Heavenly Homemakers

Encouraging women in homemaking, healthy eating and parenting

Start Making Vanilla Extract for Christmas Gifts!

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Now’s the time to start making Vanilla Extract for Christmas gifts!

Christmas in July is fun. :) Start a batch of homemade vanilla extract now and it will be ready just in time to bottle up and give as gifts this December!

Bottles of homemade vanilla are extremely awesome gifts! However, you need to start making it now because it takes 4-6 months for a big batch of vanilla to be strong and delicious.

How do you make vanilla extract?

It’s actually super easy, though the result will make you feel like you’ve made something gourmet! People love receiving this as a gift.

Find a thorough tutorial here to learn the specifics about making homemade vanilla. Or, if you’re feeling comfortable, simply follow this easy recipe:

How to Make Vanilla Extract

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Start Making Vanilla Extract for Christmas Gifts!
 
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Ingredients
  • 1.75 liters of inexpensive vodka
  • 25 Vanilla Beans enter code HOME for a 15% discount on Vanilla Beans through Olive Nation!!
Instructions
  1. Slice through each bean lengthwise, leaving about one inch at the top of each bean uncut so that it stays together.
  2. Place all of your cut Vanilla Beans into a half-gallon jar.
  3. Fill the jar with vodka.
  4. Secure the lid and put the jar in a dark place (like in the back of a cabinet).
  5. Allow it to sit and "extract" for 4-6 months.
  6. Every few weeks during extracting time, shake the jar to mix it up a bit.

Once your vanilla as finished extracting 4-6 months from now:

Here’s how to finish and bottle up your homemade vanilla!

Where to buy vanilla beans:

I always buy my vanilla beans from Olive Nation. I’ve tried other sources to “save money” but instead ended up wasting money because the quality of the beans from cheap sources was terrible!

Olive Nation beans are so, so good. I’ve used their beans for years. They love working with us here at Heavenly Homemakers so they offer us 15% off when we use the coupon code: home. Plus we get free shipping on orders over $50!

To make 1/2 gallon of Homemade Vanilla Extract you need:

  • 25 vanilla beans = $91 after coupon code HOME
  • Shipping = FREE on orders over $50
  • 1.75 liter bottle of vodka = Approximately $11

Your total cost for 1/2 gallon of homemade vanilla extract will be about $102. This breaks down to $1.59/ounces which makes 4-ounces of vanilla cost $6.36

BONUS

You can save your beans after you make a batch of vanilla and reuse them to make a second batch!!

I put my used beans into a lesser amount of vodka to get more bang for my buck. So for instance, for the first round, I use 25 beans in 1.75 liters of vodka. Then for the second round, I use the same 25 beans soaked in half that amount of vodka (.88 liters). The result is still amazing and I just spent a few dollars for a quart of great vanilla extract!

Extra resources:

Go get your beans!

And yeah, go get your vodka. :) :) :)

Make yourself a delicious batch of vanilla extract and get ready for Christmas!

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Some Good News This Weekend, But Why This Might Be the Last Time I Sell Vanilla For a While

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You guys!! Have you seen the price of vanilla beans during the past few months? If not, you’ll need to be sure you’re sitting down when you take a look. Yowza.

My understanding is that there was a crop failure a few months ago, causing a huge shortage of vanilla beans. That made the price of beans go crazy. For years I’ve encouraged everyone to make their own Vanilla Extract because it was a money saver and a more pure way to enjoy vanilla. But now? I just can’t. The price of vanilla beans is too much.

It will go down again. I stay in touch with Amit from Olive Nation who has been my vanilla bean source for many years. He assures me these prices won’t last forever. But for now, we’re stuck taking out a second mortgage if we want to buy beans to make vanilla. (Psst! If you do purchase and make extract, Olive Nation offers us a 15% discount on vanilla bean orders when we use the coupon code home. Plus we get free shipping on orders over $50.

vanilla_one

Some Great News for Today

I have a batch of Homemade Vanilla Extract bottled and ready to share. And guess what? I made this batch with beans I bought before the price jumped so high!!! I’ll pass on those lower costs to you, and you won’t have to pay $300 per bottle. High fives all around!

If you want some of this great homemade vanilla, act quickly because I’m not sure when I’ll be able to make more to sell. Nor do I know exactly when bean prices will go back down so that you can make your own batches of vanilla.

In the meantime, I have a small supply ready to ship out to you in time for the holidays! Get it before it’s gone. Enjoy it in your holiday baking or to give as gifts this Christmas!

