Joy the Baker

DIY Vanilla Salt and Vanilla Extract

by 84 Comments

Homemade Vanilla Salt

I’m stocking up.  I’m trying to be less of a disaster.  I’m trying to be thoughtful and prepared.

The road from this to that is paved with vanilla beans!

It’s time to get prepared for the holiday gift-giving season!  We need to be prepared with little tokens of love and holiday spirit from now until the very end of December.  Totally.  It’s true.  Hostess gifts, little gems for the mailman, a present for the landlord, a surprise gift for that neighbor you called in a panic past midnight because an opossum set off your sensor light outside and you’re convinced that someone is going to murder you… we need gifts to give, stat.

I’m slowly starting to stock up on this year’s holiday gifts.  I’m like a Doomsday Prepper,  without the guns and camouflage, and with more cute jars.

Let’s make our own vanilla salt and vanilla extract!  We’ll look like gifting pros.  Bandwagon:  hop on!

Homemade Vanilla Extract

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Original photography shot with the Canon EOS 5D Mark III digital SLR. The filmmaker’s camera.

Maybe you’re reading this thinking to yourself… vanilla SALT!?

Yes.  Vanilla Salt.

One of my  most treasured baking ingredients (besides butter) is salt.  Salt is our great balancer.  It can’t all be sugar and butter and sugar and butter.  We need salt to balance out the sweetness and accentuate the flavors of our baked goods.

I substitute vanilla salt in most of my baking recipes.  It adds a nice little kick to things like pudding, cookie doughs, and caramel sauces.

This particular vanilla salt is made of coarse grey sea salt, so it’s best used in dishes that the salt can dissolve into, or dishes that you want to find a hint of extra salt in.  I really like Vanilla Salt sprinkled on top of these Dark Chocolate and Pistachio Cookies.

Of course, Vanilla Salt can also be made using a finer grain sea salt.

DIY Vanilla Salt

Print this Recipe!

Here’s what you’ll need:

Madagascar Vanilla Beans from Beanilla (I find these to be really great beans!)

Grey Celtic Sea Salt

Small Square Glass Jars or these Small Square Hinge Top Jars

Split vanilla beans vertically down the center of the bean and scrape out the moist seeds. Rub the vanilla beans into a small bowl of sea salt.  Rub it in.  Disperse the seeds.  I used about 1 bean per 3/4 cup of salt. Fill small jars with vanilla scented salt.  Toss in a small piece of the used vanilla bean pod for good measure.  It will help keep the salt extra vanilla-y. Vanilla salt will last forever and a day.

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 Now let’s talk about Vanilla Extract!  It’s a staple in my kitchen.  It’s also my perfume (totally normal).

I love making my own Vanilla Extract because I can make it exactly what it needs to be:  strongly vanilla and heavily boozy.  Having a bottle of homemade vanilla extract on hand is also really helpful when you use vanilla beans for a recipe and don’t know what to do with the pods.  Just throw the used pods into the vanilla bean jar, top it off with booze, and you’ll always have extract on hand.

These little jars also make lovely gifts.  Nothing says “I care” to a baker  like vanilla beans and booze.

DIY Vanilla Extract

Print this Recipe!

Here’s what you’ll need:

Madagascar Vanilla Beans from Beanilla (I find these to be really great beans!)

4 oz Round Glass Bottles

Your choice of alcohol:  bourbon, vodka, or rum.  It’s entirely up to your taste.  I love the depth that bourbon adds to my extract (and my life).

Split vanilla beans vertically down the center of the bean and scrape out the moist seeds. Place seeds  in a clean bottles.  Add the scraped vanilla bean pod to the bottle as well.  Fill the bottle with the alcohol of your choice.  I used about 2 bean per 4 ounces of alcohol. If you’re using larger than 4oz bottles, add a few more vanilla beans to the jar.  Place the lid on the bottle and shake.  Allow the bottle to steep for at least 6 weeks before using.  I store my extract in a cool, dry place before using or gifting.  Extract will last indefinitely.  Just add more vanilla bean pods and top off with alcohol as the extract bottle empties.  

