Darien of Pantry Hill shares the secret ingredient to improve any recipe or give as a gift.
Homemade vanilla extract is leagues more flavorful than the imitation version found in most grocery stores—and it’s incredibly simple to do yourself. It’s an ideal gift around the holidays when everyone is in the kitchen. “We make them in glass apothecary jars and simply drop them into little linen bags stamped with our logo,” Darien says.
What You’ll Need:
Fresh vanilla beans (You can find them in specialty grocers, but they’re cheaper to buy in bulk. Darien uses Madagascar Bourbon Beans from beanilla.com).
Medium-grade vodka (Darien recommends Tito’s)
Tools:
4 oz. glass amber bottles with lids. Darien buys them by the case on Amazon
4” x 6” linen bags, also purchased on Amazon.
Small funnel
What You’ll Do:
Cut each vanilla pod in half so they’ll fit in the jar. With a sharp knife, cut a shallow slit in each pod, exposing the seeds inside. Place three halves in each jar. Using a small funnel, fill each jar with vodka. Cap and shake. Let the jars rest for 6-8 weeks before using or gifting.
The gift that keeps on giving:
When you’ve used the full jar of extract, refill it with vodka and let it sit another 6-8 weeks. You can do this once before the beans begin to lose flavor. Or remove the pods and lay them out to dry. When completely dry, place them in an air-tight jar of sugar. Shake the jar and let it rest for a few weeks for vanilla sugar, which is delicious in tea and baked goods.
Darien enjoys displaying the bottles of vanilla in a variety of ways and says, “We put them in glass canisters and on platters for everyone to pick at whenever they want. Last year, I set up a dessert/coffee bar that I left out all season, and it was a big hit.”
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