The Best Homemade Vanilla Extract Takes Longer Than You Think, But It's Worth It

One of the very best inexpensive gifts that will impress even the biggest foodies is homemade vanilla extract. It's a gift that's meaningful, useful, and oh so delicious — and the process to make it couldn't be simpler. Homemade vanilla extract is made by adding fresh vanilla beans to your liquor of choice — usually vodka, bourbon, or brandy — and letting it infuse. Seems simple enough, right? Well, there's a catch: The infusion process is a bit lengthy, and Jennifer Boggiss, CEO of Heilala Vanilla, gave us the run-down on how long you should let it infuse to ensure your homemade vanilla is flavorful, rich, and ready for your loved ones in time for the holidays.

"Patience is key here!" Boggiss said. "Let it infuse for three to six months to really bring out the full, rich vanilla flavor. The longer, the better." That's right — homemade vanilla extract is a little more time-consuming than a quick trip to the grocery store for a bottle of store-bought vanilla extract, But those three to six months really are necessary. "Vanilla takes time to develop its complexity," Boggiss continued. Some even say that homemade vanilla extract benefits from a year-long extraction and that its flavor is even sweeter at that point. 

Before giving it away, you can test your homemade vanilla extract to see if it's ready to be used. It should possess a dark amber color and taste more like vanilla than it does alcohol. Dilute a few drops of it with milk to taste it: If you taste vanilla first, it's probably ready, but if you taste mostly alcohol, it would benefit from a longer extraction.

When you begin the extraction process, make sure that you label the jar with the date you made it. This will allow you to know how long the extraction process has been going on, and thus will let you know when it is appropriate to give a few bottles away as gifts. However, if you started on your gifts a little late this year, you can absolutely give bottles of homemade vanilla extract away before they are totally done extracting. If you do, let your loved ones know the date it was made and the date it will be ready. You can also let them know that homemade vanilla extract can last for around five years after it's been opened.

To give your homemade vanilla extract the best chance of success, store it in a cool, dark spot during and after extraction. If it comes in contact with too much light or heat, it might become cloudy and ultimately unappealing to give away as a gift and use in any sort of baking project. You'll also want to give it a good shake once a week to make sure all those flavors are mingling properly.