Homemade Vanilla Extract Made in the Instant Pot- Easy Recipe! (2024)

FAQs

Is instant pot vanilla good? ›

Yes, one hour! If your mind isn't blown yet, consider this: The Instant Pot will also give your homemade vanilla extract the intensity of aged homemade extract or high-quality store-bought vanilla. This vanilla extract is sweet and heady with a rich perfume and is only a few jars and an electric pressure away.

The FDA dictates that a pure vanilla extract needs to be at least 70 proof or 35% alcohol, and this makes Vodka an ideal choice for vanilla extraction.

How to Make Homemade Vanilla Extract. Split the beans partway down the middle. Use kitchen scissors or a sharp knife to cut the vanilla beans in half most of the way up its length. Add 5 or 6 of them to each 8-ounce jar, or 20-24 vanilla beans if you are doing a larger batch in a quart-size jar for personal use.

You only need 2 ingredients for homemade vanilla extract: vanilla beans and vodka. Let the vanilla beans infuse the vodka for as little as 8 weeks, but for optimal flavor, wait at least 6-12 months before using. Homemade vanilla is more cost efficient than store-bought options.

Answer #2: Alcohol is normal. Remember that all "Pure" extracts are required to have a minimum 35% alcohol content, which is just as much alcohol that is in hard liquor.

A bit of simple math reveals that homemade vanilla extract is the more economical choice. Say you buy two 4-ounce bottles of the good vanilla extract from the grocery store every year. If each jar costs $18, that's $180 over a five-year span.

What is the shelf life of my vanilla extract? When stored properly, vanilla extract will keep indefinitely, but using it within five years will allow for best flavor and aroma.

You can use vanilla beans for extract more than once, which makes them a gift that keeps on giving. Just know that the flavor will get weaker over time. Many recommend using them no more than four times.

What are the best vanilla beans for homemade vanilla extract? ›

Madagascar vanilla is a great choice vanilla bean for making vanilla extract. The aroma of vanilla from Madagascar is just what most people expect when it comes to vanilla beans. Rich, buttery, creamy, with little notes of smokiness and soft cocoa undertones.

The nice thing about making your own vanilla extract is that you can add more or less beans as you'd like.

The liquid should be dark golden or brown. The darker the color, the stronger the vanilla flavor. If you've left the vanilla seeds in the bean, there should be lots of little flecks that have settled to the bottom of the jar. When you shake it, the extract should look almost opaque.

Pure vanilla extract calls for just two ingredients: alcohol for extraction and vanilla beans. As you can imagine, it has the shelf life of basically forever, since its ingredients are pretty shelf-stable.

“That is outstanding.” She said that although the Instant Pot retained more of the distinct flavourings, this wasn't necessarily to its advantage: The traditional version had melded the flavours into one aromatic, juicy bite, and it worked better.

THE BOTTOM LINE: Though we hate discarding the pods, their flavor isn't close enough to extract or to beans to warrant the time and effort it takes to turn them into powder. BAG THE (SPENT) BEANS: Vanilla pods aren't a good substitute for beans or extract.

Vanilla extract makes a great substitute for Vanilla Pods when you haven't got any available. It is difficult to say exactly how much to use, but a good guide is using 1 teaspoon in place of one Vanilla pod.

If you're baking, imitation vanilla extract is a great substitute for pure vanilla extract. However, if you're making icing, pudding, creams, or a no-bake dessert, artificial vanilla can sometimes have a bitter aftertaste, so experts recommend sticking to pure vanilla extract.