diy: Vanilla Valentine

Homemade Vanilla Extract

Valentine's Day is right around the corner and if you are looking for a sweet gift to make for your "food-loving-valentine" than this is a delight to make.  It is oh-so-pretty in it's presentation and it is also the kind of gift that keeps on giving.  Vanilla extract is particularly easy to make or should I say "assemble".  It is a wonder that more people don't make it themselves instead of buying the expensive supermarket substitutes that quite frankly -  are not so good. This does require a small amount of patience as the extract does have to sit on a shelf for approximately 2 months before it is ready yet it will only improve with age (like a fine wine) and it has an indefinite shelf life.

Flask Bottles from The Concord Shop

You will need some pretty bottles to hold your liquid gold or vanilla extract.  I found these lovely flask bottles for $4.99 a piece at my favorite kitchen store, The Concord Shop. You can get large bottles and then decant to smaller bottles if you are giving them out as gifts or you can start with a bottle that holds about a cup of liquid - a nice size for a generous gift of vanilla extract.

Gather your Ingredients

The ingredients for vanilla extract are few and fairly easy to source.  A liter of premium vodka, a small bottle of your favorite dark rum (optional) and good quality vanilla beans.  Remember quality always counts in cooking.  Always use wine and liquor that you would drink in your cooking - it ensures that the taste of your finished dish will be superb.  The same goes for making vanilla extract - use only premium liquor and vanilla beans and your gift will be a luxurious treat.

Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla Beans

I am using Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla Beans that I purchased at Whole Foods Market.  The "bourbon" in these vanilla beans refers to the Bourbon Islands in Madagascar and not the liquor.  

Vanilla Beans in Bottles

Clean your bottles before you use them.  I run them through a full cycle in the dishwasher.  Split your vanilla beans from top to bottom with a sharp knife  and place three beans in each of your bottles.  You will be using three vanilla beans to every one cup of vodka (or other liquor). 

Vanilla Extract by Me for You!

Use a funnel to pour one cup of vodka into each flask.  (if you prefer to use rum instead of vodka you can).  I am also adding one teaspoon of dark rum to each as well.  The usual recipe that I use is 1 cup of vodka to every 3 vanilla beans.  In the book, Gifts Cooks Love by Diane Morgan, she recommends using a dash of dark rum - so I think I'll try it for this batch.  Seal your bottles and then the fun stuff begins - presentation!  You know that presentation is everything to me ...

Preparing a wax seal for my bottles

I really want my gifts to look thoughtful and let's face it - a little decadent.  I am going to put a wax seal on each of the bottles to elevate my simple gift.  I am using a stick of sealing wax, a votive candle to melt the wax on a spoon and a wax seal to press into the melted wax.  Even though a wax seal seems to be from a bygone era - you can still purchase the seals and the wax sticks at quality stationary stores.  Paper Source, a favorite of mine, has many seals to choose from as well as a plethora of colored wax.  You can even put the wax sticks into a glue gun to make it that much easier.  I am sitting in my kitchen and have a votive candle at hand, so I am going to do it the old fashioned way ... 

Glue Dots

I am laying out a sheet of glue dots so I can make a sheet of wax seals that I can use not only for my bottles but for my valentine cards and some future art projects that I'm planning.  You will pour your melted wax onto each glue dot and then press your wax seal into the wax for about 30 seconds.  Gently remove your seal when the wax has cooled and hardened.  Your seal will remain on the glue dots and can be peeled off when needed.  It's back will be sticky from the dot and you'll be able to place it anywhere. 

Seal placed on Glue Dot

Strip of Wax Seals

I will use the wax seals for my bottled vanilla extract gifts and will also save some for future projects.  They are a great finishing touch for all your gifts or special cards.  You may want to add a dab of glue to the back of the seal if you are using it on a bottle so that you can be sure that it will hold otherwise the glue dot is strong enough for an envelope or paper box.  

Vanilla Extract with Seal

Tie some twine or ribbon around the neck of the bottle and press the seal (I placed a dab of super glue) onto the bottle.

Ready for Gift Giving

Do the same for all the bottles that you plan to give as gifts ...

Tag on Bottle

You will want to tie a small tag to the flask giving the date that the Extract was bottled.  Your vanilla extract will be ready in  approximately 2 months from the day it was bottled.  As I said earlier in the post, that vanilla extract improves with age. The longer it is on the shelf, the darker it will get and the stronger the vanilla extract will become.  You want to give it at least 2 months to cure.  Once a week, you will want to give the vanilla extract a gentle shake to mix the ingredients that settle to the bottom.  Because of the high alcohol content in all pure vanilla extracts, it's shelf life is indefinite.  You need only to pour more vodka into the bottle when you want to replace the extract that you have used up. 

Nelley Kelley Valentines

Use your extra seals to decorate the envelopes of your valentines cards.  

Sweets for the Sweet

This is a wonderfully easy project to take get you through these next months of winter.  What a sweet surprise to be able to use it come Springtime.  This is a thoughtful gift anytime of the year not just for Valentines Day.  Make some now and store it away so you can give it as a hostess gift or a Mother's Day gift this May.  Make some for yourself - you will never go back to buying expensive and tasteless vanilla extract again.  Use this in your morning oatmeal or in your banana breads and cookie recipes.  Elevate a Creme Brule with your homemade vanilla extract.  You can even soak a cotton ball in vanilla extract and place it in a little container at the back of your refrigerator to eliminate odors.  Plan on making some in the Fall so you can give them out as your holiday gift.  

 

Wishing you a happy Valentine's Day!

see you soon

Ellen~