A note about our prices

The cost of shipping has already been added to the total purchase price, so the amount you see below is the amount you’ll pay. Also, you should know that this is the purest of the pure when it comes to Vanilla Extract. The vanilla beans are of the highest quality.

IMPORTANT: We don’t water down our vanilla. This is strong stuff, made only with alcohol and vanilla beans! I’ve checked other high quality vanilla extracts and the first ingredient is always water. Not this one!

The vanilla is so strong, in fact, you can use half the amount a recipe calls for. This makes your bottle go twice as far, making it a huge value for your money!

First come, first served

It’s fun to offer this to you! Get it while it’s gone! I’ll update this post as quantities become limited.

United States only please. :)

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Big Discounts on Vanilla Beans and Coconut Oil

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This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission.

Typically now I only post deals like this directly to those on my Homemaker’s Savings Club list – but when the prices are this good and are being offered for two of my very favorite and most loved items – I’ve gotta share them with all of you!

First – Vanilla Beans are 20% off for three days!

This is perfect timing because June is a great month to begin making a batch of Homemade Vanilla Extract. It takes 4-6 months for the extract to “brew” so if you start now, you’ll have delicious vanilla extract in time for Christmas gifts and baking!

I always buy my beans from Olive Nation because they are the best quality for the best price. Getting 20% off is huge, so take advantage. Use the code SAVE20 through June 15. As long as you don’t add anything else to your cart, you’ll also get automatic free shipping!

vanilla_beans

54-Ounces of Coconut Oil

Spectrum Organic Virgin Coconut Oil.

In other fun news, I’m currently playing with two fun and refreshing summer recipes that are huge money savers and very delicious! Or at least they will be delicious with a little more tweaking. I’m still experimenting. :) One of them calls for two teaspoons of the Homemade Vanilla Extract I talked about above. That makes the recipe what it is!

Stay cool (assuming you’re experiencing the heat wave we are here in Nebraska)!

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Why Do My Homemade Extracts Smell and Taste Like Alcohol? Did I Do Something Wrong?

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Am I the only one who, as a little girl, loved the smell of vanilla so much that she just had to take a little taste – and then she gagged? Surely I’m not the only one. I remember the moment clearly. It was oh-so disappointing. The taste of vanilla extract was nothing like the smell. Bleh.

So now here we are, a few decades and a few gallons of Homemade Vanilla Extract later. I know now what I didn’t know as a little girl: vanilla extract is made with alcohol. Well, no wonder.

Still, one would think that after 4-6 months of sitting in vodka, the all-amazing vanilla beans would overpower the alcohol. Plus, how can something that tastes so terrible by itself be such a delicious flavoring in recipes?

My well thought out answer is, of course, this: I dunno.

All I know is that after you follow all the directions and make vanilla extract, you can take a little taste and think, “Oh no! I did something wrong. This tastes awful!” But you’ll be wrong. You did everything right and vanilla extract just smells good (in small whiffs) and tastes bad (by itself). See? Look.

extracts 2

It smells soooooo good.

extracts 3

But it tastes soooooo bad.

How about Cinnamon Extract?

extracts 6

Mmmm, smells good.

extracts 5

Wow. That tastes bad. And whoa – it also burns the tongue. I guess it is cinnamon, after all.

So what about Mint Extract?

extracts 1

Well, mine doesn’t even smell good at this point, so I didn’t dare taste it. In its defense, I only started it last week. Therefore, it still smells strongly of vodka. It’ll get better in a few weeks.

Now, if you take a deep, long whiff of your homemade extracts, the smell of alcohol will overpower the vanilla bean/cinnamon stick/mint. So waft gently, my friends, waft gently.

All these words and ridiculous selfies to say this: If your extracts smell strong (but good) and taste terrible, you have done a fine job. Well done. You’ve made delicious extracts.

What extracts do you have in the works right now? How do they smell? Good? Strong? Nasty? Do feel free to send me a extract sniffing or tasting selfie. 

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How to Make Mint Extract

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Homemade Mint Extract!

Homemade Mint Extract 2

It is a fact that I went to the store last week with one purpose: To buy liquor. Not fruit, not vegetables, not butter…but rum. And also vodka.

I grabbed one bottle of each and walked to check-out. I certainly would have taken a selfie to show you all, but obviously that would have been impossible since I only have but two hands and they were both clearly full…of liquor bottles.

I should be used to this by now, but even after so many years of making Homemade Vanilla Extract, I still feel awkward about buying large quantities of liquor. Since I typically make so much extract at once, my cart full of liquor makes it look like I’m hosting a party for half the city.

