In our desire to start making as much product as we can homemade, we opted for something that could also double as presents! We LOVE vanilla extract so it was a natural choice. Not to mention how incredibly easy it is to make!
I’m hesitant to even call this a “recipe” as it’s truly THAT simple. The hard part is that it takes a long time before it’s ready. The mini bottles (3 or 4 oz) are perfect for holiday gifts for teachers, neighbors, and family. But also, how cute would all the ingredients to make this be for a gift for someone this holiday season? Then in turn, next Christmas, they could pass it forward and share the mini bottles as thier holiday presents?
What you need:
- 750ml bottle of at least 70 proof alcohol (vodka typically, or you can use bourbon or whiskey)
- Organic Grade A Madagascar Vanilla Beans
- 4 oz Swing Top Glass Bottles
What you do:
- Slice each bean longways
- Place 26 beans into the bottle (you will likely need to pour out about a shot of the alcohol to avoid overflow & leave room for shaking)
- we find it best to use this for a fun cocktail to make the process even better ; )
- Place in a cool dry area
- Shake once daily for the first week; then weekly after that
- It will be ready in about 6 months, however the flavor will be more robust after a year
Time for gifting & use!
- Use the tiny funnel to fill the smaller bottles
- Place 1-2 beans in each bottle
- Label the bottle with the date
- Use the bag and twine for a simple decoration before gifting or put in with other gift items
