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The Blog

    • Jun 4
    • 3 min read

Homemade Vanilla Extract

Happy Tuesday, and HELLO, Summer! 


I love these warmer days and the much-anticipated + prayed-for rain we have received in Amarillo lately! Our garden is coming along - I have spotted tomato blooms, and our jalapeno plants seem to be very happy. My rhubarb has been going strong for 4 years and loves its spot in the half-shade and half-sun.


Gardening is a retreat for the soul. I love the accomplishment of a day's hard work in the yard. It has therapeutic qualities, that is for sure! The word homemaking always makes me think about time in the kitchen with my Nana Kay. She is a kitchen wizard and professional! She can do everything from asparagus to corn relish, sand plum jelly, to the best fresh rhubarb pie. 


I saw a recipe for homemade vanilla extract and knew that would be a great springtime project at my Nana’s house! We gathered all the ingredients and made homemade vanilla extract. 

Imagine this—all you need is vodka, vanilla beans, and 8-oz glass bottles! It is so simple and will taste 100% better than what you will find in the store. 


Important Note: Ensure that your liquor of choice is between 35% and 50% otherwise, your vanilla will not distill properly. I hope to try this project again with rum or ½ vodka and ½ amaretto…yummy! 


We ordered our supplies through Amazon, and to make 1 dozen bottles of vanilla extract, our cost per bottle was $14.91! Worth every penny if you ask me - the good stuff always tastes better than artificial.



Two handles of Tito’s vodka (1,750 mL each) cost $100 and yield 118 ounces of vodka—enough for this project and a little extra. Our vanilla beans were $54 for 75 beans. We used 5-6 vanilla bean pods in each glass bottle. Additionally, 1 dozen glass bottles costed $25.00. To keep costs even lower - invite your girlfriends over for a vanilla extract batch party! A fun and easy way to gather together, and everyone reaps the rewards of fresh vanilla. 


Our vanilla extract turned out perfect! It is so versatile for all your baking needs, plus you can keep refilling your glass bottle with liquor as you use your extract to continuously diffuse the vanilla beans. 


I made some custom labels to complete our bottles utilizing Avery printable labels. They added the perfect touch of personalization to gift these bottles to family and friends. If you are on the hunt for fun, custom canning labels this summer, keep Lady K Creative in mind! 



Lady K’s One Thing: 

The Bisons competed in the ice cream churn-off at our church this past Sunday! We had a great time, even though we did not win the contest. It was a blast to prepare our Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble Ice Cream. It is tart, sweet, and oh so perfect for those hot summer days!


Strawberry Rhubarb Pie = Meet Ice Cream 



Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble Ice Cream Recipe

Rhubarb and Strawberry Filling: 

  • 1 cup diced fresh rhubarb 

  • 2 cups diced fresh strawberries

  • 2/3 cup sugar 

  • 2/3 cup water

Oat Crumbles 

  • 1 tablespoon butter

  • ⅓ quick-cooking oats 

  • 3 table spoons brown sugar 

  • ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon 

Ice cream 

  • 1-1/2 cups heavy whipping cream

  • 1-1/2 cups half-and-half cream

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  • 2/3 Cup Sugar 


Directions

Make the Strawberry Rhubarb filling first 

  • Dice your strawberries and rhubarb. Place rhubarb, strawberries, 2/3 cup sugar, and water in a small saucepan; bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat; simmer, until rhubarb is softened, and mixture is thickened, 8-10 minutes. Cool completely.

Then make your oat mixture

  • In a small skillet, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add oats, brown sugar and cinnamon; cook and stir until oats are coated, 45-60 seconds. Remove to a bowl; cool completely.

Make your ice cream 

  • In a bowl, whisk together cream, half-and-half, vanilla and ⅔  cup sugar until sugar is completely dissolved.

  • Fill cylinder of an ice cream maker with the ice cream mixture, no more than two-thirds full. 

  • Add to the ice cream maker the COOLED strawberry rhubarb and oat crumble mixtures. 

  • Mix well in the ice cream maker for about 20 minutes, until ice cream is starting to thicken.

  • Transfer the ice cream to a freezer safe bowl and freeze according to manufacturer’s directions - approximately 4-5 hours. 


Serve and Enjoy! 


Blessings,









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