Previously, I'd made some DIY Vanilla Extract by extracting vanilla beans with ethanol, or drinking alcohol. But some folks prefer to stay alcohol free (or rather, ethanol free since glycerol is technically an alcohol too). Although the ethanol will cook or bake out of foods, sometimes you want to use vanilla flavoring in foods you aren't going to cook or you want to add vanilla flavoring after cooking without the ethanolic taste. And since glycerin's naturally sweet, you get to decrease the sugar content as well. Glycerin's hygroscopic (making it a great moisturizer too!), so it tends to make things like cake moister as well. This alcohol free vanilla extract will have a sweeter, more pleasant flavor straight out of the bottle than your usual ethanol-based vanilla extract. They're both useful, but one may be better suited to your application than the other. :)
Which version of vanilla do you prefer? How do you usually use vanilla flavoring?
Alcohol Free Vanilla Extract
by CJ HuangPrep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Yield: 16 ounces
Materials:
| Mass | Weight | Volume | Number | Material | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 ounces | glycerin, food grade | ||||
| 8 | vanilla beans |
Methods:
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1. Gather all materials. |
![Morsels of Life - Alcohol Free Vanilla Extract Step 2 - Cut the beans in half lengthwise and scrape out the seeds. You may also want to cut the vanilla beans into shorter segments so they fit into the container more easily.](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBxLn-w7Ft9h58BWDDleS-owj_1t6SShY3RkvGQVkp4TbvtgS61eUkp_M9gRTJ5Vu9jYuEgo4EIvG8hf4xLfmmiF4v01yAPBsspnFSceotblncK-lMg0uQAPjM0fC2zIBACuX48Uy0qR0/s1600/alcohol-free-vanilla-extract-02.jpg" "Morsels of Life - Alcohol Free Vanilla Extract Step 2 - Cut the beans in half lengthwise and scrape out the seeds. You may also want to cut the vanilla beans into shorter segments so they fit into the container more easily.") |
2. Cut the beans in half lengthwise and scrape out the seeds. You may also want to cut the vanilla beans into shorter segments so they fit into the container more easily. |
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3. Place all vanilla beans and scrapings into container with glycerin and shake well to mix. |
How interesting. I always thought vanilla beans were round.
ReplyDeleteHi CJ,
ReplyDeleteLove your easy recipe for vanilla especially that it is alcohol free. I always have trouble with anything that contains alcohol, Thanks for sharing on Real Food Fridays. Pinned & twitted.
I think vanilla beans are round, but the vanilla bean pods are long. :) I tend to use them interchangeably. Hope it wasn't too confusing. :)
ReplyDeleteI loved how easy it was too! I kept on thinking it'd be all complicated since there's no ethanol to extract the flavor. Turns out glycerin works too! And it adds a nice, sugar-free sweetness too. :)
ReplyDeleteThis is such a neat idea!
ReplyDeleteThanks for joining Cooking and Crafting with J & J!
It's great for those times when you don't really want ethanol hanging around. :) It also works wonderfully as a coffee flavoring syrup!
ReplyDeleteWow, I didn't realize this was an alternative method to alcohol! Thanks for the tip!
ReplyDeleteIt's a good way for people concerned about alcohol. :) I usually use the alcohol-based one since it's my preference, but I used this one recently in a drink just for the vanilla flavor and sweetness! Hope you enjoy. :)
ReplyDeleteI had no clue this was even possible to do without the alcohol. Super cool! Pinning for later
ReplyDeleteThanks for linking up with the FrugalMommas team :)
I was pretty skeptical myself before I tried it! And it works. :)
ReplyDeleteI love making my own vanilla extract but never made it with glycerin! Thank you for this alcohol free version! Thank you for joining us at #SaucySaturdays
ReplyDeleteGive it a try and see what you think! I didn't believe it would work until I tried it. :)
ReplyDeleteI keep meaning to try this - Thanks for linking up to Pin Worthy Wednesday, I have pinned your post to the Pin Worthy Wednesday Pinterest Board.
ReplyDeleteHere's a reminder. :) Give it a try and see what you think! I still keep the standard alcohol extracted vanilla around for most things, and I have a jar of this stuff too. :)
ReplyDeleteInteresting. Where can you buy the glycerin???
ReplyDeleteHere's the glycerin I bought: http://amzn.to/1XYHQMb. You'll want to make sure any glycerin you buy is food quality or higher. Hope that helps! :)
ReplyDeleteThis is awesome, but did I miss where it says how long you have to wait for the glycerin to extract the flavor from the vanilla pods? Or is it ready to use immediately?
ReplyDeleteIt's really up to you how strong you want the vanilla flavor. I'd recommend at least a few months, and the longer the more flavorful! I don't think you'd get much flavor extracted if you used it immediately. Let me know what you decide. :)
ReplyDeleteI definitely need to give this a try! At the rate I use vanilla it's a much better option! Thanks so much for sharing on #TryABiteTuesday last week! Hope to see you link up again this week, it's live now!
ReplyDeleteI love how you can customize it too - use what you like as a base, and then add your vanilla. :) It does take a while to extract, but it's a lot better than most store bought stuff. Plus, you can make a big batch all at once. :) Perfect for the holiday baking coming up!
ReplyDelete