If you’ve been hanging around here for a while, you’re quite familiar with my obsession with love of Homemade Vanilla Extract. If you are new to Heavenly Homemakers…just so ya know…I LOVE Homemade Vanilla Extract. I think it’s one of the coolest things I’ve ever done in my kitchen…and the easiest.
Making your own vanilla saves money, tastes incredible, is super simple and creates a fantastic gift!! But I’ve shared all of this already. I’ve also shared that using imitation vanilla is kinda like eating used paper. Tasty.
BUT, I’ve just discovered another reason to make your own vanilla extract. I’m not sure how I missed this fact, but I was doing a cost comparison at the store the other day and decided to turn the bottles over to look at the ingredient list on store-bought “Pure Vanilla Extract”.
It was all I could do to remain quiet in the baking aisle. Do you KNOW what is in “pure” vanilla extract?????
One brand which shall remain nameless but is familiar to most of us includes: Water, alcohol, vanilla beans, corn syrup
Uh-huh. Water is the first ingredient…which means that this vanilla extract is watered down. And corn syrup? REALLY? Please don’t call yourself pure.
The vanilla extract I found at the store with the fewest ingredients had “only” alcohol, vanilla beans and glucose.
NONE of the bottles of pure vanilla extract I found were what I would call pure. As we all know because of my homemade vanilla extract obsession…all it takes to make vanilla is alcohol and vanilla beans. That’s it. Why in the world would you add corn syrup? Why must corn syrup be added to everything? Why? WHY?!???
I would apologize for my outburst but I don’t want to. Stuff like this makes me mad. We can not only read the label title…words like “pure” and “natural” are quite deceiving. We really must turn the label over and read the ingredients.
And then when we get frustrated, we must make our own vanilla extract. The pure way. The very cool way. The way that will make all of your family and friends impressed when you give it to them as a gift and the way that will make your hands smell really vanilla-y for several days.
As a reminder, Olive Nation agrees with my rants about making homemade vanilla and has offered all of you a 15% discount on their vanilla beans, plus FREE SHIPPING on orders over $50!!! I love my vanilla beans from Olive Nation!! You can read more about my experience with Olive Nation here. Use the coupon code home for your 15% discount.
You know what I feel like making right now? Warm Vanilla Soother. Yes, I truly do have a vanilla obsession.
Seriously? I had no idea! I just made my first batch of vanilla in August so it’s not quite ready yet, but I’m glad I’m already on the right path.
I think I may have to try this. I love vanilla. What i want is a cheaper way to buy vanilla beans
The way I mentioned above IS actually a cheap way to buy vanilla beans. They aren’t inexpensive because we can’t grow them in the US so they have to be imported. But really, the cost of buying the beans (even though they seem expensive) and making your own vanilla will save you a TON of money. Olive Nation makes it really affordable.
I know it seems like a big investment in on the front end, but if you
really price it out, homemade vanilla costs less than the “pure” version
at the store. You could try splitting an order of beans with a friend
and then just make a half batch with half the vodka.
Like you, I often want to scream when I think about how often HFCS is added to our foods when it is completely unnecessary – Example: store bought bread. Since when does that need to be sweetened!?!?! I’m SO excited to be making some vanilla extract for Christmas gifts and am impatiently awaiting the arrival of my glass bottles.
I am also very excited to be teaching a few lessons this week with the gifted and talented teacher at my school. We are covering some of the key points Michael Pollan talks about in his books so *hopefully* (and God willing), our students will share this info with their parents and encourage them to make a change. HFCS is certainly on our list of items to avoid! :)
The most common proof on vodka, especially the cheap kind, is 80. That means that your vodka is most likely 60% water thus the first ingredient in your homemade vanilla extract is also water.
Sure, skip the corn syrup, but don’t leave out the water; it’s important!
I tried to order from olive nation, but they don’t ship to Canada! boo
Oh, that’s a bummer. I may check into that for you.
Well, I found this on the Olive Nation website. “We ship to other countries on an as needed basis. Please send us an email to [email protected] with the exact shipping address and approx. weight or no. of items and we will get back to you with a shipping cost.”
I’d say to email him and let him know that Heavenly Homemaker sent you!! :) I bet he’ll work with you.
I actually emailed them, they said they were not able to ship to Canada,
but that they may be able to do it in the future. Hopefully sooner than
later!
Going to your vanilla extract recipe right now! I just assumed “pure” meant just that. I would have never thought to look at the ingredients. Thanks for sharing.
What do you have to say about the alcohol in this? We don’t drink alcohol (religion and personal choice) and my husband thinks that imitation vanilla is better for us, due to the non-alcohol nature of it. I’d really like to make our own, but I don’t know how to convince him that it is okay. Help! :)
We don’t drink alcohol either, although the Bible just says not to get drunk. The vanilla used in recipes is such a tiny amount and usually it is baked which would cook off the alcohol anyway. Those are my thoughts. I’m not at all a big fan of BUYING the vodka for this recipe, I feel kinda weird, but I know what I’m using it for so I have nothing to feel bad about.
