City Girl ~ Country Heart

Homemade Real Vanilla Extract

06:17, Tuesday, June 24, 2008 .. Posted in Recipes .. 1 comments .. Link

Did you know that Vodka actually has a lower alcohol content than the real vanilla extract in the store?

To make your own extract, follow the recipe below:

Homemade Real Vanilla Extract

1/2 pint Vodka
6-7 of David's Vanilla Beans, (see below on who David is)
Glass container (Vodka bottle works great)
Decorative Jar

Using a sharp kitchen knife, cut a lengthwise slit down the middle of each vanilla bean to expose the seeds.

Add the vanilla beans to the Vodka bottle and shake vigorously for 30 seconds. Once each day, for 30 days, shake the bottle for 30 seconds. It will take 30 days for the vanilla beans to mature.

Day 1 - seeds floating around in there

Strain the vanilla with a coffee filter and pour into a decorative bottle, can also leave the vanilla beans in the bottle and use as needed.

Close-up of Day 7

When the bottle starts to get low, you can add more Vodka and beans to produce an endless supply of vanilla.

You can also place a few beans in your sugar jar to make vanilla sugar.

**********************************************

This is what my $12 bought me...

To purchase...

You can go to the store and buy vanilla beans, (but they are VERY spendy). You can purchase on eBay...but I like the third option because I think it's a great cause. So my third option...From a missionary in New Guinea where they grow them.

Because they have a surplus of growers there right now, and most international buyers require a minimum length of 16 cm., a lot of shorter vanilla beans go to waste, and farmers who work very hard can barely make enough to live on. The man you need to talk to about ordering the beans is David Silvestri, (david_j_silvestri at yahoo dot com). I've ordered twice from them and they are very prompt with delivery and a wonderful quality!

Eight vanilla beans with shipping costs $12, or 9 oz (50-70 beans) for $48.20. This is an excellent price at $1.50/bean with shipping included. Even though these beans are a little smaller, it's good to know that regular market vanilla beans normally cost around $7/bean!

For the month of June, they're offering 3 free beans with every 8 bean order. I don't make any $ from this, but if you do decide to order could you please give them my name, (Julie Gavin)? When I order again, I get free beans for spreading the word. Plus all of the proceeds from your purchase go directly to the farmers in New Guinea.

They hope to have a website up by the end of the year, (I'll post that when I get it).

Substitute for Emeril's Essence Seasoning

02:35, Tuesday, May 30, 2006 .. Posted in Recipes .. 0 comments .. Link

If you don't have Emeril's Essence for the Homemade Barbeque Sauce you can make your own....

Homemade Essence Seasoning

3 Tbsp Paprika 1 Tsp Ground Black Pepper

2 Tbsp Sea 1 Tsp Dried Oregano

2 Tbsp Dried Parsley 1 Tsp Dried Basil

2 Tsp Onion Powder 1 Tsp Dried Thyme

2 Tsp Garlic Powder

Place all ingredients in a bowl. Stir well to combine. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Use in everything! Very good!!

Homemade Barbeque Sauce

12:39, Tuesday, May 30, 2006 .. Posted in Recipes .. 2 comments .. Link

I got this recipe from one of Emeril's Cookbooks. It is so delicious, I tried to substitute some healthier ingredients! We used it at our BBQ yesterday and it received some great compliments.

Barbecue Sauce

1/2 Cup Ketchup 1 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce

3 Tbsp Brown Sugar or Sucanat 1/2 Tsp Sea Salt

2 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar 1/2 Tsp Emeril's Essence

1 Tsp Dijon Mustard 1/4 Tsp Garlic Powder

1/4 Cup Chopped Onion

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and stir well. Use immediately or refrigerate for use within 3 days.

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