Merry Christmas! Happy Hanukkah! Happy Kwanzaa! Happy Holidays! Whatever you celebrate Happy It!
These days, I feel like the meaning of these holidays are sometimes forgotten. It’s not supposed to be about the biggest, most expensive gifts. It’s about spending time with your loved ones and celebrating our beliefs, whatever they may be.
This year, I want to be very intentional in what I give my friends & family. We are also buying a house so we gotta budget a bit more than normal. I thought that I could share what I’m making with you all too and turn it into a weekly series during this holiday season for us all to make together! So at the end of each week I will post a blog post & video on my IG of what we’re making that week.
For the 1st week we are going to make Vanilla Extract! Have you ever bought REAL, good, bakers quality extract? Pricey, let me tell you. Go ahead and google it. I’ve always heard how easy it is to make good vanilla extract so this year is the year I will try it and share it with the bakers, homemakers, and entertainers in my life! For 6, 5.25 oz. bottles of vanilla I spent $32.95. That’s $5.49 a bottle. Compares pretty well compared to $14.47 for a 1.65 oz. bottle of quality vanilla, huh?
What you’ll need:
- Glass jars (found mine in the target dollar spot, pack of 3 for $3)
- Tahitian Vanilla Beans
- Vodka (30-40% alc./vol.)
- Knife
- Funnel
- Cutting board
- Gift tags
First, slice open the vanilla beans lengthwise, and peel them open to expose the gooey center. (don’t cut the whole way through). Because these jars are smaller, I also cut them in half so they fit in the jar.
Add three half beans to the jar.
Next, put the funnel into the jar and fill the jar with vodka to cover the beans. Be careful not to over fill. Give it a good shake!
Put the jars into a room temperature light-less cabinet. Once a week give it another good shake and then put it back in the cabinet. You’re own homemade vanilla extract will be ready to gift & use in 8 weeks!
Add a cute tag & it’s ready to add to your gift basket! I made some free printable tags for ya’ll to use to customize your gifts as well.
I hope you enjoyed the first homemade holidays tutorial! Come back next week to learn how to make a chunky knit blanket!
Until next time,
Rachel
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