Three ways for homemade vanilla - essence, paste, sugar

If you've seen any of my dessert recipes you could've noticed I'm a huge vanilla fan. I'm using vanilla paste, essence or sugar all over the place. That's why today I'll share three ways for these simple ingredients that I don't imagine cooking without.


Vanilla paste's biggest advantage - apart from flavour and aroma! - is that you can use is straight away. Sugar is super easy to make, and vanilla pods from the essence may be reused, although that's the longest one to make. You need to decide yourself if it makes financial sense for you - but if you bake as much as I do I think the answer is clear!

You'll find a list of ingredients and method below.

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List of ingredients

Vanilla essence

  • 950 ml - 1l vodka
  • 10 vanilla pods

Vanilla sugar

  • 400 g sugar
  • 5 vanilla pods

Vanilla paste

  • 260 g honey
  • 50 ml vodka
  • 10 vanilla pods

Method

 Vanilla essence

  1. Slice through 10 vanilla pods lengthwise to 3/4 of their length.
  2. Transfer vanilla into 1 liter container, for example a bottle or a jar, and pour in 1 liter of 40% alcohol. Close it tightly and set aside into a dark place for 6-8 weeks.
  3. Shake the container twice per week.

 Vanilla sugar

  1. Slice through 5 vanilla pods lengthwise. Scrape beans out with a dull side of a knife and cut the pods into smaller pieces.
  2. Transfer vanilla into a jar and cover it with 400 g of white caster sugar. Stir thoroughly and set aside into a dark place for two weeks. 
  3. Stir through the contents of the jar on a regular basis to prevent sugar from lumping.

Vanilla paste

  1. Slice through 10 vanilla pods lengthwise. Scrape beans out with a dull side of a knife and cut the pods into smaller pieces.
  2. Transfer vanilla into a container and add 260 g of honey and 50 g of 40 % alcohol. Blend into a smooth paste with a handheld blender.
  3. Pass the paste through a fine sieve into a clean jar. Keep it for up to 6 months in a dark, cool place.    

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