DIY with The Fab Miss B: Make Your Own Vanilla Extract!

All you need to make your own vanilla extract is a bean, a knife, some booze and a bottle!

Did you know it's easy to make your own vanilla extract? I didn't until we visited The Hawaiian Vanilla Company and they told us how to do it. All you need is a cured vanilla bean, an 8oz. bottle and alcohol of your choice. (Rum and Vodka are most common.) Momma D gave me their little kit to try and we had fun preparing it together.

Simply split the bean in half with a knife to allow the seeds to infuse the liquor. No need to scrape or mash the bean- the liquid does the work of pulling the seeds and flavor out.

Slip the bean in the bottle and fill it with the booze. Let it sit in a dark cool place for three months and you'll have your very own home made vanilla extract! I can't wait to try mine, which will be ready around when I come back from New York.

Isn't it fun to discover that something you thought you had to buy is very simple to assemble yourself? I've learned how to make my own granola, bread, croutons and even chocolate sauce, and it's fun to taste the difference in food without chemicals and preservatives. Next on my list? Making authentic maraschino cherries myself! 

Eat Like a Local on the Big Island of Hawaii: Hawaiian Vanilla Company

Eric's parents were here on the Big Island to help us celebrate the big 3-0 this year and I knew I wanted to plan a special outing. I'd heard great things about The Hawaiian Vanilla Company, so I booked a reservation for their afternoon luncheon and tour.

Our afternoon began with a vanilla themed lunch. Iced tea and lemonade were generously laced with teeny tiny black specs of real vanilla seeds and served in mason jars for a homey touch.

Next up was a chicken sandwich with a vanilla seed bun, barbeque aioli made with cayenne, paprika, curry and you guessed it: vanilla! The chicken was incredibly tender and juicy and the homemade bread was still warm from the oven.

What dessert showcases real vanilla better than ice cream? It was topped with a delicious lilikoi sauce, and the tartness of the lilikoi flavor was in perfect contrast to the cool, creamy, sweetness of the ice cream. Can you see the vanilla seeds?

After lunch, we toured the farm to learn about the time consuming art of growing real vanilla. Vanilla comes from an orchid- the only orchid species in the world that produces a usable fruit. It takes four years for a plant to produce pods, and the process is slow and labor intensive. Each flower must be hand pollinated during a one week blooming season, which goes a long way towards explaining why real vanilla beans are so expensive. This plant is just a baby at only two years old. It will creep slowly up these poles and begin to create its first blooms in two more years.

Our tour was brief due to rain, but we enjoyed learning more about this exotic plant, first discovered by the Mayans and cultivated continuously ever since. (Chocolate AND Vanilla? Those guys had some precious knowledge, wouldn't you say?) It was a great way to celebrate Eric's birthday, (he has a secret fascination with spices and farms!) and if you are paying a visit to the Big Island of Hawaii, I would highly recommend this for an afternoon adventure in the rural mountain country of our island.

Have you ever tried a culinary tour before? I can't wait to do it again.