Vanilla Memoirs

Nothing compares to the scent of freshly washed clothes floating on the breeze and dancing the tango with sweet red Georgia clay. You are in the back yard, hanging soon-to-be-crisp white linens, pastel curtains and your family’s Sunday best. The occasional butterfly flits about, its flight pattern erratic, while your children play in the distance. You snap up one piece of damp fabric after the next, securing them to a network of lines, with wooden clothes pins. You are lost in the rhythm of this task, until a familiar scent tugs at your nostrils, jarring you from reverie to a state of alert. The sweetness of the red clay dirt splayed around for miles, is made yet sweeter by something masked but familiar. Now, you’re paying attention. You are remembering exactly how many rug rats you left unattended while you hang the laundry – and the ring leader is in your kitchen.

My father was head rug rat in charge, out of seven children. As the oldest, naturally, the other children took his lead. At the time, he may have been about five years old and only had a couple of cohorts in his younger siblings. He and his oldest sister were thick as thieves and did everything together. This day, they decided to make mud pies. They had an impressive list of real ingredients. The base of any good mud pie of course, is quality dirt. Rural Georgia, like many places in the south, is chock full of red clay dirt that has a sweet aroma. There was plenty to go around, so pies were the obvious choice to little tykes that watched their mother in the kitchen, making everything from scratch. They raided my grandmother’s pantry like bandits. The little scamps made off with sugar, milk, (maybe an egg or two) and PURE vanilla extract. Keep in mind; this was the deep south in the 1940’s. My grandparents were financially challenged before the depression made it fashionable. No one could afford to throw away food.

Bless their little hearts, big brother and little sis set their mud filled pie pans out in the sun to bake. I’m not sure why they didn’t try to use the oven, but I can only be grateful that they didn’t. Imagine my grandmother’s shock and dismay when she found her children filthy, her food wasted, and her very expensive vanilla extract nearly depleted. Of all the things they thought to mimic, using measuring spoons wasn’t one of them. The facts on how she handled this discovery have been muddled over the years, but I’m guessing the little ones didn’t do much sitting the rest of that day.

Today, an eight ounce bottle of vanilla extract, purchased at retail price can easily cost you fifteen dollars. If you love baking, it is a necessary expense. Pure vanilla extract, much like salt, is a flavor enhancer. It’s the kind of ingredient that you may not know is there, until it’s missing. Imitation vanilla flavor is subpar by comparison, and not worth sacrificing the quality of your food.

Vanilla beans are even more expensive, but extremely potent. They are economical because of their multitude of uses. Once the seeds have been scraped from the inside of a vanilla bean pod, the pod can be saved and put into a tightly sealed canister of sugar in order to infuse it. The pod continues to release flavor. Good deals can be found online for purchasing vanilla beans in bulk. Otherwise, you may want to go to a spice shop or gourmet market, where they are typically sold in pairs.

One of the most invaluable skills I’ve acquired in cooking is how to make my own vanilla extract. The initial cost is always worth it because extracts have no expiration date. Homemade vanilla extract improves with age because the entire bean is used.  There are numerous variations on formula and ratio, but through trial and error, I’ve found one that works for me. Vodka, rum or brandy can be used, but I prefer vodka for its neutral flavor. Essentially, you want vodka that falls between the 35% and 40% alcohol range. This is called B grade vodka and is perfect for extracts as it won’t overpower the vanilla. Eight vanilla beans to every one cup of vodka makes a wonderfully aromatic extract. The vanilla flavor can never be too strong; the more concentrated the better. It is used in small quantities.

You will need a glass bottle or jar with a tight fitting lid, and a funnel. Dark glass is recommended to protect the extract from light, but is not a must. Start by splitting the vanilla beans lengthwise leaving the stems in tact. Tuck the beans into the bottle. Fit the funnel into your container and pour the vodka through the funnel. Seal tightly and\store in a cool place. Easy, right? The hardest part is waiting eight weeks until the extract has reached minimum potency. Ever so often, shake the bottle to distribute the seeds evenly. Over time you will see the extract darken. The darker the extract becomes, the fuller the flavor will be.

Homemade vanilla extract makes great gifts for friends and family if they like to cook.

Decorative bottles/jars with a bow or label give it that homey Mayberry feel. Won’t they just be so impressed with you?