Friday, February 4, 2011

Homemade Gluten Free Vanilla


Potato vodka with a handful of vanilla beans - it's that easy.

Making your own gluten free vanilla is so simple.  Here are my own bottles. The bottles appear lighter than they actually are because of the lighting through the window so you'll want to let yours get a tad darker than what you see in the bottle on the right.  The large bottle on the left had gotten nearly half empty and was just refilled last night.  I gave it a big shake just prior to taking the picture so it appears a bit cloudy due to vanilla seeds.  It will sit and steep for a few weeks while I use the bottle on the right.  I'll then top off that one and let it steep while I use the other. 

The vodka shown is an inexpensive potato vodka and therefore gluten free. The amount of vanilla beans you use is up to you - the more you use the faster it will steep.  All you do is to make a slit lengthwise down the beans to expose the inside and seeds with a sharp knife.  Slide the beans into the vodka bottle or any other bottle you like. Vanilla beans vary in price greatly - shop around online for the best price. They're pricey at first but a bargain in the long run..  You'll just keep topping your bottles off because the vanilla beans last a really long time.

2 comments:

Terri said...

Hi CHACHA,

I have never thought of doing this. I thought all vanilla extracts were GF. The bottles are so beautiful, they must look wonderful in your kitchen!

Love, Terri

chacha said...

Thank you Terri! I love the bottles, too, and I wish I could keep them out. They are best kept out of sunlight so I keep them in a dark, cool cupboard above my Kitchenaide mixer. XO