What makes homemade vanilla extract so much better than "store bought"? First, you have control over the quality and type of vanilla used in the extract. Using premium grade vanilla beans will provide significantly better flavor and aroma than commercially produced extracts ...What makes homemade vanilla extract so much better than "store bought"? First, you have control over the quality and type of vanilla used in the extract. Using premium grade vanilla beans will provide significantly better flavor and aroma than commercially produced extracts.
Making vanilla extract is fun and simple with this infusion kit! Simply take the 7 whole vanilla beans out of your infusion kit, split each bean lengthwise and add 8 ounces of 35%+ alcohol (not included). Any type of alcohol can be used, but bottom shelf vodka is most common because it will not add any additional flavors to the extract. Bourbon, rum and brandy can also be used.
After 8 weeks, the vast majority of the extraction process is complete. At this point the the vanilla is ready to use and the vanilla beans can be removed. If the vanilla beans are left in the bottle, the flavor will continue to evolve (just be sure the beans are always submerged in alcohol).