Making Vanilla Extract

I'd been wanting to make my own vanilla extract since this time last year, so in November, I got busy and now I'll have a boxful of homemade Christmas gifts. For me, the key to making vanilla extract is buying in bulk. I purchased these bottles, these vanilla beans and a case of affordable vodka. I used Zoe Bakes' very helpful post as a guide.

Basically, all you do is add vanilla beans to vodka and store in a place away from sunlight. It seems like the longer you keep the vanilla beans in the vodka, the more flavorful your extract will be. I kept mine in for about six weeks. It's so gratifying to see the clear vodka turn such a warm, gorgeous shade of brown. I shook the bottles around every few days and would open one up to get a whiff of that amazing vanilla scent. I'm in the process now of dividing up the vanilla extract into 8 oz. bottles and slapping on the labels I created on Pinhole Press, just in time to get them under the tree!