This time around on Jill of All Trades, Jill shows us how to make homemade vanilla extract.

It’s super easy to make, great to have for yourself, and makes a thoughtful gift for your favorite baker or cook. The only hitch is you have to start way ahead of time, which is why now would be the perfect time to make it for a holiday gift at the end of the year.

[Catch Up on Previous 'Jill of All Trades' Episodes]

You’re going to need glass bottles that you can tightly seal, a good vodka, and vanilla beans. You can buy vanilla beans at gourmet markets but, Jill warns, they are pricey. You’ll do much better, she says, by finding them on Amazon. There, you can find bundles of various origin, size, number and grade. Madagascar and Tahiti are two of the better origins to look for when you’re searching. Some people prefer organic beans. You can find those on Amazon, as well.

Jill also bought her glass bottles on Amazon, the kind with the attached swing top lid. She says you may be able to find those locally, though.

Start with clean bottles. Then fill them nearly to the top with vodka. Jill says to use the best vodka you can afford. Once the vodka is in, it’s time to add the vanilla beans. Jill says to split the beans length-wise with a sharp knife. You should be able to see the little tiny vanilla bean seeds inside. Then, just pop the beans into the bottles and seal them up. Jill used about 6 beans per 8.5 ounce bottle. If you choose to use larger bottles, just add more beans accordingly, says Jill.

After she sealed up the bottles, Jill wrote the date she made it right on the bottle with a permanent marker. She also wrote the date that it would first be considered usable, which was 4 months after the sealing date. You may want to make some sort of label with that information for the bottle, especially if you’re going to be giving it as a gift.

Now, just set them on a shelf, and wait. You will notice the liquid getting darker over time. Jill says to give the bottles a gentle shake every couple of weeks or so, to help the process along.

The first batch that Jill had, was given to her as a gift. Even though the extract was considered usable after 4 months, Jill waited a year before she cracked into hers. By then, it was really dark and flavorful. Now she plans way ahead and has a batch “brewing” all the time. She also makes extra for gifts.

Once your bottle is empty, do not throw away the beans. Jill says that you can actually refill the bottle with fresh vodka and start another batch of extract. Or … you can use the beans to make vanilla bean paste which, Jill says, is “next level” for vanilla flavor.

She’s going to demonstrate how to do that on a future episode of Jill of All Trades.

Stay tuned!

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