The Simple Recipe Ina Garten Has Been Making for 40 Years

A good vanilla extract has the ability to take your favorite recipes to the next level. Whether you make it from scratch or lean towards the store-bought options, the fact of the matter is that the real stuff brings out the deepest dark flavors and balances out the sweetness of any recipe beautifully.

When it comes to elevating your meals, there is no better person to turn to for advice than The Barefoot Contessa herself, Ina Garten. The legendary Food Network star has recently taken to her Instagram to clue everybody in on how to make a delicious vanilla extract from scratch, a recipe she has used herself for the past 40 years and counting.

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In her video, Garten explains the importance of steering away from imitation vanilla extract, encouraging viewers to opt for her favorite brand, Neilson Massey, if they absolutely need to use a store-bought option. She notes that real vanilla extract may be expensive, but only 2 teaspoons are usually needed at a time, so it can be used sparingly.

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The best option, however, is to make your vanilla extract from scratch. Garten recommends purchasing Grade A Organic Madagascar Vanilla Beans, which can be bought in bulk to be a little less expensive.

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To make the extract, use a tall mason jar or something similar with a strong sealable lid to place the vanilla beans inside of, making sure to keep the beans whole and not split into halves. Next, pour vodka into the jar until the beans are submerged. Any cheap vodka will do because, “this isn’t the time for Grey Goose,” as Garten notes jokingly. All that is left to do now is seal the jar with a lid and let it sit for about 6 months before the first use. The vodka will turn into vanilla extract and the vanilla beans will be perfect for use in your baking recipes.

Your new jar of vanilla extract can be used indefinitely, as this method can yield years worth of tasty vanilla flavors. Every now and then, however, you just need to add a little more vodka and vanilla beans and this will be the gift that keeps on giving.

Garten also goes on to demonstrate how to extract delicious vanilla seeds from the vanilla beans by cutting off one end and squeezing the seeds out of the bean. These seeds can then be used in recipes such as a vanilla custard or even a delicious vanilla cake. Now, thanks to Ina, we can ditch the store-bought options for good and never look back!

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