Ingredients
6 vanilla beans for every 500ml of spirit
Gin, Vodka or rum
Procedure
1) Prepare a clean glass jar or bottle, the size of the bottle will depend on how much you want to make.
2) Split vanilla beans lengthwise and then in half.
3) Place all of the vanilla beans into the bottle and pour the alcohol over the beans.
4) Place the lid on the glass jar and leave in a dark place like your pantry for at least 3 months.
5) Shake occasionally.
6) As the weeks pass, the clear spirits like vodka will develop a brown colour. If you have used brown rum the colour will deepen further and become cloudy and less transparent. The longer it stands the stronger and more aromatic your homemade vanilla essence will become.
7) Pour the fermented vanilla essence into glass bottles.
8) With your bottle that contains the vanilla beans, top up with the same type of alcohol you used before and leave for a further month. NB The vanilla beans can last for up to 2 years.
9) So that you remember the date you made your homemade essence, place a sticker on your bottle of vanilla essence with the date you made it.
(Dairy, Gluten, Egg, Nut and Grain Free)