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. recipesask

    Awesome recipe..and specially the recipe pics and the way it has been explained hoe to make it.Thank you very much for posting such type of recipe..And waiting for your next post..

    Reply

  2. Andria

    Joy – I made the vanilla extract and I am nearing the 6 week mark here pretty soon to use, but when I take my extract out to shake it, there is a ton of flotsam going on (scraped seeds I imagine). Am I supposed to strain the extract to eliminate the floaters before using? Giving some as gifts, and while I know it is most likely seeds glorious seeds, will it alter the longevity of the vanilla flavor if I strain for my presents? I worry that black floating particles will freak them out.

    Reply

  6. aryder

    I just discovered and you and my life has became immediately better. I’m making the vanilla salt and extract right this minute! I mean really. I am. But after one day, my extract is already cloudy whereas yours is clear and lovely. Why is that? Should I filter it somehow? Thanks for the tips!

    Reply

  8. Libre

    As a fellow Venice resident, I laughed out loud at this: “a surprise gift for that neighbor you called in a panic past midnight because an opossum set off your sensor light outside and you’re convinced that someone is going to murder you…”

    I know EXACTLY what you are talking about. My world too – sensor light going off all hours of the night, convinced it is something else. We got ourselves a ‘possum problem round here. (ugh!)

    Reply

  9. Kristen

    This is great, Joy! By the way, are you going to post the “recipe” for the homemade lip balms (or at least that’s what they looked like) that appeared in your Instagram feed?

    Reply

  19. Monica

    Lovely post and pictures, as usual, Joy! I second what you said about Beanilla. I’ve also had good experiences with their bean. They are nice and plump, and affordable. You’ve given me great ideas on what to do with all the vanilla beans I ordered during the last sale. : )

    Reply

  21. Kathleen

    You are a Joy!!! Vanilla salt…..can’t wait to make it and give as a gift along with the vanilla extract! I make vanilla sugar as well, so now I can give away a Vanilla Three-some! Thanks a ton Joy!

    Reply

  22. Barbara

    How often do you need to replace the vanilla pods in the extract? And do you need to let sit for 6 weeks after replacing one?

    Reply

  25. yummybooks

    My grandma used vanilla extract as her perfume! I remember her saying, “men love it, it reminds them of their mama’s home cooking.”

    In retrospect, attracting that kind of guy seems like a really creepy, bad idea.

    Reply

  26. Lisa

    We had quite a few gifted bottles of Poire William from Switzerland; which I made into vanilla.
    For a large bottle it took at least 6 vanilla beans and needed a good couple of months to really be infused – but wow what an amazing flavour. For baking or even lightly warmed on ice cream.
    It goes to show you that those bottles of never used booze/liquors(I know what?) can easily be turned into vanilla.

    Reply

  33. Kezia

    I think my friends would think I was plain crazy if I gave them vanilla salt for Christmas, but that just means more for me, right? And I never knew that homemade vanilla extract was so easy to make!

    Reply

  39. Carla Elliott

    I am so ready to hop on this vanilla salt bandwagon. I’m seeing this pair very well with chocolate dipped shortbread

    Reply

  42. Amy

    My best friends are both total foodies and I am planning on making them baskets of unusual foodie things this Christmas – perfect timing as always Miss Joy! Also planning on making Tracy’s strawberry infused vodka! Any other ideas? Thanks for sharing and welcome back to LA :)

    Reply

Trackbacks

  5. […] Vanilla extract / Hazelnut butter / Almond Milk / Dark chocolate / Harissa / Feta We are so used to having everything made and packaged and put on shelves for us that we sometimes forget we could actually make them ourselves. Especially the foods we consider “basics”. Not that I consider hazelnut butter a basic, nor chocolate, but I’m sure you get what I mean. Wait, do you? […]

    Reply

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