The Instant Pot(AKA Instapot) is pretty amazing! This lovely little kitchen appliance is always blowing my mind. I’ve thought about making vanilla extract a handful of times. The normal process for making vanilla extract is incredibly simple. You fill a jar with vodka, throw in some vanilla beans, and screw on the lid. Then let it sit for forever while you forget you even made it! Luckily, when you make vanilla in the Instant Pot you have ready to use vanilla extract in under an hour! Plus, your house smells amazing! That makes it a pretty perfect recipe in my book! If you have an Instant Pot, youhave to try this recipe for Homemade Vanilla Extract Made in the Instant Pot!
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When you’re finished making your homemade vanilla extract, you’ll want to find some ways to put it to use! You could always bake with it, like in this yummy cherry vanilla bread. Or you could use it in homemade beauty products, like my homemade vanilla whipped body butter!
3. Put the trivet on the bottom of the Instant Pot and pour in 1 cup of water. Next, position the canning jar on the trivet.
4. Lock the Instant Pot’s lid into place and turn the pressure valve to sealing. Cook the vanilla extract using the manual button on high pressure for 40 minutes. To release the pressure, use a long utensil to turn the pressure valve to the open position. Be careful, steam will shoot out.
5. Use oven mitts to remove the jar of vanilla from the Instant Pot. Let the extract cool completely before screwing the lid on the jar. Putting the lid on the jar while it is still warm will cause it to vacuum seal. Your homemade vanilla extract is now ready to use right away! Leave the beans in the jar to allow the flavor to strengthen over time.
Store in a cool dry place. The alcohol smell will lessen over the next week.
As mentioned in the recipe, I left the vanilla beans in the jar so that the flavor can continue to strengthen as it sits. When the vanilla is gone, I’ll use the beans to make something else. I see some homemade vanilla bean paste in my future!
I didn’t test this vanilla for shelf life, alcohol level, or anything else. Normally vanilla extract has a shelf life of a couple years. This homemade vanilla extract may or may not keep that long. From what I have read it seems it will last at least a year, but I won’t have it long enough to find out! This recipe made 1 quart of vanilla extract, but I do so much baking that it will only last me about 2 months.
Have you ever made homemade vanilla extract using the traditional method?
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Homemade Vanilla Extract Made in the Instant Pot
Author:A Cultivated Nest
Print Recipe
Description
Easily (and quickly!) make your own delicious homemade vanilla extract in your Instant Pot!
Ingredients
Scale
Vodka – 40% alcohol
4 Madagascar vanilla beans
1 cup water
Quart canning jar
Scissors
Instructions
Toughly wash and dry your canning jar and scissors. Cut the vanilla beans in half and place them in the jar.
Fill the jar with vodka to the thread lines. Leave the lid off.
Put the trivet on the bottom of the Instant Pot and pour in 1 cup of water. Next, position the canning jar on the trivet.
Lock the Instant Pot’s lid into place and turn the pressure valve to sealing. Cook the vanilla extract using the manual button on high pressure for 40 minutes. To release the pressure, use a long utensil to turn the pressure valve to the open position. Be careful, steam will shoot out.
Use oven mitts to remove the jar of vanilla from the Instant Pot. Let the extract cool completely before screwing the lid on the jar. Putting the lid on the jar while it is still warm will cause it to vacuum seal. Your homemade vanilla extract is now ready to use right away! Leave the beans in the jar to allow the flavor to strengthen over time. Store in a cool dry place. The alcohol smell will lessen over the next week.
This post contains affiliate links to Amazon. Please see our Disclosure Page for more information.
About Rachel:Rachel is a big believer in living life as your best self. She likes her coffee black and loves to curl up with a good book. At HyperHypoMama.com she writes about creating a healthy life with Thyroid Disease through food, yoga, and love.
You might also be interested in: 10 Yummy Instant Pot Recipes You Have To Try!
One trick we've long relied on to speed up the vanilla extraction process is gently heating the alcohol. The only problem is that this is a delicate process—you can't let the alcohol get too hot. Heat can damage the volatile flavor compounds in vanilla and vaporize the liquor if it reaches 170 F.
