Real Vanilla (DIY)

The basic ingredients :
151 Rum (or Vodka)
* This is not for drinking.
* You need something with enough alcohol to pull the flavor out of the vanilla beans.

Real Vanilla Beans (4-6 beans) Try Penzey's.


Open the bottle of rum.
Pry off the flame-retardant cap.


Slice the vanilla beans length-wise.


Scrape out the seeds.
Take a moment to ENJOY the wonderful smell!


Drop both the pod/husk and the seeds into the open bottle of rum.

Then let it all cure quietly for 2 months.
On the bottle, write the date (2 months from now) when your Real Vanilla will be ready.

We use this in baking.
1 bottle lasts us about 1 year.
1 bottle of real vanilla costs about $30 for ingredients.