Cookaholics Bulletin Board

My taste tests pretty much run against the 1 bean in a cup of vodka for good results. I have ended up using 30 grams of vanilla bean per cup and aging for 6 months to get full strength. We are on our 2nd or 3rd batch now. My wife goes through it like sailor on his first day ashore. In her defense, we also give it as a gift to our cooking/baking friends.

Tim, how do you do the double strength vanilla extract? Or is that purchased?

Steve,

Twice the quantity beans.

There is also vanilla bean paste which is also eazy make but requires Xylitol and a poppy seed grinder.

Vanilla bean Paste

Splits, chop and crushes the beans. Places them in a jar and barely covers them with Xylitol base, a liquid sugar "alcohol" which is very good for extracting flavor from the beans. Soak beans in the liquid for 4-6 weeks.

Then puts the beans and the liquid through a hand cranked poppy-seed grinder.

Rinse the grinder with a tablespoon or so of hot water to get as much of the residue from the mill as possible. Spread the "slurry" over the bottom of a Le Creuset (non-metlllic) pan. Places it over very low heat. Stir and fold it periodically with a silicone spatula until it has thickened to a paste consistency, i.e., when scraped off the bottom, it should stay in place, not collapse back into a puddle.

Store tightly sealed in an opaque glass or porcelain jar with the least amount of "head space" - do not store in metal, plastic or in crockery containers.

thanks Alina for the info and everyone else for the input.

Tim, there are many things I will make homemade. I think it's safe to say that based on your description, vanilla paste will never be one of them. Must get hubby to go to TJ's in Chicago to look for it for me.

I tried to make vanilla extract following e gullet but not heating the vodka. Just never got to a decent strength. I used plenty of really good madagascar bourbon beans and calculated number of beans to quantity of vodka. In fact added more beans. Any idea why it doesn't seem like masseys?

phoenix, we did heat the vodka, but I do not know that is essential. How long did you let your extract mature? Did you shake it occasionally? And what amount of beans did you use per cup (250 ml)?

We split the beans, sometimes we scrape, but the last time we did not. We use at least 30 grams per cup (250 milliliters of alcohol) and the standard 750 milliliters will get 90 to 100 grams added to the heated alcohol. We shake daily though that quickly falls to weekly or so. I will use a bit after 90 days, but I do not consider it "fully developed" for 6 months. I have 3000 milliliters that I started in May, so it will done toward the end of October, in time for the holidays and maybe Nov 1 & 2, All Saints and All Souls Day which play a very important role in Filipino family culture.

Hi Steve,
It's been over 6 months. probably didn't shake as often as I might have. I don't remember percentage of beans to vodka, but I definitely added more than e gullet suggested and CI. I should check it again and see. Maybe its my tastebuds or something, or I'm used to the additives in the commercial stuff...Thanks for weighing in.
Nancy

In order to be called “vanilla extract” in the US, the USDA requires a solution that is at least 35% alcohol and vanilla bean concentration of 100 grams per liter.

My last batch of vanilla beans averaged about four grams each, so a liter of vodka would require about 25 beans to be called extract.

Based on my tests, one bean per 6 oz, of vodka makes a barely passable brew that is barely worth the time.

At three beans [12-15] grams per 250 ml of vodka, the extract is pretty good, but can be improved upon by doubling the vanilla to 6-8 beans [25-30 grams] per 250 ml as Steve reported.

The best extract I have was made from 50 grams of beans to 400 ml of vodka. It has an aroma and flavor that is equal to the best commercial extract I have ever had.

In all the discussions of extract I have read here and at the CIBB, everybody who tested different concentrations has reported that you really do need get the concentration at or above the 100 grams per liter to make extract worth bragging about.

I've been making my own extract for a couple of years, and it's worked out great (Although my recipe isn't as scientific as Kenji's. I just pour a few inches out of a bottle of vodka and put in however many full beans, halved/scraped beans, and cut beans will fit without any of the liquid spilling out. Then into the closet it goes for a few months.) I go through a lot of vanilla so always have at least 3 bottles in various stages of "fermentation."

But have a new question (related to bean storage) I thought I'd throw out. In addition to my ongoing supply of extract, I also have a wide-mouth jar that I keep whole beans in for use in recipes that call for beans. I keep the jar full of homemade vanilla, which keeps the beans moist (obviously) and so they never dry out. When I need a bean for a recipe, I just snip off one end and the seeds come pouring out.

My question is, I saw this method of bean storage recommended in a new cookbook recently, but it said to keep the jar/beans in the refrigerator for almost indefinite storage. I've just always kept them in one of my kitchen cabinets. So I'm wondering if any of you more scientifically-inclined folks might have an opinion re: whether the refrigeration really matters. (My fridge is terribly cluttered already with bottles and jars of ingredients I've used just a time or two, surprise surprise ).

Thanks!

Since it is in liquid, the fridge might work well, though I don't know it would be essential. We don't store spirits in the fridge except for Vodka and that is more a cultural thing than a preservation thing. Storing beans by themselves in a fridge is reportedly a no-no since that dries the beans out, exactly what we do not want to do.

Tim, when we get back in the States, I may try the vanilla paste out but here it is too problematic to assemble the necessary items, particularly since I'm awash in top quality beans and pretty decent extract.

Thanks, Jim. I'll calculate again. It truly seems to me that I put a great many beans into a liter of vodka. I'll try again though.
Nancy