vanilla – it’s so easy to make your own!

In old medicinal literature, vanilla was described as an aphrodisiac and it was also used for the treatment of fevers (not scientifically proven). The essential oils present in vanilla beans are used in aroma therapy. The scent of vanilla has a calming effect that can complement traditional treatments for anxiety.

I discovered how easy it is to make vanilla extract when I was reading about Mexican vanilla and how some of it can not be imported into the states because of some chemical they use in the extraction. If you make your own, you can be confident of what is in it.

benefits of vanilla

In my research online I read that vanilla:
…is anti-bacterial
…fights cancer
…causes relaxation
…can be used to make a relieving bath soak that will help relieve tension in the body naturally
…can be used to treat nausea due to its ability to calm the nerves and stomach gently and rapidly
…is a natural antiseptic for cleaning cuts and scrapes
…is used by some women in herbal teas to help regulate their menstrual cycle
…can be used as a natural astringent to cleanse your skin
…is antiseptic and has antioxidants that help blemishes
…can be used in a bath to help relieve respiratory congestions by opening the airways
…in a warm bath can relieve the chills caused by a cold or flu
…is a natural aphrodisiac
…is, of course, a yummy flavoring.

Vanilla beans contain vanillin, caproic acid, eugenol, phenol ether, phenoles, carbonyl compounds, acids, esters, vitispiranes, lactones, and carbohydrates, aliphatic, B-complex, calcium, potassium, magnesium, manganese, zinc and iron. All these ingredients help relieve pain, aches, stress, anxiety, depression, gas, fatigue, nausea and vomiting.

So, after researching about how good vanilla is, it was pretty inspiring to learn how easy it is to make your own vanilla extract!

what you need to make vanilla:

• Glass jar or bottle (dark glass is best, but a clear glass jar can be kept in a dark cupboard)
• Vanilla beans (about 4 to 5 beans per cup of 80 proof alcohol)
• Vodka (80 proof—can also use other high proof alcohol like rum, bourbon, etc.)

how to make vanilla

You just slice the beans longways down the middle to open them up and put them in your jar. You can cut the beans into smaller pieces to fit into your jar if necessary. Add your vodka and keep your jar in a dark cupboard (if you have a dark glass jar it doesn’t need to be kept in the dark), and gently shake the jar every few days or so for 4 to 6 weeks. In a clear glass jar you will see the alcohol get darker as the days go by.

When the vanilla is ready you can make more from the same beans! Just pour off 80% of the vanilla into another dark glass bottle, and refill your jar with more vodka. I read the same beans can be used for years!

some interesting facts about vanilla

• it is 100% cultivated by hand
• vanilla is the fruit of an orchid!
• it is the 2nd most expensive spice after saffron
• the flowers open for just 1 day and must be pollinated by hand
• there is only 001% chance of natural pollination
• only one bee native to the Neotropics (Eulaema meriana) has been observed pollinating vanilla flowers
• Vanilla is also considered as mildly addictive

how vanilla beans are processed

• after 9 months on the vine, the green vanilla orchid fruits are picked, graded by size, and bundled
• when harvested, the beans do not yet have their vanilla scent or flavor
• the bundled beans are submerged in boiling water (or killed) to stop the ripening process and start the natural production of vanillin
• the blanched beans are wrapped in cloth and placed in wooden crates to sweat
• each day for 3 weeks they are removed, unwrapped and placed in the sun for several hours
• by this time the beans are very fragrant and black in color
• the pods are placed on drying racks and turned by hand every day for another 3 weeks
• then they are wrapped and crated for an additional 2 months

Wow…when you see what goes into producing vanilla beans you realize why it is pricey.

update

Since writing this post I have enjoyed my homemade vanilla so much and use it more than when I sparingly used my expensive store bought vanilla extract. After using my original beans several times it seemed the vanilla wasn’t as strong. So I bought some new vanilla beans and put them in a whole bottle of vodka and stored the clear glass bottle in a dark cupboard, shaking it every few days. That makes the procedure a little simpler, plus it makes enough vanilla that I have some to share with others. 🙂

Tags: Make Your Own, Vanilla Beans