused and have some vanilla with approximately the same strength as the expensive stuff you buy in the store at a fraction of the cost.
Now at this point you have a couple options:
Option #1: Screen out the vanilla beans (and fragments) and if beans (after dried)are still fragment place them into a sealed container with a few cups of sugar to make your own vanilla sugar.
Option #2: Let the vanilla to continue to infuse and have progressively stronger vanilla. For super flavor shake before using to get some of the bean fragments into your measurement.
Option #3: Top off the bottle with alcohol after use to have a nearly endless supply of vanilla. Eventually you will need to add a couple more beans.
Since alcohol is naturally a great preservative, if you keep your vanilla out of light (or in a dark glass container) it should be good for about 5-6 years without losing too much flavor.
How to store your Fruits and vegetables
13.9 years ago corn, herbs, peas, peppers, spinach, storing, tomato, vegetables
Whether it is to preserve your harvest from your garden or to help extend the life of the expensive produce you purchased from your local grocery store or farmers market, a little knowledge can help keep your veggies tasty and even stretch out a couple of extra days before becoming compost.
The basic idea is pretty simple, think about where your produce is stored in the grocery store and then do the same thing at home. For example they store carrots in a refrigerated display case…so you should store yours in your refrigerator. They store their onions at room temperature so you would think it would be best to do the same…reality is they are best to be stored between 55-65 degrees. During the winter time my room temperature is probably in the top part of that range but majority time my indoor temperatures will be much higher. Depending on the age of your house, you may have a root cellar which helps to create these ideal conditions for that pesky produce that is too cold in the refrigerator but too warm in a heated house. For the rest of us find a nice cool location in your house such as garage or spot next to a window (at least during the wintertime) otherwise you may be reducing the quality and viability of your produce.
Below is a list of the recommended storing temperatures for fruits and vegetables:
Vegetables
| Refrigerator (32-36°F) |
Root Cellar (55-65°F) |
Room Temp (55-70°) |
|
| Artichokes |  |
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| Arugula | |
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| Asparagus — submerged in water | |
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| Beets | |
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| Bok Choy | |
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| Broccoli | |
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| Brussel Sprouts | |
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| Cabbage | |
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| Carrots | |
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| Cauliflower | |
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| Celery | |
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| Corn | |
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| Cucumbers | |
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| Eggplant | |
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| Fava beans | |
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| Fennel | |
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| Garlic |  |
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| Greens (Kale, Chard, Collard Greens) | |
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| Green Beans | |
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| Green Onions (sealed bag) | |
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| Herbs (submerge in glass of water) | |
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| Leeks | |
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| Lettuce | |
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| Mushrooms (I know, not a vegetable) | |
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| Onions | |
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| Parsnips | |
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| Peppers | |
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| Potatoes | |
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| Radishes | |
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| Rutabaga | |
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| Snap Peas | |
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| Spinach | |
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| Summer Squash | |
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| Sweet Potatoes | |
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| Tomatoes | |
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| Turnips | |
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| Winter Squash | |
FRUIT
| Refrigerator (32-36°F) |
Cool Place (45-50°F) |
Room Temp (55-70°) |
|
| Apples | |
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| Avocadoes | |
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| Bananas | |
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| Cranberries | |
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| Figs | |
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| Grapefruit | |
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| Grapes | |
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| Kiwis | |
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| Lemons | |
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| Limes | |
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| Mangos | |
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| Melons | |
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| Nectarines | |
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| Oranges/Mandarins | |
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| Peaches | |
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| Pears | |
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| Plums | |
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| Pomegranates | |
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| Rhubarb | |
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| Strawberries | |
