Hi lovies, I just wanted to answer this question because i see it has been asked a ton in the comments below. Unfortunately there is no substitute for the alcohol, you need it to preserve the vanilla beans so therefore it's an absolute must here! But do keep in mind that every vanilla extract you buy also contains alcohol so there is no difference. Also it's good to remember that this is not for drinking, it's used in baking and at most, you will use about 1 tablespoon for an entire recipe so it's totally safe for anyone to eat. Hope this helps!

I like to have my Vanilla extract sit for 6 months before using. Such a deeper color and flavor.

I've been making & giving away homemade vanilla for years. People absolutely love it. I make mine with vodka, but also with about a tablespoon of dark rum just for some added flavor.

Laura thank you so much! I live in Greece and vanilla extract is extremely expensive but vanilla seeds are pretty affordable. Thank you!!

I've had mine on the go for 5 years it's great just keep refilling leave the pods in

For me every dessert deserves some vanilla extract. Those look wonderful!

I'm a 22 year old male who had absolutely no clue what to give my family this Christmas (also, my uncle and his fam just moved to the states from another country). Now because of this vid, I know what I'll be gifting my mom, aunt-in-law, and a friend in 3 weeks. This will save me a lot of money compared to how much I spent last year. Thanks Laura!

wow; this is wonderful because Laura actually gives the values (2oz liquor per 1 vanilla bean)...some of the other professional chefs here have not provided the ratios & time to age the solution...THANK YOU! and your jars are lovely for gifts also. ♥♥♥

Love this! Thanks, Laura!

Love your show. Thank you, for showing : how to make homemade vanilla extracts etc. please me how to make other extract (mint, orange/lemon). I would to be in list for the holiday basket as well. Enjoyed every moment you proceed with you demonstration on food cooking. Your lovely and very professional . You have a beautiful family. Your daughter is lovely too. Thank you again.

Wow Laura, only seven recipes away from a thousand episodes! That is amazing! I've been watching and cooking your recipes for over four years now.. Thank you for all the time , joy and yummyness you gave to us!

I got your cook book for my 36th birthday, technically tomorrow, but we celebrated it today. There were 14 of us, my dad's side of the family. I asked my aunt to get it for me. She also loves to cook (I'm learning, mostly because of youtube, and I have a collection of about 15 cook books, and some binders. She gave me my grandma's recipe for cheesy potatoes (similar to funeral potatoes. But what was special my grandma hand wrote notes in it. I loved my grandma. She passed away 10 years ago? I never thought to make vanilla extract for gifts. I love your cook book already. People loved to look through it. Maybe some others will buy your cook book. What I love about KZfaq is you can see people cooking the actual recipe.

"Edible" gift is what I called a truly gift, I am just saying. 😂😂😂

I'd like to see more how-to's on other extracts!!! Almond, Lemon, Peppermint, etc.

Alcohol is used for extracting the aroma from the vanilla pods and for preserving/ conserving. This way can be stored for up to a year. it should be kept in a darker place. It is used as flavor for desserts and you put a small amout, like 1 tablespoon or so to a whole batch, so there is no way to get drunk from that. Not to mention the alcohol will go off while baking. Either way, that amount of alcohol is not bad for the body; it's actually better than some other strange stuff used for extrats. Thank you for the great recipe, Laura!

Love the idea of edible gifts!!!! Some kind of cupcake mix of cake in a jar would be beautiful too. Thanks for the recipe!!

Can you make vanilla bean paste??

I'd love to see a "go-to" steak seasoning rub or chicken rub that can be jarred up and given as a gift.

After making and waiting 6 weeks I poured off vanilla and put in gift bottles and reused beans a second time leaving covered in vodka second time 3 months. Just as flavourful and aromatic second time round!

I’m from Madagascar and always get excited when people use our vanilla. Thanks Laura!

OK. home made seasoning such as taco, chili, garam masalla, Italian seasoning, meat rubs. Things that can be given by packet or small jars. :-)

Couple questions laura, 1. After you finish using the homemade vanilla extract can you refill again with alcohol? 2. What is the shell life? Oh and last can you make it with coconut rum? Thanks

I've heard people saying they've steeped theirs for at least six months or even a year and it's the best they've ever used, I have two bottles going. One has been steeping for 7.4 weeks while the other has been steeping for nearly four weeks (3.9 to be exact). I want them to become completely black!

I've had mine steeping for the past couple months. it's so dark and fragrant. also made a vanilla bean paste with vanilla beans and agave syrup. so good and you let that steep for a couple weeks in an air right jar. great for baking! I find that if I use the extract, I'll add one more vanilla bean and a lil more vodka if I seem to be running a little low.

