Healthy Family Recipes

healthy family recipes

  • Recipes
    • Appetizers
    • Desserts
    • Entrees
    • Gluten Free
    • Side Dishes
    • Vegan Recipes
    • Vegetarian Entrees
  • Healthy Recipes
  • Apron Strings Cookbooks
  • About Apron Strings

Home Made Vanilla Extract – A Perfect Gift for the Bakers on Your list

December 3, 2012 By Donna 13 Comments

Vanilla Extract

The Perfect Holiday Gift for Bakers: Home made Vanilla Extract

As I handed this to a dear friend a few days ago her face lit up and she hugged me and said: “I will think of you each and every time I use this!”

THAT is what I was going for in making this gift from my kitchen this year: adding a little something special for my friends and family who bake at this time of year.

I used Beanilla and ordered their Madagasgar pods, which are about $1.00 each. You can go cheaper, but these are the most pungent beans, a plus if you’re making this late in the season – because they infuse their flavor quickly. You can choose another style – Tahiti beans are more floral; Mexican beans are more cinnamon-y.

Every site recommends a different amount of time for letting your beans steep – but most folks recommend 6 to 8 weeks minimum. But, don’t panic if you want to give these for Christmas – just attach a cut tag detailing when your extract will be most flavorful. I filled my jars at the beginning of November and the liquid is already getting dark and very potently vanilla.

Food bloggers are all over this fabulous idea. I was inspired by Food in Jars to make this gift. Pennies on a Platter has instructions as well as cute labels to print out. Alexandra of Alexandra’s Kitchen made her extract in the summer so it would steep until the holidays. Joy the Baker stashes her extract for eight weeks before using.

General ratio: 1 cup vodka for 2 beans. Slice your pods open lengthwise, stuff into your jars and fill with vodka. Then, be a hero to your favorite bakers!

Vanilla Extract

Gifts from Your Kitchen: Home made Vanilla Extract

— posted by Donna

Filed Under: Holidays Tagged With: DIY vanilla extract, gifts from the kitchen, home made vanilla extract, kitchen gifts, vanilla exract

BlogHer Ads

Shop and Support This Blog via Amazon Affiliates

Stay in touch with us on social media!

Boot Camp

We are Donna & Anne, a reunited birthmom and daughter. We share our love of cooking and eating good food with each other - and with you.

Sign up for email updates

Enter your email address:

Delivered by FeedBurner

Anne competing on Food Network’s Ultimate Recipe Showdown

We are members of

BlogHer.com Logo


Apron Strings Blog

Promote Your Page Too

We Support

All Photos & Original Text © Copyright: 2009-2015 by Apron Strings Blog. All Rights reserved. We love sharing on sharing on social media. When sharing our posts, please provide link to original post and credit the blog by name. We also ask that you not copy and paste recipe text when sharing. Thank you!