How to Make Homemade Vanilla

I use dashes of vanilla in so many things all year round. It's wonderful to use homemade versus imitation while you're baking, also try adding a bit to an ice cream sundae, or a splash into hot cups cocoa. Making your own could not be easier. Here is how I make mine:

| Supplies |

Really good vodka
4-10 vanilla beans
2-4 pint sized Mason jars {depending on how many bottle you would like}

| Steps |

Pour roughly 2 cups of vodka into each Mason jar
Split the vanilla bean lengthwise {this allows all the vanilley goodness to seep out into the vodka}
Cut vanilla bean in half if needed
Add at least four vanilla beans to each jar, the more the merrier
Let sit for at least 2 months -- longer if possible

Notes: There are billions of different online recipes for how to make your own vanilla. Some recipes call for tons of vanilla beans. Vanilla beans are rather expensive so finding a local purveyor who will cut you deals on bulk orders is a good way to buy vanilla beans cheap. Otherwise I have found that adding at least four beans {sometimes I've snuck by on two beans per jar} and letting it steep for longer still gets you an excellent brew.