Alright, I admit that some of you might not consider this fun, but I sure do. Cooking is fun. This is something I read about on the Internet and have been dying to try it. When I found a make-your-own-vanilla-kit, I was thrilled.
For this you'll need vanilla beans, vodka, and a bottle. My kit came with the vanilla beans and the bottle. Sadly, the vodka wasn't included.
First, read the instructions. Notice it says 'premium vodka'. Think Stoli is premium enough?
Next, split the vanilla beans lengthwise. This is the first time I've ever worked with vanilla beans and I was certainly intrigued. You have to use a little pressure to cut into the bean. The insides are fragrant. They actually stained my fingers a little bit. The instructions didn't say to scrape the inside of the bean, so I didn't. I hope that wasn't a mistake. (Hey, this is an experiment after all!)
Put the vanilla beans back into the bottle (or into a bottle if you don't have a kit). Fill the bottle with vodka. If you take a sip or two, I promise I won't tell anyone.
Mark the 'put up date' on the bottle. If you're like me, you won't remember the date unless you write it down.
Now when I read about this experiment on the Internet, some people but the vanilla beans directly into a fifth of vodka. Some people scraped the insides of the vanilla beans and put them in the bottle with the bean hulls. (Hulls? Pods? Skins? I don't know.) I guess it's all about what you want to try... and why I'm calling this an experiment. Either way, this bottle has been placed in the deep recesses of my cabinets. Bye, bye little bottle. We'll see you again in March.
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