Just so you know..even though people say the alcohol is cooked off, there are many studies that indicate that isn’t so. A small amount always remains. I realize that you already use such a small amount of vanilla that it is probably immeasurable, but people should realize it doesn’t ALL burn off!
i really would like to know about this as muslims cannot buy, sell,
or even transport alcohol let alone consume it. i’m planning to
order ground vanilla beans but would like something besides imitation
vanilla until then. do you know of any recipes for vanilla that
don’t use alcohol. thank you
I’m sorry…I don’t know. Maybe others will pipe in with some ideas though!
Just checked mine – no sweeteners added, but does say vanilla extractives in water and alcohol. I really do want to make my own – just need to order the beans!
Me too!.I can’t believe they put corn syrup in that! EWWW
I’m making homemade vanilla, after reading your post, and am looking forward to having a special baking treat to give as gifts.
Do you make the labels that are on your bottles? I am looking for some “unique” labels for my homemade vanilla and for homemade jellies and jams.
Thanks for a great blog and for making me be more mindful of what ingredients I am putting in my mouth!
I order the labels from a friend of mine: http://www.etsy.com/shop/delightdesignbiz
Rant on, Laura! I started my first batch of Vanilla in July – can’t wait to see how it’s gonna turn out! I heard quite a while back “if it says ‘pure’ and/or ‘natural’ it is likely neither” — sad but true.
Not sure if this is one of your reasons, but it makes a very inexpensive perfume. :) I add a drop or two to my coffee and my wrists in the morning.
Can you believe I was headed to this website this morning to look for the Warm Vanilla Soother recipe? :)
Yep, I have a bottle of that “pure” vanilla extract at home. i almost fell over when i noticed those extra ingredients a few months ago. unfortunately my homemade won’t be ready for a few months yet.
Son #1 is allergic to corn. I’ve been making my own vanilla for a while now. I actually prefer using rum to vodka, though I’ve done both. I’ve found that you can actually get by with using the vanilla as soon as a couple weeks after, but it doesn’t taste as good as when you let it sit longer. I also don’t usually strain my vanilla beans out- I’m lazy that way!
Thanks for posting where to buy glass bottles! I’ve kept mine in a jelly jar, but it doesn’t make the nicest gift that way!
LOL I just started my own vanilla for the first time this summer, must shake it = thanks for reminding me!
Can you share your source for bottles for gifts? I’m on the fence about how to package this.
btw prayers for your friend Chip and his wife – glad he’s improving!
i’ve bought some bottles from mountain rose herbs, but this place has a boatload http://www.specialtybottle.com/index.asp
Well fortunately mine is vanilla extractives, alcohol, and water. But I would never have thought to check vanilla!
I looked at the ingredients on my Costco brand vanilla. Vanilla, alcohol, sugar. I guess not as bad as corn syrup but I don’t understand why they have to put in it. ????
oh my, laura, thanks SO MUCH for this info! i’ve been buying the simply organic brand of vanilla which has okay ingredients – vanilla, water, alcohol – but i believe i’m paying about $9 for 4 oz!!! what a money saver this is going to be. and how sweet and thoughtful to fanagle the discount for us too! i so appreciate your blog.
Laura, Can you tell us where you get your bottles and what the cost is? They really do look lovely and now I’m inspired to try this myself.
Here’s the link for bottles: https://www.heavenlyhomemakers.com/where-to-get-bottles-for-homemade-vanilla
I’m sorry I can’t remember what I paid when i last bought them. I bought a bunch at once and haven’t needed to order for a while.
I started my vanilla in August. It has been almost 2 months. It smells so good when I shake it and I have to sniff every once in a while. I had never thought of making vanilla. I have been so thrilled to try it.
We have had many laughs over me asking my husband to buy vodka. Please don’t ask your husband to do this with a mouth full of food. HA!!! There has never been any liquor in our house until this.
I too was concerned over buying the bottles. I hate to pay as much for shipping as the bottles cost. So, I have gone through and poured out some old flavorings and ask others to save me their bottles. Now I just need to come up with some labels.
Thank you for all the links on the site to the beans, bottles, labels, recipe cards…what a great gift idea!
Any idea how long it keeps?
It will keep for years!
Yippee…maybe I’ll get started now for NEXT Christmas!
I can’t wait to bottle mine up!!! I started it in June so it should be ready just in time for Christmas! I was wondering about straining the beans with like cheese cloth or something to get the tiny black speks out?? Or should I just leave them?
Yes, cheesecloth should work, or a tea towel or a coffee filter. OR, you can just leave ’em in. :)
Wait a moment! Water can’t be a negative for an ingredient in vanilla extract, either home-made OR store purchased. Even this homemade kind (mine’s been brewing for 4 months!) will include a lot of water: 80 proof vodka means it is 40% alcohol, which means the remaining 60% is water. Unless we make the vanilla extract with pure grain alcohol (an illegal product), there will always be a significant amount of water. It’s the other additives that are bad.
Hmm, you make a very good point. I’m pretty clueless when it comes to knowledge of alcohol. However, I’m assuming that when water is listed as an ingredient, that means it’s added along WITH the alcohol? Maybe not. Regardless, the homemade vanilla sure it tasty (and less expensive!).
I just started a quart of vanilla extract. I used 1/4 pound of GRADE B vanilla extract beans (cut into 1/2″ pieces). Grade B extract beans are not as expensive as the more plump vanilla beans that you bake with, but they are a lot cheaper as well. If I remember correctly, it was about $19 or 1/4 pound of them……not bad since it makes a whole QUART of vanilla extract.