Jenn De La Creme

To make a proper vanilla extract it’s important to follow the correct ratio and time frame. According to FDA guidelines, you’ll want to use 13.5 ounces of vanilla beans for each gallon of liquor. In the interest of simplifying the math and improving my product, I use 1 ounce of beans for every 8 ounces of liquor.

What kind of beans should I use?

There are many different kinds of vanilla beans that are harvested all over the world. These beans can vary in size, shape, general appearance, and flavor. Certain liquors may compliment these varying flavor notes in different ways.

Some people like to cut the ends off of their beans, chop them into small pieces, split and scrape them, or simply use the whole beans. Any of these methods work perfectly fine, as long as the beans are ENTIRELY submerged for the entire time.

You should also note that while your beans are swimming, they will swell up with liquor. For this reason, I always extract in wide-mouth mason jars, then transfer after decanting.

What kind of liquor should I use?

The possibilities are endless. I like to use medium- high grade spirits for my extracts and infusions. You don’t necessarily have to buy the most expensive bottle, but the general rule of thumb is to stay away from anything that you’re not willing to drink by itself. Also, it’s VERY IMPORTANT to make sure that your alcohol is 70-90 proof. If it’s weaker, there will be a mold risk. If it’s stronger, you risk burning your beans. Either way, your batch will be destroyed.

Vodka is a popular choice because it will leave you with a clean extract that doesn’t have additional flavor notes. Because of this, it also takes less time than other spirits for a full extraction.

• Vodka: 12 months+
• White Rum: 15-18 months+
• Bourbon, Brandy, Dark Rum or other dark liquors: 24 months+

Do I really need to wait for a year?

If you want a proper extract, yes. There are ways to speed up the process, but I dislike the flavor that additional ingredients or even heat can add. Sometimes, good things are worth waiting for.

What happens if I don’t follow the correct ratio and timeline?

This happens to a lot of people, especially since there’s so much bad information out there. The vanilla bean has over 300 flavor components, which all extract at different times. If your beans aren’t fully extracted, then you’re only getting part of that flavor. If you’re not using enough beans, then that flavor will also be diluted.

What you’ve made instead is simply vanilla infused liquor, which can also be very delicious and useful.