Homemade Vanilla Extract (and vanilla sugar)

This recipe for Vanilla bean Extract (Full of Plants) is worth making, if you use a lot of vanilla in your cakes and bakes. Fake vanilla is vile, and often made with castoreum (from beavers).  This recipe only uses 2 ingredients!

Keep vanilla away from pets. Read more on food safety for people and pets.

All you do is basically make a simple sugar syrup with water in a pan, add real vanilla pods, then marinate in the fridge for a couple of months. Unlike fake vanilla, this is alcohol-free.

If you make your own vanilla extract, you’ll have to sterilise the jars: 

Put jars, lids and rubber seals on hot dishwasher cycle (fill with hot water, while warm).  Or wash in hot soapy water, and ‘cook’ in pre-heated oven (to 160 degrees C) for 15 minutes (again fill with hot water, while still warm).

Homemade Vanilla Sugar

Vanilla Sugar (Full of Plants) is also worth making yourself. Again you’re marinating the vanilla beans in sugar, and leaving them to infuse in sterilised jars. The leftover beans can then be used to make the vanilla extract above.

Vanilla sugar makes a nice topping on homemade porridge!

Always choose Fair Trade vanilla beans. The best ones come from Madagascar, which you can find in good shops and delis.