Back to basics. Vanilla Essence.

This is the easiest basics post ever.  No skill what so ever is required.  The hardest part is finding the bottles.   I am posting this now because if you get it started it will be just ready in time for Christmas.  But don't let the grass grow under your feet...

These are my bottles that I have currently brewing.   I give them a little shake once a day.   Each day the vodka gets a little bit darker.

I recycled the tall bottle which I love and that will be for my pantry.   The others I got from a cheap shop.    You can use vodka, rum, bourbon... any high alcohol spirits really. 

I already covered (over the last few weeks) where I got my vanilla beans from and how buying them online makes them around 1/10th the supermarket price.  

Some of the beans I used I had already split and removed the seeds for the Vanilla Sugar.   They still have lots of goodness to give.  Otherwise you want to run a knife along the bean lengthwise so that the alcohol can get in there and extract the flavour.  

I like to leave the beans in the bottle when I give them.  Then I include instructions that if the vanilla is being used up the bottle can be topped up and it will keep "brewing."   Also that eventually when the bottle is empty the beans can still go into a dish such as custard or sugar and give more flavour.   

There is no real rule about how many beans to put in your bottles.  I used two.   You could also do it another way and make a big jar full of beans (thus having only one thing to shake) and later pour it into little bottles.  If you prefer you can strain the essence and retain the beans.

My Dad had a genius suggestion for infusing anything.  He said let the bottle roll around the floor of your car for a couple of months.   But let's think,  what could possibly go wrong?

I plan to give gifts of some Bay Leaves packaged,  a jar of Vanilla Sugar,  a bottle of Vanilla and a kitchen towel and crochet dish cloth.   Or some similar combination.   If you look online or in gourmet stores you will see the prices of any kind of hamper are mind boggling.   It is good to know the value of what you make.

Plenty of people probably buy imitation vanilla essence because it is cheaper.   It is not the same.  In my town the price for genuine Vanilla Essence is $9.40 to $10 for 50 mils.  That is 2.7 ounces.  

Here is a commercial bottle next to mine.

You can print lovely labels and instructions for free on many websites.  I like this one free labels and this one also.    I haven't made it that far yet but I do think presentation is a big factor in gift giving.  

Cheap shops also sell little blackboard labels that look lovely and a white marker gives that blackboard look.  I frequent our local cheap shop a lot.  They have amazingly good and stylish packaging supplies.   Also everything that passes through the house is looked at sideways... maybe it would help with foodie gifts ie nice boxes,  brown paper... jars and containers that might hold biscuits...

I am so glad I have these going.   I also found I still had some really beautiful big bottles.  Several are saved for when the Liqueur is ready...  but today I took a few more and used them to make essential oil, super relaxing, bubble bath.  They look very luxe and I love them.  I will share on Friday.  

Next week I promised Sonia that I would do a basics post on Tuna Mornay.   I think it is a very good recipe because it can be made from 100% stuff in your pantry.  It is also versatile as it can be used over rice or pasta or even mashed potato.   Meals from shelf stable ingredients are really a good thing to know!

Have a lovely week! xxx