Robin and I were lucky enough to be invited by our friend, Joan, to join her and her family last week in visiting the Hawaiian Vanilla Company here on the island of Hawai‘i (aka “the Big Island”). The visit included a luncheon with every ingredient prepared with vanilla (yes, it's delicious in savory dishes as well as sweets), and then a tour of the vanilla-growing facilities afterwards.
the farm’s vanilla beans for sale
During the tour, our guide—the son of the founder of the farm—explained the history of the business, as well as the process for cultivating vanilla beans and making the extract.
our guide explaining the growing process
We learned from him that the only spice plant more laborious to produce than vanilla is saffron: Vanilla is a variety of orchid, whose flowers must be hand-pollinated, and once they open, there is only a four-hour window to do so. And then, if you’re lucky enough to actually produce the fruit (aka the “beans”), there is a long and laborious curing process afterwards to transform them to the beans we see for sale in stores. No wonder good quality vanilla products are so very expensive.
the plants like calcium, hence the bones scattered around the soil
vanilla beans growing on the vine
Inspired by his talk, I decided to try out the process myself. Not the growing of the plants (though I may in fact buy a plant from them and have a go at it). Rather, I purchased three vanilla beans at their gift shop, which conveniently came in a 12-oz. bottle for making the extract. The process is quite simple (though it does take a long time—6 months or so—for the extract to be ready).
Ingredients
3 vanilla beans, 6-7” long (good quality beans will have an oily surface, and are easily bendable without breaking)
12 oz. 80-90 proof vodka (an inexpensive brand is best)
The ratio is 1 bean per 4 oz. vodka, so you can make as much or as little as you like. You can substitute another spirit such as rum, brandy, or bourbon, but if you want traditional vanilla extract, stick with neutral-flavored vodka, as other spirits impart their own strong flavor to the finished product.
Directions
Carefully slice the beans in half lengthwise, leaving them attached at one end, so it’s like a pair of legs coming off a tiny body.
Place the cut beans into a 12-oz. glass bottle with a screw cap, then pour in vodka to cover the beans.
If they are sticking out of the top of the liquid, bend them down, as any part of the bean not covered in vodka can mold.
Place the bottle in a cool, dark place such as a closet for 6 months.
After 6 months, take a taste. If it has a nice, vanilla-y flavor and is dark brown in color, it’s ready. If not, let it sit for another month or two. (I have no photos of the end result, as I made mine only a few days ago. But I’ll try to remember to post a photo when it’s done!)
Now for the especially cool part: Once the extract is ready, you can pour one third of it (i.e., 4 oz.) out into a container to use in your cooking. Then top off the bottle with 4 more ounces of vodka to cover the beans, letting it sit for another 2 months to be ready once more. You can keep repeating this process indefinitely, as long as you add a new vanilla bean every 1 to 2 years.
🌱 🍨 🌿
The daughter of a law professor and a potter, Leslie Karst learned early, during family dinner conversations, the value of both careful analysis and the arts—ideal ingredients for a mystery story. Putting this early education to good use, she now writes the Lefty Award-nominated Sally Solari Mysteries, a culinary series set in Santa Cruz, California.
An ex-lawyer like her sleuth, Leslie also has degrees in English literature and the culinary arts. She and her wife and their Jack Russell mix split their time between Santa Cruz and Hilo, Hawai‘i.
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Praise for Leslie's most newest Sally Solari mystery, THE FRAGRANCE OF DEATH:
Lisa K's Book Reviews
"[An] enjoyable fifth outing for Santa Cruz, Calif., chef Sally Solari.... This well-done culinary cozy should win new fans for the ever enterprising Sally."
Publishers Weekly
All five Sally Solari Mysteries are available through Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Bookshop.
Dying for a Taste, A Measure of Murder, and Murder from Scratch are also available as AUDIOBOOKS from Audible!