I love every edible idea you just said

I have to make my own vanilla extract because I can't have corn (I buy corn free vodka) and people are always so surprised that it's so easy to make. I always have a couple of huge bottles just hanging around. You should definitely wait longer than 3-4 weeks though.This probably would have been a better video a month ago. Also, if you're looking for vanilla beans for extract, look for grade b or extract beans. They're cheaper and better for extract making.

I make my own vanilla extract. 1 vanilla bean for 1/2 cup vodka. Except I scrape the beans and use them for a recipe and thrn use the shell. Its a win-win and that vanilla extract is AMAZING and lasts for a month!

I did that last week but use the sous vide cooker 130 degrees for 8 hours and it smells tastes beautiful it will get much better after time

Thanks, I just ordered my vanilla pods, cant wait to get these made for my friends and family xx

Never thought about making my own vanilla extract, such a great idea!

just a little heads up Laura use the vanilla seeds to bake whit, then use the pod for extract, most think the flavor is in the seed but thats not tru, the flavor is in the oil were 52% is in the seed and the black seedholder in the pod the rest of the oil is in the pod, so choop the pod fine and put it vodka and you get a better extract

The store bought vanilla usually uses grain alcohol which you can buy where you buy vodka and it does not have much of a taste like vodka. However, vodka gives the vanilla a more mellow blended flavor where the grain alcohol is more of a bite. Vanilla is soluble in alcohol not in water but I have seen vanilla extract made with glycerin for ones wanting non-alcoholic vanilla.

Some kind of homemade cookie or fudge or candy gift would be amazing!

Do you ever need to discard the beans? That is, can they spoil once the alcohol drops below their level?

This is a wonderful recipe! I had to make some homemade vanilla extract awhile back and I used potato vodka because of my corn sensitivities and you can't even taste the alcohol in the finished product! It's wonderful!

Thank you Laura, I was hunting for a delicious and easy recipe on youtube to use up my leftover bread and apples before they go rotten on me. On your "Overnight Pumpkin French Toast" video, you've mentioned "your own homemade vanilla extract" when you added vanilla to that recipe. So I paused that video & got right on KZfaq and searched if you have a video on how to make vanilla extract, and here you are, thank you. I need to know this, because vanilla extract is getting pricey and pricey and with one bottle of vodka and few vanilla beans I can make bunches for my kitchen. Thank you thank you thank you. I love your videos, thanks for sharing with us.

I'd love to see a holiday chex mix recipe!

Alcohol is not evil. Live a little, ya'll.

last year I made this... but I waited for 4 months to extract completely nd yes, it amazing...

Dear Laura! This year for NY and for the Christmas holidays I decided to give for my family/friends edible gifts, so I was thinking only about gingerbread cookies, just because I wanted to make something that I could bring with me in the box in a long distance. So if its possible to show us something (ofc you make it easy;)) that I can make at the last or maybe not to spend so much time for making it and bring with me to another country and ofc edible gifts! Thank you!

Could you please show us if you have any more extract recipes, like mint, coffee...etc. ? And maybe other flavouring options like coffee syrup since a lot of ppl are freaking out about the alcohol :) thank you!

Hi, I'm assuming that u strain it afterwards, or do the beans dissolve?

this time of year,soups and comfort meals sound great plus your getting the bennefit of the heat from cooking and a good meal

Can you do a tutorial on pickling veggies, cucumbers, onions, roasted peppers, asparagus - anything really! Would love to see a variety of pickling flavors and vegetables! :)

What is a recommended type of vodka for this recipe?

Very nice 👌

I made this and used it for the holidays! It was amazing! Thank you!

Nutella mousse, please? Your chocolate mousse works wonders on anyone I serve it to, so I'd love to see a Nutella mousse! Thank you so much for all the work you and Joe put into everything.

Olive oil & Balsamic bottles PLEASE

great video! how long is this good for?

All of it, I want to see you make all of it. ❤️ I love these type of videos.

My friend did a recipe similar to this, but she used rum. The vanilla is so good! But she said that after a month of letting it steep she should've taken the vanilla pods out of the glass jar because the flavor will start to be weird the longer you leave the pods in.

How do you store the bottle? In room temperature or in the fridge? xo

Is there any non-alcoholic alternative?

everything u mentioned!!!!!!really love all these edible gifts!!! What's not good about it!? it's handmade!!!💗💓

I'm making two for my brother and dad and i'm super excited! It's been sitting for the last 3 days I can't wait till it's ready!

is there any expiration date for it?

Video 993??!!! Are you preparing something special for video 1000 ? Kisses!!

How to dry out herbs the best way! By the way you have a lovely smile!

I really like the idea of edible gifts and ingredients like this. Thanks for posting this.

i don't get what your supposed to do with this? is it a drink or for cooking?

