So Jenn originally posted about this a couple weeks ago and I was intrigued. Well, and running out of the huge bottle of Mexican vanilla extract I got on my honeymoon over two years ago. She posted about this website that details the process of creating vanilla extract. I think my favorite part is that you can continually top of the bottle, giving yourself an indefinite supply of vanilla extract. I envision myself pouring off little vials of this vanilla and giving them as gifts to friends with the label ‘Beth’s Homemade Bourbon/Mexican Vanilla’, but that may be pretty silly. I purchased six vanilla beans (3 Bourbon and 3 Mexican) from Beanilla, a company that seems to have the largest selection and cheapest vanilla beans that I have ever seen. So, now the two 7oz bottles below are in the beginning stages of their journey to become vanilla extract. 
I’m pretty excited about it.
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Ohhhh…I wanted to do this too! However, I was unwilling to pay the outrageous price for vanilla beans at the store and haven’t had time to search for them online. I am glad you posted the link to the cheaper beans! Thanks…and looking forward to hearing how it does with the extract after it is done brewing.
Oooh I can’t wait to do this too! Where did you get the bottles? I love them!
This is cool. I saw a blog about this recently and thought it would be a great thing to do! Let us know how they turn out!
Very clever. Let us know how they turn out. How long does it take?
Jenn – I got the bottles from Sur la Table in the Domain. They were $5 each. I believe you can find them cheaper somewhere else, but I didn’t feel like searching and I know that I’ll use these for a long time (and they’re recycled)! They’re called Hermetic Glass Bottles.
Chance – I takes about 2 months (almost in time for Christmas cookies!). The Bourbon Vanilla is darkening at a much faster rate than the Mexican, so I’m wondering if it will be done quicker.
I just realized. . .this is kinda like a science experiment! Which vanilla extract will taste better and mature faster? . . . Only time will tell!
Container Store has a lot of bottles and jars that are pretty inexpensive. That is where I got my glass jars for deodorant.
Hey! We have vanilla from our honeymoon too. And…we’re running out. I dunno about waiting two months to get more, but then again – I don’t bake enough to use it that often – so maybe we COULD do it this way! Cool!
Claire – That’s kinda my thought process. It’s taken me over two years to use what we got on our honeymoon. . . I can wait two months for some more.
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