Whatever. It’s just weird. But the worst (and I do mean worst) part is this:

The past three times I’ve purchased liquor for extracts – I have not even been carded. What?? Do I look like I’m over 21? Sheesh. (says the woman who has an almost 18 year-old son.)

Well, anyway. It seems that I just need to get used to it and deal. Why? Because it occurred to me as of late: Since it’s so easy and so cost effective to make Homemade Vanilla Extract – why have I not tried making other extracts?

Why indeed. Therefore, I bought rum and made Cinnamon Extract – which took a grand total of about two minutes (not counting the time it took to not get carded at the store). Last week I stole some fresh mint from a friend’s yard (and by stole, I definitely mean that she cut some for me, put it in a bag, and handed it to me with the promise that there was more where that came from and to feel free to help myself at any time) – and started a batch of Mint Extract.

This stuff is too easy. Why do we think homemade goodies are difficult? Do we know how to open a bottle of liquor and pour? Well then.

Be watching for instructions for making Orange Extract and Almond Extract. Click on the following to learn to make Vanilla Extract and Cinnamon Extract. And now…

How to Make Mint ExtractYum

1. Cut fresh mint leaves (or buy them at the grocery store), rinse, and pat dry.

2. Pull leaves off the stem.

3. Place about 1 cup worth of mint leaves into a pint-sized jar.

4. Pour in about 2 cups of vodka (the cheap kind is fine).

5. Cover and place in a dark cabinet for 1-2 months, shaking occasionally.

Homemade Mint Extract

Make enough for your family to use, and enough to offer as gifts. Wow your family and friends. They’ll be so impressed, and inside you’ll be thinking, “Well all I had to do is rip leaves and pour vodka. But yeah, I’m awesome.”

Have you tried making extracts? Which homemade extract recipes would you be interested in learning to make next?

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How to Finish Your Homemade Vanilla Extract

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How To Finish Your Vanilla Extract

I’ve talked about making Homemade Vanilla Extract just a little tiny bit on this site. You’ve seen:

Just in case you need MORE reasons to make your own Vanilla Extract, here’s a post about All the Nasty Stuff Found in Most Commercial Vanilla Extracts.

But for some reason, I never shared with you how to finish off and bottle your homemade vanilla extract. Sometimes I forget important details, such as the names of my children and telling you how to finish off your homemade vanilla. What’s his name – my youngest son – helped me bottle some vanilla last week and we took pictures. Finally. (Malachi…his name is Malachi.)

Once your vanilla beans  have been sitting in the vodka (or other alcohol of choice) for 4-6 months, it’s strong and ready to be bottled. Begin by lining a colander with a coffee filter or thin tea towel.

Place lined colander in a pot to catch the vanilla. If you don’t, you will have excellent quality homemade vanilla extract running down all over your kitchen table and floors. Your kitchen will smell great for months, but that will only be a long, sad reminder of the wasted vanilla. Put the colander in a pot.

Pour contents of your jar into the colander so that the coffee filter can strain all of the tiny vanilla specks out. The vanilla specks won’t hurt anything, but it’s nice to have speck-less vanilla extract.

Use a funnel to bottle up the strained vanilla. I have found amber bottles (recommended) Mountain Rose Herbs.

I, also, love these pretty labels! They are customizable, and there are several designs to choose from!

Lay your used vanilla beans on a cookie sheet lined with paper towels to dry. You can then put them into a container of sugar for 4-6 months which will turn that sugar into Vanilla Sugar!

Finally, FINALLY I have shown you how to finish up your vanilla. And now, if I can figure out how to call my children by the correct names without running down the list of all four boys before I get to the right one, I’d be all set.

This post was originally published November 28, 2010.

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A Reminder: Vanilla Extract For Sale This Saturday!

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Don’t forget! We’ve got a big batch of Vanilla Extract ready to sell this Saturday, June 14 beginning at 8:00 CST. Our supply usually sells out quickly, so if you’re interested, mark your calendars and check in here right away that morning.

Would you rather make your own vanilla? You’ll find all the info here that you need so you can get a batch going. :)

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Want to Give Homemade Vanilla For Gifts This Christmas? Time To Get it Started!

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vanilla

Yep, it’s that time of year again. It takes 4-6 months of brewing time to get a really good, pure vanilla extract. If you would like to give Homemade Vanilla Extract for Christmas gifts this year, it’s time to get your supplies together and start a batch!