I didn't understand very well why is not so great to use bourbon, also what do you mean with 35%-70% vodka prove? I have never drank alcohol so I have no idea about those things you explained. Could you or someone help me to understand? thank you!

Funfetti cake mix with icing which is decorated like a festive treat

Thank you for being straight to the point

wow. i didnt know vanilla essense was made with all that alcohol

Do I have to use alcohol? Because I don't drink at all

This is brilliant Laura. I would have never thought about making my own vanilla extract. It even seems more cost efficient than buying those tiny itty bitty bottles for like 10 bucks which I use up in no time. I'd love to see some soup or bread mixes. Really any type of edible gifts. I wanna shake things up a bit from my usual cookies or hot chocolate mixes.

Laura, in every video you always special me thanks for this wonderful recipe

Vanilla extract is vanilla flavored booze? 😳

Great video and content....I did some extract using Vodka and Ceylon Vanilla.. The flavor was amazing... I made heaps of extract only cost for Vodka and 1kg beans for $150..

You're so kind Laura! and I'd love to see how you make your *Christmas* *Log* *Cake*

Thank you for this! I use vanilla extract for so much and this will be more convenient for me.

I will be making this vanilla ... I've already started ordering vanilla beans and bottles from Amazon. Niw have to buy the liquor 😊 Thank you for sharing 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉

I love making my own vanilla!! Makes a huge difference!

I would love to see soup mixes and also biscotti recipes please!!

I know it's not very christmassy but I'd love to see your take on a beef rendang curry or some African jollof rice soon! I just love them

Are you going to show us how to build a gift basket around the vanilla? Would love to see that :)

Loved this! In my country (Denmark) we don't usually use vanilla extract and therefore it's so difficult to find, and when I do it's a tiny tiny bottle that costs A LOT. We use a mixture of pure vanilla and powdered sugar. But i'm so happy you shared this! Will absolutely give it a go! Last year you made a video on homemade instant cacao powder. Loved it! Can you make 3 different instant drinks for warm milk or something like that. Different flavors perfect for the cold months? I would love that. Thank you Laura for always making me happy by watching your vids :)

When extracts are put into foods which will be cooked, most of the alcohol will burn off. What remains per serving is at levels similar to or lower than what people eat every day in servings of ripe fruit, juices, breads, soft drinks and on and on. Just check the ethanol % in lots of food products.

By the way this is how you like making it! It is possible to make Vanilla Extract organic "non alcohol" because some stores do carry this item this specific way.

Great idea. Not just for the holidays. Like it.

I would love to see a gift basket, and a recepie on how to make homemade roasted almonds:)

+Laura in the Kitchen Hi Laura! I just had a quick question for you about this recipe - I'm making 4 bottles as presents for family and friends, and I was wondering what you do with the vanilla beans after they've steeped in the vodka for 3-4 weeks. Should you leave the bean pods in there as you use the liquid? Or should you pull them out once you start using the liquid in recipes since the liquid level will eventually not be enough to cover the pods anymore. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe! I love watching your videos :)

I think the reason why the alcohol is a must is that you can store it longer and it tastes better. It's not a must, you can use glycerin and water but it won't be the same.

Just a few episodes away from 1000! How exciting!

Wonderful looking extract Laura! I use vanilla in almost every dessert I make. Just delicious :-D

Hi Laura, you are my favorite channel, I love everything you make. I’ve recently started making a lot of meals in a jar, since I got a dehydrator. And I’m loving it! Would love to see you make some.

Great Idea! And yes, I'd love to see breadmixes! Also holiday baskets sounds like a good idea ^^ Home made gifts are awesome!

all those gift baskets ideas would be helpful Laura!!! thanks your so awesome!!!

Soup mixes, homemade pasta using different flours, cake flour, vanilla bean paste, pie dough

Does the liquor absolutely have to be 35%/70 proof? Most vodkas I come across are 40%/80 proof.

different tea mixes in tea bags, muffin mixes, flavored hot chocolate mixes and a basket full of these to be able to make a whole breakfast could be great :)

Love your lip color in this video!

I just started my 1st batches of homemade vanilla extract. I got my Beans on line and they came within a week.

Omg!!! Bread recipe and more extracts if that's possible., mmmm breakfast recipes that aren't desert like!

Just received my bottles and vanilla beans. Yay! So excited!

Wow love this idea for gifts. Thank you so much. I will definitely get this started ASAP.

I'd love to see some fun cookies in a jar recipes or some other fun stuff in jars!

Laura- Can you please share how to make vanilla paste? I am obsessed with it more than the vanilla extract in all my baking.

I would reaaaally like it if you could make preserved lemons! There are so many different recipes out there and I don't know which one to choose