Easy Extracts

So...my posts have been a little slow this week because I caught a cold earlier in the week which upset me greatly.  I mean, who gets a cold in the middle of May?  When the weather outside is perfectly warm and balmy?  Everyone, according to the checkout lady at the grocery.  She informed me that many people were coming in buying cold medicine.  So, I was just one of the unlucky few.  Thankfully, I have found a really effective cold remedy...cleaning out my ears with hydrogen peroxide.  This might seem a little weird, but I have found that this method is used to clean out earwax, but it has also been shown to lessen the duration of colds.  Now, don't automatically take my word for it (do some googling or research or better yet, ask a doctor!), but I have found that cleaning my ears dramatically reduces my cold symptoms and duration.  Just 10 mins on each side once or twice a day.  I guess it makes sense because your eye, nose, and ears are all connected.
The other bit of drama was that my dog had another anaphylactic reaction in the middle of the night.  By the morning, he was covered in big hives.  He had a similar reaction last summer after being stung by a bee, and the vet thinks it was a spider or ant...I had no idea an ant could cause such a reaction!  Thankfully, though, after some steroids and a lot of benadryl, he is back to his old grumpy self!

Because of my slight illness, I have been cooking more simply this week.  Some chili (sooo comforting when you have a cold!), some lasagna with zucchini noodles (also comforting), and my easy fall back: stir fry salad.  So, unfortunately, I don't have a full meal to share with you.  However, I've been wanting to share a little tip with you which is both fun and will save you money: how to make your own vanilla and coffee extracts!

I don't know about you, but I like to buy organic vanilla extract.  Yet, this scruple of mine is not always kind on my wallet.  The extract available at the store is about 10 bucks for 3 oz.  That is just totally ridiculous.  I mean, why is it so darn expensive?  Well, for one, vanilla beans, in general, are very expensive.  Plus, if they are using organic alcohol, that also adds on the dollars.  I knew there had to be a better solution, so I set out to make it myself.

When I was in baking class, we learned three great ways to use vanilla beans.  Since they are terribly expensive (over a dollar each), you want to make sure that you're getting your full money's worth.  The three best ways to use a vanilla bean are using the fresh beans, adding them to sugar, and adding them to alcohol.  One vanilla bean can go through each of these processes and so could last for years!

When I set out to make my extract, I found whole vanilla beans in bulk.  They were on sale for 99 cents each (a bargain!), so I got two.  I found them in the bulk spice isle in the grocery, but they can also be found at specialty baking/cooking stores as well, such as Sur La Table.  On my shopping trip, I also stopped at the liquor store to buy really cheap vodka.  Now, I realize that my "organic" compunction went out the window at this point, but saving money became my main goal.  I found a 750ml bottle of (really crappy) vodka for about 7 dollars.  But cheap isn't bad in this case since you aren't going to drink it!  In hindsight, I would paid a little more to get some brandy or rum!  Since this extract is used in desserts, having more flavorful alcohol is always great.  My reason for getting vodka was that it is relatively flavorless, which makes the vanilla and coffee flavors shine.

Now, I have about 16 oz of vanilla and coffee extract in my pantry!  And all for UNDER 10 bucks!  

Uses for Vanilla Beans:

1. Use the fresh beans in homemade ice cream, panna cotta, whipped cream, frosting, etc.
NOTE: To remove the beans from the vanilla bean, split lengthwise, then take the back of your knife and run down the middle of the vanilla bean.  This should scrape out all the pulp from the middle of the bean.  Set aside vanilla bean exterior for other uses.

2. Add vanilla bean (pulp removed) to sugar to make vanilla sugar.  The beans should dry completely in the sugar and last indefinitely...if the sugar lasts that long!  Use vanilla sugar in any dessert recipe. Once the sugar is gone, you can add the dried beans to alcohol for vanilla extract.

3. Add vanilla bean (pulp removed) to alcohol to create vanilla extract.  Should last indefinitely or until consumed.

Vanilla Extract

2 vanilla beans, bean pulp removed
350ml alcohol (vodka, brandy, rum)

1.  Add vanilla beans into the bottle of alcohol.  Wait at least a week or until alcohol has darkened significantly and vanilla aroma and flavor are present.
2. Use in any recipe that calls for vanilla extract!

There are still some tiny beans at the bottom!

Coffee Extract

1/2 cup coffee beans
350ml alcohol (vodka, brandy, rum)

1. See recipe above and repeat for coffee extract.

I split my vodka between the vanilla and coffee.  If you aren't going to use the bottle the alcohol came in, you can use a glass or plastic container (washed and sanitized).  Try to make sure that the vanilla and coffee beans are completely covered by the alcohol.

Since alcohol is so great at extracting flavors, it is clear that you could make hundreds of different "extracts!"  Try different kinds of fruit: citrus, strawberry, raspberry, etc.  This would be delicious for cocktails!  You can even make black pepper or tomato vodka for Bloody Marys!  Or try some fresh herbs!  Go wild and have fun! :)