FOOD NEWS
Ina Garten's Homemade Vanilla Extract Is Actually 37 Years Old
BY ADDISON PAUL
Pure vanilla extract is super rich but costs much more than artificial extract. Ina Garten’s solution is to make pure vanilla extract at home for the best quality at a low cost.
Ina Garten started her vanilla extract 37 years ago with only vanilla beans and cheap vodka. Her recipe tells you to put 12 vanilla beans in a jar and fully submerge them in vodka.
Bathing the beans in alcohol literally extracts flavor from vanilla seeds to infuse the liquid with an intense, concentrated taste.
Let your homemade vanilla extract sit at room temperature for four to six months, or if you're in a hurry, a sous-vide water bath could expedite the steeping process.
Ina Garten adds her aged vanilla extract and vanilla bean pod seeds to her desserts for a truly rich flavor you can’t get from artificial extract.