Bo Friberg

Vanilla Extract

Preparation info

  • 1 quart

    • Difficulty

      Easy

Appears in
The Advanced Professional Pastry Chef
The Advanced Professional Pastry Chef

By Bo Friberg

Published 2003

  • About

Making your own vanilla extract is as easy as 1, 2, 3 — it merely requires advance planning. The two whole beans added at the end are purely for decoration, but the extract does make a great place to store them.

Ingredients

  • 8 long, soft vanilla beans
  • 1 quart (960 ml) good-quality vodka

Method

  1. Split 6 of the beans lengthwise, then cut them into small pieces.
  2. Put the vanilla pieces and the vodka in a jar with a lid and seal tightly.
  3. Let stand in a dark, cool place for about 1 month, shaking the bottle from time to time.
  4. Strain the liquid through a strainer lined with cheesecloth.
  5. Clean the bottle and return the vanilla ex