Making Vanilla Extract: Ridiculously Easy!



This stuff smells so good.



I checked out some cool websites on how to make your own vanilla extract, and I just got very Curious George up in my head. Could making real vanilla extract really be as easy as they claim it to be? The answer is yes! Yes, in the sense that I now feel like doing a little facepalm over how much money I have spent on real vanilla extract in the past. As you can see from this blog, I love to cook and to bake. When I visit people, I nearly always end up browsing through the cookbooks they have in their kitchen. I know, I am a bit crazy, but I just can't help myself! I love to try new flavors and new techniques. Well, actually, with the speed cooking that America has come to call home cooked meals, the techniques are more like old ones that are just new to me.

A close-up view of the bean pods in the vanilla extract.

Anyway, I found this cool blog, called Simply Recipes, where there was a recipe for vanilla extract.
How to Make Vanilla Extract. Then I got my butt to the grocery store, where they sell the beans in pairs, and not too cheaply. I got two bottles, leaving me with four bean pods. Naturally, since the recipe calls for 3 beans instead of four, I divided the 1 cup of vodka into three, giving me a 1/3 cup of vodka per bean. With four bean pods, that meant I needed 1 1/3 cups of vodka.

I sliced the pods as per directions and stuck them in my mason jar, then poured on the alcohol, and stuck it in a dark spot for a few months. EASY! Oh, and of course, I took a look at the bottle of vanilla extract that I bought at the store, and lo and behold...there is corn syrup in it! BOOO! I think the best part of making your own is that you can reuse and reuse the bean pods for years by just adding more vodka as you use up the vanilla. You save some money in the long run, and the flavor is really amazing! So now I feel like running outside and shouting "this Curious George has made vanilla extract! Oh yeah, baby!" Hmmm, somehow I bet my town would label me as the crazy lady if I really did, so I'll put that on hold for now.

Homemade Tortillas Made Easy

I bought a tortilla press from amazon.com, and decided to give handmade tortillas a whirl. I originally got the press to make dim sum, but I figured it would be fun to use it for its intended purpose as well. Surprisingly, there are only two ingredients for making them: masa and warm water!

I followed the recipe on the bag of masa, and made the dough. Then, I divided it into twelve balls. With each ball, I flattened it a bit with my palm. A Ziploc bag, the edges cut off, makes a great non-stick surface (also blissfully food safe) to place your patty, sandwiched on the top and bottom of it. I had an oops moment and forgot to slip the plastic on top of the patty before I pressed the tortilla, and it stuck to the press!

It's helpful to put the patty slightly off-center. The tortilla press works surprisingly well to flatten out your corn tortillas. Once pressed, the tortilla is gently removed and heated on a griddle at 475-500 degrees, 30 seconds on each side, till it reaches the desired finish. I like mine to puff a little, so I flip it one extra time, for an additional 10 seconds. My griddle isn't that hot, so I had to use a nonstick skillet on the stove top, set on high.

I have to say, I have never been a huge fan of the corn tortilla, but wow, these are good! They are completely different than store bought tortillas, and taste like heaven.