This Vanilla Extract is a good homemade gift idea you can make with your kids, and can also be made a week from now without ever leaving your home! That's right -- the supplies can be ordered online, and then you will only need to wait a few days for them to arrive. The vanilla will, ideally, steep for a month -- it gets stronger the longer it sits -- but don't be put off at all by the timing: you could simply tie a little tag on each bottle with a date of first use, about a month from the bottling date.
What you'll need
- 2 or 3 vanilla beans (we used 2 1/2 beans per bottle)
- 1/2 cup of vodka
- kitchen funnel
- 1 cup measuring cup
How to make it
Give your kids a clean pair of scissors, and have them cut each vanilla bean in half lengthwise and then again crosswise, and stuff all the pieces into the bottle.
Now they can use a funnel to pour the vodka in. This is easiest to do if you have first measured it into a small, spouted measuring cup.
Settle your vanilla in a dark spot, and leave it for as long as you can, shaking it when you think to. When you're ready to give it away, attach labeled paint chips with clear packing tape, and tie on a festive ribbon. Makes one 4-ounce bottle.
