Vanilla Extract Recipe

I'm a very impatient guy, and I consequently consciously work at being more patient on a regular basis. One way I do this is to find long-term projects that just plain require me to sit tight and wait.

I don't know if you're into this kind of self-improvement or not, but if you are, you'll enjoy today's exercise in how to be patient while waiting for your homemade vanilla extract to age. :)

You see, it's easy to make vanilla extract, but you do have to wait four months for it to be ready.

Here's how you do it:

Visit your local package store and purchase at least 6 ounces of vodka. I don't know if it makes any difference if it's cheap or expensive vodka. I use the cheap stuff myself, but then I'm a tightwad. Don't open or nip at the vodka while driving home.

Once back inyour kitchen, get a vanilla bean and, using a sharp knife, cut it lengthwise.

Put the sliced vanilla bean and 3/4 cup of vodka in a jar. It's important that you completely cover the bean with vodka.

Seal tightly and then put the jar in a cool dark place for four to six months. Oh yes, shake the jar occasionally during this period.

This is where patience comes in.

One more thing...

Memory is involved here too because if you're forgetting things lately, you're bound to forget to shake the vanilla extract recipe that's percolating away in the dark corner of a cupboard somewhere.

So if your memory can't be relied on much more than to recall your name on a good day, make a notation on your calender every two weeks to shake the stuff and make another notation 4-6 months down the line to retrieve the vanilla extract located in the back of the top shelf of the canned refried bean section of your food cabinet.

If this sounds like a lot of hassle to replace store-bought vanilla extract, you're right. It does take some time and work. But it's also fun to make your own stuff like this.

Chet Day
Editor, The Natural Health Circus
http://chetday.com