Here is all the information you need about making homemade vanilla. Be sure to take advantage of the 10% discount offer Olive Nation gives us here at Heavenly Homemakers. Use the code home to receive the discount at check-out. I love their vanilla beans, their price, their quality and their free shipping on this product!

Important Announcement!  We have a batch of our Heavenly Homemakers Vanilla Extract ready to bottle and sell. If you would like to give it a try while you wait for your own vanilla to brew, or if you simply don’t want to make your own, we are thrilled to offer you a bottle of ours! We plan to offer this batch for sale on Saturday, June 14 beginning at 8:00 am CST. It will only be available while supplies last, and the supply typically only lasts a few hours. So mark your calendar and be prepared to stop by our site to snatch some up if you’re interested!

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Vanilla Extract For Sale This Weekend

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Just a heads up! We’ve got some of our Homemade Vanilla Extract bottled and ready to send your way.

The sale with begin Saturday morning at 8:00 CST and will be offered while supplies last (which usually isn’t very long). Set an alarm to remind yourself. These bottles of pure vanilla extract make great Christmas gifts!

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Compromising Our Whole Foods Diet

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Tonight we’re hosting Elias’ 9th birthday party. 

You know how our house is always full of boys? Tonight there are even more of them. Right now they are all running around shooting each other with laser guns and Nerf guns and somehow I think there is a hallway basketball game going on at the same time. Now that takes talent.

We always let the birthday boy choose his party food. He usually takes into consideration what he thinks his buddies will like. And, surprise – surprise, he usually doesn’t choose “Tossed Salad” or “Spinach Smoothies”.

I was recently asked by one of you (but for the life of me I can’t find the comment to quote it exactly):  “Laura, can you tell us what foods you will occasionally buy at the store for convenience…and which foods you will NEVER buy?”

This probably doesn’t answer that question as specifically as the commenter was wishing for, but well…here’s what I bought for Elias’ birthday party dinner tonight…

If that’s not a compromise I don’t know what is.

I have to say that it was more than a little bit painful pulling them off of the freezer shelf and paying actual money for them. Incidentally, I also had TWO GALLONS worth of vodka in my cart on this shopping trip as we’re getting ready to start yet another big round of Homemade Vanilla Extract. Yep, it looked like one BIG party in my shopping cart tonight. ;)

The pizza rolls were Elias’ choice and while the ingredient list is longer than my hand (I am not even kidding), I have to say that it was a nice relief to just throw them in the oven and put out some paper plates and call it dinner. Besides, I was in the middle of baking his birthday cake and getting Whole Wheat Cinnamon Rolls ready for tomorrow’s breakfast for all the boys. The ease of dinner (if we can actually call it dinner) was really nice.

Here’s why I feel okay (not great, but okay) about buying and feeding my family these pizza rolls tonight:  We eat a really healthy diet about 357 days of the year. On those other few days or moments of the year when we are traveling, eating with others, hosting parties, going to parties or attending any event that has a meal comprised of chips and candy…we go with the flow. We don’t act all “weirded out” about the fact that we’re being served food that doesn’t meet our normal healthy eating criteria. If I’m offered Nacho Cheese Doritos at a get-together, you better believe I’m going to have a few and I’m going to enjoy myself.

We try not to go over-board and pig out because yikes…our tummies aren’t used to eating that kind of stuff. But we really cannot be enslaved by healthy eating.  Being paralyzed by these fears can be unhealthy in and of itself.  Compromising used to be a huge fear of mine, especially when I was first learning about what was healthy and what was SCARY and unhealthy. But I’ve “come down off the ledge” and realized that a few crazy junk foods here and there are not going to kill us. Especially when we follow it up as soon as possible with good, wholesome, nutrition-filled foods.

Which we will, by the way…tomorrow.  Those spinach smoothies will be making their appearance.

And for the record, while there are many things I just close my eyes and compromise on occasionally…I will never, ever knowingly or willingly purchase or eat margarine. Can’t do it. Won’t do it. Can’t even think about it.

Blech. Helgpaht. Mliiegylk. Pgvughhha.

Eeek, I get very gaggy when it comes to the thought of the yellowed tub of chemically created fatty-fattness spread that we’re told is better than rich cream whipped into golden goodness…otherwise known as REAL butter.

But a pizza roll or a Dorito…yeah…I’ll eat one here and there. That doesn’t even make sense does it?

So what types of “food” will you compromise on sometimes?  And which “foods” make you screw up your face and say Helgpaht-blephln?

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