Homemade Vanilla Extract - The Good Stuff!

Making Pure Vanilla Extract

Where does Vanilla come from?

Vanilla pods are the seed pods of an orchid plant. 
Before the plant flowers, the pods are picked and cured until they become dark brown. 

This can take up to six months. Vanilla beans are sweet and perfumery with little "seeds" inside.  Some folks call it the "caviar".    They have a mild, kinda woodsy, unique flavor which gives vanilla extract a complexity and depth of flavor.   Who doesn't love Vanilla?

Ingredients:

1 quart mason jar with lid

1 cup 80 Proof Vodka  (You can also use bourbon or rum - get creative!)

Vanilla Beans - 3 large vanilla beans minimum (The more beans used, the better the vanilla.  3 is the absolute minimum for 1 cup of extract.)

Split the beans with a sharp knife, scrape soft vanilla into the mason jar and then add the beans.                                        Pour the Vodka over the vanilla beans and give it a good shake.

Store in a cool place for 3-6 months to allow the extraction to take place - remember to shake the extract once a week.

You will be able to start using your extract in approximately 4-6 months  - the longer the better the extract becomes.

Your vanilla will last for years – just keep topping it off with your base liquor as you use it. 

Stir or shake it occasionally.

Storing Vanilla Bean Pods

Storing extra vanilla beans is easy.  You just need to keep them in an airtight container at room temperature. If stored in this manner, they should keep at least two years. 

Do not store them in the refrigerator, as they tend to mold. 

Making Easy Homemade Apple Cider Vinegar

 It's that time of year again!  While the apple crops were ruined by the frost this year in Michigan, you can still find local apples but they are at a premium.  I purchased some Honey Crisps and Granny Smith Apples from a local orchard that shipped some apples in from the west side of the state.  I wanted to make sure they were not waxed apples.

This is the time of year to make apple butter, apple pies, apple crisp and stock up on homemade apple cider vinegar. I thought you'd like to see how to make the apple cider vinegar. You can use whatever amount of apple scraps to make the vinegar. The most important ingredients for successful results are patients, clean apples, sterilized utensils and jars.  

1.  Wash the apples very well. Note: If you purchase apples at the store, many times they have a wax coating.  You will need to remove the wax coating from the apples - If at all possible, buy organic, non-waxed apples.  You can also use crab apples.  Experiment with different varieties and find what suits your tastes best. 



2. Peel and core the apples saving the skins and cores.  (Use the apple slices for a pie, apple butter, apple cake or apple crisp.)   I use between 8 - 12 medium sized apples.

3.  After you peel and core the apples, you need to get a large bowl, crock or jar.  (Check to make sure the glaze does not contain lead glazes.)  Put the peels and cores into the vessel.  I use a large glass jar I use for fermenting veggies.  MAKE SURE EVERYTHING IS STERILIZED. 

4. Cover peels and cores with water (measure by quarts) and cover them by an inch or so of water.  For every quart of water used to cover the apple scraps, you'll need 1/4 cup of sugar.

 5.  After measuring the sugar, mix it into the apple scraps and water until dissolved.

 6. Place a plate or bowl over the apple scraps to keep submerged under the water.

I use a small white glass plate that fits perfectly inside my 5 gallon fermenting jar to keep the scraps submerged.

(I have found it is easier for me to use the 5 gallon glass jar - it is easier to sterilize and I can peek at the progress!)

 7.  After submerging the apple scraps below the water surface, you need to put the mixture in a dark, cool space (65 - 75 degrees) to be left undisturbed while it ferments.  If you use a glass jar, be sure to keep it wrapped with a towel so that light doesn't prohibit the fermentation process.  (UV light will destroy the process!)  Don't cover the top, it has to breathe.

8.  Cover the top of the vessel with a piece of cheese cloth so it can breathe and gas. It will also keep bugs from getting into your mixture. Secure on the vessel with a rubber band.

9.  Now you wait a week!  The mixture will start to bubble as it begins to ferment as it forms yeast.  This usually begins within 3 -4 days.  At 7 days, check your mixture.  If there is any black mold that has grown, remove it with a plastic spoon (do not use metal).  If you have mold forming, the mixture was not kept cool enough.

10.  Strain the scraps in a colander lined with cheese cloth. Sterilize some Mason Jars (canning jars).  After straining the scraps, pour the strained liquid into the sterilized canning jars leaving 1" head space and cover the top with a piece of cheese cloth and secure with either the rubber band or the screw band. ( I prefer using the rubber band because the screw bands sometime rust.)

11.  Store the jars in your pantry or anywhere where it is still dark and cool for another 6 weeks.  A film will start forming on the top of the liquid - This is the "Mother".  There will be sediment on the bottom of the jar. You can stir it up and more "Mother" will form on the top.  Saving some of the "Mother" will speed up the process the next time you make vinegar.

12.  At 6 weeks, the yeast should have eaten all of the sugar which leaves you with shelf-stable vinegar! Remove the cheesecloth and replace with a sterilized lid and screw cover.  Apple Cider Vinegar lasts indefinitely if kept stored in a cool dark place.

Apple Cider Vinegar that contains the "Mother" has numerous health benefits.  While most apple cider vinegar in grocery stores do not contain the "Mother" - It is pasteurized and filtered which removes the health benefits.  (You can find unpasteurized vinegar with "Mother"  at health food stores for about $6.00 a quart or more.)  Read about the amazing health benefits by clicking here.

 CLICK HERE     - My Youtube Video on Making Vinegar

National Center for Home Food Preservation

The National Center for Home Food Preservation 

With rising food costs, concerns with what additives are in their foods, many folks have gotten back to gardening and preserving their own foods. The first thing anyone should do before they begin to home can foods, educating yourself to ensure the foods you will be serving and eating are canned safely.

The National Center for Home Food Preservation offers a FREE online home study course! The course is broken down into modules and they allow you 6 months to complete the study course.  I highly recommend the course.

The course has "pre-module" testing so they can evaluate your knowledge before you take the course and a test at the end of each module.  At the end of the study course, you can give an online evaluation of the course and as long as you passed and completed all of the modules, they will send you a certificate of completion.

To apply for the course, click here.

In addition to the online course, their website offers you plenty of recipes, fact sheets, food safety, links, and other valuable information on canning, drying and freezing food.  It is truly a good resource for folks putting up food.  Click here to visit their website.

The University of Georgia Cooperative Extension offers a very popular book, "So Easy To Prepare" which is a 375 page book with over 185 tested recipes, step-by-step instructions and in-depth information for both new and experienced food preservers.  The book has a new chapter on recommended procedures for home-canned salsa and 35 new, tested recipes.  This book is a Must Have resource! To order the 5th edition of the book, "So Easy To Prepare" by the University of Georgia, click here.