Home-made Vanilla Extract

Because I like things as close to natural as possible, I was keen to try this method of making vanilla extract.  I like to know exactly what is in mine.

I have heard the concern that it is alcohol based.  We very rarely use vanilla extract in food preparation that doesn't require cooking, but a tablespoon in one recipe is a small amount in my opinion.  If we are cooking the recipe the alcohol is evaporated out leaving the flavour behind.

Vodka 37% alcohol
Vanilla beans

1. Take 5 vanilla beans and cut them in half lengthwise.  I also cut those lengths in half so they fit in my jar. 
2. Pour 250 mls of vodka over the beans and seal with a lid. Vodka, because it is flavourless and wont change the taste of the extract.
3. Give it a shake and store it in a cool, dark cupboard.
4. Shake every few days for 4 weeks. By now the vanilla extract will be ready to use.
5. At this point you can pour the vanilla extract into a separate bottle using a sieve to catch the little seeds.
6. The remaining vanilla extract in the jar with the beans will continue to get stronger as it sits.

You can use the seeds in baking and ice cream making.  

This is a website I have used for my information: The Vanilla Company

~Lorna

Apple Cider Vinegar

A few years ago a friend gave me a large box of cooking apples.  I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to try to make apple cider vinegar. 

We washed the apples and put them in a large (unused) bin and chopped them up with a large knife.  Water was added, enough to cover the apples.

The bin was covered and left for two weeks apart from some occasional stirring.

After the 2 weeks we scooped the apples and water out of the bin and into a cheese cloth bag.  This was suspended above a bucket to allow all the liquid to drain out of the solids.

Sugar was added, about 3 - 6 cups and the liquid left in a warm dry place for 9 months mostly undisturbed.  

We bottled the resulting vinegar.