Vanilla extract

Being the keen baker of cakes that I am I love to use a decent vanilla extract. But some of them can work out expensive even for a small bottle. Especially when you have a budget, So a bit of thriftyness was required.  Our local wholefood shop sells some really nice but reasonable priced vanilla pods.  I use them then stick them in a jar of sugar resulting in vanilla sugar for baking with or even in coffee mmmmm :o)

But while waiting for the kettle boil I realised there was a fair bit of vodka left in the bottle on the kitchen side, and though it's great to drink I probably wouldn't be drinking it any time soon.  So I went and found a jam jar,  Then I went and bought 2 fresh vanilla pods and added them cut in half and split to the jar with about 3 dried ones from the sugar jar.  As you can see it doesn't look particularly wonderful however.........

Give it a few gentle shakes and a few hours and the vanilla starts to infuse into the vodka and starts going that classic brown colour we are used it.  Bit weak and wobbly now but I will give it a week and see how it is then. 

Really simple and I bet it would make a welcome gift for any foodie in a small cute bottle maybe.