Great Gift Idea: Make your Own Vanilla and Almond Extracts

This post contains affiliate links.  If you make a purchase after clicking them, we will be compensated, but there is no additional cost to you.  All opinions expressed are our own.  Thank you for your support.

     Making your own extracts is an easy process.  Maddy and I got together and made some back in September so that we could give it away this year for Christmas.  Unfortunately, that is the one problem with this project, the extracts need to steep for awhile before using them.  The other option is to make them and add the vanilla beans or almonds to the jars and on the tag, let the receiver know that they need to wait a few months to use them.  

     Whatever you decide to do, let me show you a few things that we found out as we prepared to make these extracts.  If you don't want to make it this year, you can file this post away until next year to make as gifts, or just make it now for yourself! 
       Most people have heard of making your own Vanilla Extract in Vodka, but have you heard of using glycerin?  There are pros and cons to using both.  Have you heard of how to make Almond Extract?  You may be surprised at that process!  Keep reading and I will tell you all about our process and experience making our own extracts! 

     I've always wanted to try to make my own Vanilla Extract, especially when the price started shooting up in stores a few years ago.  But, because I am not a drinker, I was shy about going out and buying a bottle of Vodka.  I know that it is perfectly acceptable to make vanilla extract with it, after all, the stuff you buy in the store is mostly alcohol anyway, so what is the difference?  I was simply certain that I would run into my friends that day at the store with a big bottle of vodka in my cart! LOL  Anyway, I kept pushing the project aside. 

​     Then, Alicia sent me some information that she found about the way to make almond extract.  I was amazed and decided that I really needed to get busy and make my own extracts. 
​

  Vodka vs Glycerin     

When I decided that I really wanted to make the extracts, I was still plagued with the decision of buying the vodka.  Maddy volunteered to go with me and take the rap and pretend to be my alcoholic daughter, lol.  Which made me wonder about that entire issue of having alcohol in your home when there might be someone with  a drinking problem, or an allergy or any other reason you can think of not to have vodka in your home.  So, I perused the internet and found out that the alternative to vodka is food safe glycerin! I wondered what the difference would be, so I decided to make vodka and glycerin versions of the extracts and see what happened. 
​

Here is what I've discovered between the two so far:

Vodka

Glycerin

• The Vodka takes on the color of the vanilla beans very quickly.  It could change the color of your frosting or cake batter. 
• Vodka can be pricey, but not as high as the glycerin actually.
• When I opened the bottle to see if I could smell the vanilla, the fumes about knocked me over, so beware of that. 
• Since it is a liquid, it is easy to pour and transfer into smaller bottles.
• The alcohol content in Vodka preserves the items you are extracting so that nothing goes bad over time.  Remember that Vodka needs to be 80 proof, or 35% alcohol. 

• The glycerin stayed clear, so would be a very good choice for white colored frosting or cakes. 
• Glycerin is pricey as well, and can be a higher price than the vodka.
• When I opened the bottle to see if I could smell the vanilla or almond, I could smell it right away and there were no fumes.
• Glycerin is more of a syrup, so it took much longer to pour into a separate bottle.  Plus, it has to be strained to remove the nut pieces. 
• Glycerin is also a type of alcohol and also prevents bacterial growth.  It isn't the type of alcohol one drinks. 

​Almond Extract

     Now, here is the interesting thing about almond extract.  Companies that make it don't actually use almonds to get that flavor!  They use the seeds from the insides of the pits of stone fruits such as peaches, nectarines and almonds! Stone fruit pits and almonds are related to each other.  I was surprised when I found this out because I've always been told that stone fruit pits are poisonous!  And....they are, somewhat,  they contain a chemical that turns into cyanide when ingested!  But, using them to make almond extract is completely safe! Just  don't forget and nibble on the crumbs.  This was great to find out because stone fruits tend to cost much less than actual almonds.  So, in September when I was canning peaches, I saved all of the pits.  Here is how I cracked them open and made the extract:

• I used a hammer and a heavy weight from a weight bench.
• I used an old rag that I didn't mind ruining!
• Wrap some of the pits in the rag and pound them open with the hammer and pull out the inner seed.  It's okay if the inner seed crushes a bit because you will want them to be somewhat crushed when you make the extract. That will release the fats and flavor more. 
• You will need about a cup of the seeds for 32 oz of vodka or glycerin.
• I used 1/2 gallon Ball Canning Jars as a container to make my extract.  They are nice and large and close tightly so it is easy to be able to shake up the extract periodically as it steeps for a few months. 
• I filled the jar half full with vodka or glycerin and added the crushed stone fruit centers.  Screw on the lid and give it a shake, then put it away in a cool dark place to steep.  Give it a shake every few days.   
• I could smell the almond smell from the seeds right away, but by the end of 3 months I didn't feel like the extract flavor was strong enough with the taste of almond, so I added a handful of actual almonds for about the last week before I started bottling up the extract.  That really seemed to help! 
• I used 2 oz bottles to divide my extract into.  Strain the seeds out before bottling, then,  I put a few slivers of real almonds into each bottle so that the steeping process could continue.  This set of bottles that I have linked to comes with tiny funnels, which you will definitely need to use when filling the bottles. 

Don't they look adorable? You will notice that when you put the almond slices in the glycerin, they will float. In the vodka, they sink to the bottom.

Here are pdfs for you to use to label your bottles: 
Almond Extract in Vodka
Almond Extract in Glycerin
​

​Vanilla Extract

     The vanilla extract is even easier to do.  First you will need vanilla beans.  I ordered  Tahitian Vanilla Beans from Amazon.  The ones I ordered are out of stock now, but here are some other ones at a good price. Or, you can order Madagascar Vanilla Beans if you would like.  Here is what to do:

• Use a sharp knife and slice down the length of 5 or 6 vanilla beans and add them to  32 oz. of vodka or glycerin.  Put the lid on tightly and shake it up.  
• Store in a cool, dark place and let it steep for a few months.  Shake periodically, just the same as you will do with the almond extract. 
• When it is time to bottle, there is no need for straining.  I cut up a couple of vanilla beans and put a piece in each bottle.  
• Save your vanilla beans because I've read that they can be used for a second batch of extract.

Click the links below to copy the labels.

Vanilla extract made with glycerin
Vanilla extract made with vodka
​

*Just a couple more notes:

• The recipes I've shared should give you about 16-2oz bottles from each recipe.  (As you can imagine, I have lots of extract to gift!)    
• We ended up purchasing the bottle of vodka from Costco.  The price was much better there. 
• We poured out half of the vodka into a 1/2 gallon jar for the almond extract and simply dropped the vanilla beans into the vodka bottle itself.
• At the end of 3 months I tested the flavor of the extracts by making a small amount of frosting and flavoring with each of the extracts.  The vanilla was definitely getting strong enough, but I felt that the almond still needed more time.  That is when I added a handful of real almonds to the jars.
• The labels are printed on 2" round labels consistent with Avery labels #22205. 

     

     I'm excited to make sugar cookies using my homemade extract this year!  I'll let you know how they taste in my recipes.  I'm also excited to gift these cute bottles to my family and friends!  I hope you have a lot of success if you give this a try.  Please let me know in the comments! 
​

Other Posts You May Love: 

Literature and Cookies
Puzzle Cookies
​