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Vanilla Extract 101: What It Is, Where It Comes From, How to Make It

Ever wondered why a little bottle of vanilla extract can run you $20? There's a surprisingly wild backstory and it turns out you can make your own at home for a fraction of the cost!

The bean behind the bottle: Vanilla bean comes from an orchid grown mainly in Madagascar, Mexico, and Tahiti. Four varieties stand out:

  • Madagascar (Bourbon): rich, woody flavor, high vanillin content, the most widely used.
  • Mexican: similar to Madagascar but slightly milder; the most popular form overall.
  • Tahitian: fruitier and more fragrant, with hints of cherry; the priciest of the four.
  • Ugandan: bold and earthy with notes of milk chocolate; the rarest.

Why it costs so much: A vanilla orchid takes 3 to 5 years just to flower, and each bloom has only a 24-hour window for hand-pollination. Once pollinated, the bean takes up to nine months to mature, followed by weeks of curing and drying. Add in the impact of tropical storms on Madagascar's crops (prices once spiked to $600/kg after a single cyclone), and you can see why real vanilla carries a premium.

Making your own vanilla extract:

  • Gather 3 to 6 oz vanilla beans, a 750ml bottle of alcohol (rum, vodka, or bourbon), and a Mason jar. A simple ratio to remember: 1 cup alcohol per 1 oz of beans.
  • Submerge the beans fully in the alcohol, top off as needed, and shake once or twice a week.
  • Store at room temperature out of direct sunlight. It's usable in 8 weeks, but 9 to 12 months gives the best flavor.
  • Prefer alcohol-free? Vanilla beans, water, and vegetable glycerin (or salt and filtered water) work too, though the process takes 12 to 24 months.

Once you’ve made your extract, vanilla can be used for:

  • Treatment of intestinal gas, minor burns, and fevers
  • Cocktails, smoothies, coffees, and other beverages
  • Baked goods and desserts
  • Insect repellent
  • Hair and beauty products
  • Household cleaning products
  • Air fresheners and other fragrances

*Note: Vanilla extract should not be consumed on its own. Children specifically should not consume the extract as they run the risk of alcohol poisoning if they have too much. Additionally, the medicinal benefits of vanilla extract have not yet been scientifically or FDA approved.

DIFFERENT RECIPES WITH VANILLA

Vanilla beans and their extract have uses beyond simple baked goods and desserts. In fact, you can use these products to create alcohol, sugar, and paste.

1. Kahlua

Kahlua is a 4-ingredient, coffee-based liquor from Veracruz, Mexico. Keeping in mind that this is only one homemade recipe, it can be created using:

  • Two and a half cups of freshly-brewed coffee
  • Four cups of sugar
  • Two and a fourth cups of rum
  • One-inch of a vanilla bean that has been cut in half

If a vanilla bean is not available to you, you may swap it out with one tablespoon of pure vanilla extract. Specifically, the recipe calls for brewing the hot coffee and stirring until the added sugar is dissolved, then you may add the rest of the ingredients. After doing so, the mixture should be stored in a Mason jar in a cool place for 2 to 3 weeks. Once the time is up, strain the mixture and remove the vanilla beans before consumption! This recipe will create about 8 cups.

2. Vanilla Paste

Vanilla bean paste is made using:

  • 30 vanilla beans
  • Six tablespoons of vanilla extract
  • One and two-thirds cups of agave nectar (maguey syrup)

All of the ingredients should be added at once to a food processor until smooth, then poured over a strainer into a Mason jar to remove any lumps. Once this process is finished, be sure to store your paste in the refrigerator! This recipe is excellent for desserts and other baked goods.

3. Vanilla sugar

Vanilla sugar is a simple recipe that calls for:

  • One vanilla bean
  • Two cups of granulated sugar

First, cut the vertical vanilla bean in half and add its contents to the Mason jar full of sugar. Then, add the vanilla bean to the sugar and stir the contents together. The Mason jar should then be covered and left to sit for about a week. Vanilla sugar is the perfect alternative for plain sugar in many dessert recipes!

Keep your homemade extract fresh — and easy to pour: A reCAP Pour Spout Lid turns your mason jar into a clean, no-drip dispenser, perfect for measuring vanilla straight into your baking. Shop the Pour Spout Lid →

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