Vanilla Extract

Ran out of vanilla the other day, so I thought it would be a good time to make some vanilla extract.

Unfortunately it won't be ready for 2 months.

I picked up some Indian vanilla beans from Stone Cottage (my favorite spice store), and some cheap(?) vodka from my local liquor store.

Slice the beans lengthwise, leaving a bit at the end.
(In my case, if I were looking ahead, I should have left space on both ends.)

This is my favorite parring knife.

Then put them in a jar with a cup of vodka to cover the beans.
In order to cover them with just a cup of vodka I needed to move to a smaller jar, which necessitated cutting the beans in half.

Now I just need to wait two months.
Next time: use 6 beans, 2 cups of vodka and a larger jar so I can keep the beans full length.