DIY Vanilla

Remember in the last post how I mentioned taking things in baby steps?  I had always wanted to make my own vanilla because the ingredients in store bought imitation vanilla extract are not healthy for you (look it up!) and the store bought vanilla extract (the real deal) was way too expensive.  With all the baking our oldest daughter does we go through it like water!  So thankful for Mountain Rose Herbs!  I got some wonderful dried vanilla beans there!

The steps are so super easy!  Let me walk you through them! Ready?  (First off, let me apologize for my atrocious cutting board.  That puppy is over 15 years old.  I bought these cutting boards and I can't wait to get them in the mail! UPS man should be coming today with them!  Woohoo! Anyway...)

Let the mixture steep for a couple months (Patience required here, sorry.)  Be sure to shake it ever few days. Or if you have shake-happy children, then every few hours. You will have little bits and pieces in your vanilla in the form of seeds or itty bitty pieces of the outside, but if that bothers you then just strain the vanilla extract through a fine mesh strainer into another jar and pitch the bean along with the bits and pieces.

Enjoy something that you made with your own hands!