You only need 2 ingredients for homemade vanilla extract: vanilla beans and vodka. Let the vanilla beans infuse the vodka for as little as 8 weeks, but for optimal flavor, wait at least 6-12 months before using. Homemade vanilla is more cost efficient than store-bought options.
Step-by-step photos and instructions for how to make the best Homemade Vanilla Extract! All you need is vodka, vanilla beans and a few tips and tricks. You'll find that homemade vanilla is less expensive (store-bought vanilla extract can cost $4 an ounce) and more flavorful than store-bought, and it's so EASY to make!
Whichever spirit you choose, use approximately 8 ounces of alcohol (at least 70-proof) per 4–6 vanilla beans (the same standards issued by the FDA). Just a couple of beans hanging out, sipping some vodka. Secure the jar with a tight-fitting lid and shake vigorously.
Some DIY extract makers have told us that by cutting the bean open they have a great tasting extract in just 90-120 days. Scientifically, this does make sense as cutting the bean open provides more surface area contact with the pod and the alcohol, and the more surface area contact the faster the extraction.
What is the shelf life of my vanilla extract? When stored properly, vanilla extract will keep indefinitely, but using it within five years will allow for best flavor and aroma. Do not refrigerate or freeze, even after opening.
Madagascar vanilla is a great choice vanilla bean for making vanilla extract. The aroma of vanilla from Madagascar is just what most people expect when it comes to vanilla beans. Rich, buttery, creamy, with little notes of smokiness and soft cocoa undertones.
Use more beans if you want a more robust flavor and a darker-colored extract. Also opt for 3 vanilla beans for every 6 ounces if the beans you're using feel slightly stiff or look dry. This means they're likely more than a few months old.
Yes. Because a vanilla bean has a great deal of flavor, it can usually be reused several times before its aroma and taste are depleted. A great way to recycle a bean is to make vanilla sugar. Simply wash and dry the used bean thoroughly.
If you've got a vanilla bean that you've split and scraped the seeds out of for a baking project, you can totally breathe new life into that bean by throwing it into a batch of vanilla extract. Beans you've already used in a batch of extract can be reused in the next batch.
Many bakers recommend choosing brown or darkly colored bottles to minimize the amount of light hitting the extract. We've found that clear bottles are fine as long as they are stored in a cool/dark place. Confirm that the bottle is closed tightly and will not allow leaks before moving onto storage.
I estimated that a quart of my homemade extract cost me around 30 bucks to make (that's about $7.50 per 8oz bottle, as compared to the $10-20 you might expect to pay at the store).
About using Vodka, Rum, or other Spirits for Vanilla Extract. So long as the alcohol content of the spirit of choice is over 35% ABV, and enough beans are added to the liquid, vodka, rum, and other spirits are effective for making homemade vanilla extract.
According to the FDA, vanilla extract is a mixture of vanilla scent and flavor characteristic, and alcohol. To be exact, the FDA requires an ethyl alcohol content of at least 35% for a product to be considered vanilla extract.
But BEWARE the trap of buying flavored vodkas for vanilla extract. They don't always marry well with vanilla beans and the result can be disheartening. Stick with plain Smirnoff and you'll do just fine. Ciroc - A five-times distilled French vodka will deliver a beautiful, pure extract.
While vodka is commonly used for making vanilla extract because of its neutral flavor, you can experiment with other spirits like rum, bourbon, tequila, or mezcal to add different flavor profiles.
Introduction: My name is Terence Hammes MD, I am a inexpensive, energetic, jolly, faithful, cheerful, proud, rich person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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2. Fill the jar with vodka to the thread lines. Leave the lid off.
3. Put the trivet on the bottom of the Instant Pot and pour in 1 cup of water. Next, position the canning jar on the trivet.
4. Lock the Instant Pot’s lid into place and turn the pressure valve to sealing. Cook the vanilla extract using the manual button on high pressure for 40 minutes. To release the pressure, use a long utensil to turn the pressure valve to the open position. Be careful, steam will shoot out.
5. Use oven mitts to remove the jar of vanilla from the Instant Pot. Let the extract cool completely before screwing the lid on the jar. Putting the lid on the jar while it is still warm will cause it to vacuum seal. Your homemade vanilla extract is now ready to use right away! Leave the beans in the jar to allow the flavor to strengthen over time.
