Homemade Vanilla Extract

I wish I could take credit for this, but I can't.  I found this at Do It Yourself...Naturally in an article written by Matt Jabs.  It made a lot of sense to try, to I made up a batch.  Great stuff!

Simplified, you need a Fifth of Vodka and 6 Madagascar Vanilla Beans.  LIGHTLY rinse the beans, slice them either lengthwise or into 1" chunks and add them to the bottle of Vodka. You will probably have to remove a little vodka to make room for the beans (HIC!)   Shake it up, then put it in a cool, dark place.

Every few days, give it a shake.

In about 2 months you'll have vanilla extract!

Strain it through a coffee filter and you're ready to go.

Because I had store bought vanilla I needed to use up, mine actually aged for about 4 months.  It has a nice strong vanilla smell and taste.

It's so easy and so much less expensive then store bought extract I will be using this the rest of my life!