Sophie Uliano's Vanilla Flavored Extract

• 4-ounce Boston Round glass bottle (or an old glass bottle you may have)
• 2 long vanilla pods
• 4-ounces of Vodka or *food grade glycerin
• A funnel
• A sharp pairing knife
• *Food grade vegetable glycerin can be found at most health food stores, or online: vitaminshoppe.com

Directions:

1. Use the pairing knife to split open the vanilla pods. Push them into the bottle. If they are too long for the bottle, cut them in half.
2. Fill the bottle up with the glycerin or alcohol using a funnel.
3. Screw on the cap and leave in a dark cabinet for at least 1 month. Shake the bottle well at least once a week.
4. After a month you can remove the fruit rinds/pods etc by straining off the extract and then pouring it back into the bottle, or if you want a stronger extract, leave it for another couple of weeks.
5. The shelf life is 1 year for the glycerin, and 3 years for the alcohol-based extracts.

Check Sophie out at SophieUliano.com. Follow Sophie Uliano on Twitter @SophieUliano, find her on Facebook at GorgeouslyGreen and check her out on Pintrest: GorgeouslyGreen.