The vanilla guide
Vanilla extract, and how to make your own
The most common way to cook with vanilla. Two ingredients, a jar, and patience.
Vanilla extract is vanilla beans soaked in alcohol and water until the alcohol has drawn out their flavour. In the United States, anything sold as pure vanilla extract must contain at least 35 % alcohol and be made with at least 13.35 ounces (about 380 g) of vanilla beans per gallon. You can make it at home with vanilla beans and vodka; it is ready in about two months and keeps for years.
On this page
What vanilla extract is made of
Pure vanilla extract is vanilla beans, alcohol and water. Some brands add a little sugar. The alcohol dissolves the vanillin and the many other aroma compounds in the beans, and keeps the extract from spoiling.
Imitation vanilla, often labelled “vanilla flavouring”, is usually water, synthetic vanillin and caramel colour. It tastes of one note, where real extract tastes rounder.
“Double-fold” extract is made with twice the beans for the same amount of liquid, so it is twice as strong.
How to make vanilla extract at home
Homemade vanilla extract
You need
- 6 vanilla beans, about 30 g (Grade B beans are ideal)
- 250 ml (1 cup) vodka, at least 35–40 % alcohol
- A clean glass bottle or jar with a tight lid
Method
- Split each bean lengthwise, leaving the ends joined, so the seeds are exposed.
- Put the beans in the bottle and pour in the vodka. The beans must be fully covered; cut them in half if the bottle is short.
- Close the bottle, shake it, and keep it somewhere dark at room temperature.
- Shake it once a week. The extract is usable after eight weeks and keeps getting better for six months or more.
- As you use it, top the bottle up with vodka and add a fresh bean now and then. The same beans keep giving flavour for a long time.
Vodka lets the vanilla speak for itself. Rum or bourbon also work and add their own flavour. Whatever you use, keep it at 35 % alcohol or more so the extract stays safe to keep.
Does vanilla extract go bad?
Pure vanilla extract does not go bad. At 35 % alcohol or more, nothing can grow in it. Kept tightly closed, away from heat and light, it lasts for years; the flavour may soften very slowly over time.
Dark specks or sediment at the bottom are bits of bean and are harmless. Imitation vanilla has less alcohol or none, and its flavour can fade within a few years.
How much to use
| If a recipe asks for | You can use instead |
|---|---|
| 1 vanilla bean | About 1 tablespoon (3 teaspoons) vanilla extract |
| 1 teaspoon vanilla extract | 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste |
| 1 teaspoon vanilla extract | The seeds of about a third of a vanilla bean |
| 1 teaspoon vanilla extract | About 1 small sachet (8 g) of vanilla sugar, less a little of the recipe’s sugar |
Add extract to batters and doughs with the other liquids. For custards and sauces, stir it in after cooking, off the heat: more of the aroma survives.
Questions
Does vanilla extract have alcohol in it?
Yes. Pure vanilla extract is at least 35 % alcohol by law in the United States. In baking much of it evaporates, though not all. If you want to avoid alcohol entirely, use vanilla beans, vanilla sugar or vanilla powder.
Which vanilla beans are best for extract?
Grade B, or extract grade, beans. They are drier, so a gram of them holds more vanilla, and their looks do not matter once they are in a bottle.
Is vanilla extract the same as vanilla essence?
Not always. In some countries “vanilla essence” means imitation vanilla made with synthetic vanillin. Check the label for vanilla beans and alcohol.
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