How to make homemade vanilla extract

Hi Steemians! I make a lot of things from scratch (because allergies; because it's cheaper; because I enjoy figuring out how to do things for myself), so I thought I would share some how tos.

So all you need for this is a cup of vodka (or rum), three vanilla beans, and a jar.

Normally, if your vanilla beans are fresh (you can bend them if they're fresh), you want to cut it lengthwise like this, leaving the ends connected, and bending it into the bottom of your jar, so that it's pried open and all the little vanilla bits are exposed.

But mine are old and hard, so this happened, and that's fine, because they'll still tincture even if they are dried out like that.

Put the bent or pieced beans in one cup (8 ounces) of vodka in your jar and lid it:

Then give it a good shake:

And leave it someplace where you'll see it and remember to give it a shake most days. Always make sure the beans are left under the alcohol instead of sticking out when you're done shaking so they don't mold, and keep it out of the sun.

Here you can see the jar that is done and I have been using for a while (canning jar), a jar that has been tincturing for about a month and a half (squareish jar), and the new jar. Let it tincture and shake for at least three months, and then strain out the beans. But those beans aren't done yet! Give them another use by burying them in sugar, and you get vanilla flavored sugar! Yum.

Thanks for reading!