Project Vanilla

today, i'm embarking on a little project to make my own vanilla extract. when i heard about how good nielsen massey's vanilla extract was, i couldn't wait to get my hands on a bottle. but when i got it, i was sorely disappointed. i thought the whole thing reeked too much of alcohol and too little of vanilla. and to pay 20 over bucks for a meagre 118ml? just kill me. therefore i don't really use it that much but instead use the vanilla bean paste or the pods.

basically making yr own vanilla extract is really simple, and economical! put 5-6 split vanilla pods, 1 whole bottle of vanilla extract (remember to use the real thing, not essence) and one-liter vodka (thx to claire for providing me the booze) into a glass bottle with cap and leave it on for 6-8 weeks before you start decanting. and once you start pouring into your own smaller bottles, top up with more vodka. more step-by-step instructions can be found here.

and when its ready, i'm gonna give some them away to my baker friends so they'll never have to buy expensive vanilla extract :D aren't i nice? haha i'm so looking forward and i'll update with the outcome in 6-8 weeks time!