Step 1

1 Grab an airtight, wide-mouth glass jar, about a quart, and set it near your work space

Step 2

2 Using a sharp paring knife, split the beans lengthwise

Step 3

3 Any vanilla seeds that get stuck on the blade, transfer them to the jar

Step 4

4 Place the split vanilla beans in the jar and add enough vodka to cover

Step 5

5 Close the lid, and put away for at least 1 month in a cool, dark place, until the liquid becomes vanilla extract

Step 6

6 It’s best to give the jar a gentle daily shake; in time you’ll see the liquid turn darker, with more of the vanilla flavor leaching out and coloring the liquid

Step 7

7 (This will be harder to tell with darker spirits, such as bourbon or brandy, but you should still expect to see darkening

Step 8

8 ) The extract will be ready when the liquid turns inky-dark and fragrant

Step 9

9 Use as needed

Step 10

10 NOTES: If you want to a different amount of vanilla extract, a general guideline is 1 vanilla bean per 2 to 3 ounces (90 milliliters) of spirit

Step 11

11 For a never-ending supply the extract, top off with a spirit and fresh vanilla beans as needed, adding proportional amounts of each

Step 12

12 Depending on how much or little you add, you may want to wait a week or so before using your extract, or if the amount is a third of the jar or less, you can use it right away

Step 13

13 After your extract has steeped, you can remove the split beans and use them elsewhere as you normally would, scraping off the vanilla seeds and adding them to your sweet goods

Step 14

14 When you’re completely done with a vanilla bean (i

Step 15

15 e, it has been used in extract and you have scraped out the seeds for other purposes), give the remaining pod a quick rinse, pat it dry and store in your sugar canister to make vanilla sugar

Step 16

16 Base ingredients too variable for meaningful nutritional analysis