Ingredients
Method
- Take each bean and cut it down the middle with a knife and scrape out the oh, so good stuff aka vanilla beans. This is where the magic comes from. Put the vanilla beans that you scraped off in the bottle along with the entire bean. You can also drop everything straight into the bottle of bourbon. That's what I do as I make a big batch.
- Put the lid on tightly and then get a sticky note and write the date that you made it. You’ll thank yourself later so you can remember how long it needs to cure. I let mine set for about 4-5 months but you can have a good bottle of vanilla in about 2-3 months.
- Put your bottle in a dark cabinet and shake it about once a week. In 2 months, it should be ready but the longer you let it sit, the darker and more richer it will become! You can transfer to a small jar for easier storage and then give some away for gifts.
Notes
1. Good quality bourbon or whiskey matters. I always look for a brand that’s made here in the USA. I’ve used Jack Daniels and Granny’s Reserve before and they make really good vanilla.
2. You will not taste the bourbon in your recipe. The only one where I get a faint taste is my whipped cream or homemade frostings but we love the taste combined with the vanilla beans.
3. Pay attention where you source your vanilla beans from too. You want quality beans as well, so you know they were raised sustainably.