On Mon 22 Sep 2008 06:16:50a, Ozark Baby told us...

> On Mon, 22 Sep 2008 00:17:00 GMT, Wayne Boatwright
> > wrote:
>
>>On Sun 21 Sep 2008 03:25:04p, zxcvbob told us...
>>
>>> Ozark Baby wrote:
>>>> On Sun, 21 Sep 2008 16:06:28 -0500, zxcvbob >
>>>> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> zipporah wrote:
>>>>>> cooksalot wrote:
>>>>>>> On Sep 20, 6:15 pm, Ozark Baby > wrote:
>>>>>>>> On Sat, 20 Sep 2008 18:26:57 -0500, zxcvbob >
>>>>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Ozark Baby wrote:
>>>>>>>>>> We are planning on making our own homemade vanilla extract. What
>>>>>>>>>> I want to do is to be able to give some as gifts. What size
>>>>>>>>>> bottle would anyone recommend for gifts? The other question is
if
>>>>>>>>>> I would need to seal, like with canning, such jars of extract
>>>>>>>>>> once it is made, after 6 months, or what? Would this homemade
>>>>>>>>>> extract be ok just sitting on shelves or should it be
>>>>>>>>>> refrigerated or what? Any suggestions would be appreciated.
>>>>>>>>> Are you gonna get 5 ounce glass bottles for it? (I've never seen
>>>>>>>>> little
>>>>>>>>> brown bottles for sale, but that would be the way to go if you
can
>>>>>>>>> find them.) I don't know how you intend to make your extract,
>>>>>>>>> I'll assume by
>>>>>>>>> steeping chopped vanilla beans in bourbon or rye or vodka, but i
>>>>>>>>> think you just need to screw the lids down tight.
>>>>>>>>> Bob
>>>>>>>> Thank you for your reply. Yes, I was thinking about 5-8 oz sizes,
>>>>>>>> as these will be presents for Christmas.
>>>>>>> Well you do realize that once we open those bottles of vanilla they
>>>>>>> sit in the cupboard sometimes for years and are just fine. My
>>>>>>> bottle source is Mountain Rose Herbs
>>>>>>> http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/sup...s_bottles.html
>>>>>> Specialty Bottle (http://www.specialtybottle.com/) is another fine
>>>>>> source for containers. I've been very happy with my orders from
>>>>>> them. I use their tins for dry herbs and spices and have some
>>>>>> eye-dropper bottles for citrus oils and the like. They have very
>>>>>> competitive pricing too (always a bonus).
>>>>>
>>>>> I think I would use these: (either the 2 oz or 4 oz with plain lids)
>>>>> http://www.specialtybottle.com/index...on=Custom&ID=2
>>>>>
>>>>> Bob
>>>>
>>>> I am wondering if plastic can be used? What are your thoughts?
>>>
>>>
>>> The extract will last a lot longer in glass (especially brown glass)
and
>>> you don't have to worry about the alcohol slowly leaching chemicals
from
>>> the plastic.
>>>
>>> BTW, I read an article in Cooks magazine a few years ago, and their
>>> homemade vanilla was more expensive than commercial vanilla and not as
>>> good -- even though they used good beans. Of course yours will be
>>> different ;-)
>>>
>>> What spirits are you planning to use? (I would use bourbon or rye
>>> whiskey because they have a spicy aroma already.)
>>>
>>> Bob
>>>
>>
>>I always use bourbon when I make my own.
>
> You think bourbon is better than vodka to use? Does the taste of
> borbon stay with it ot does the vanilla take over completely? This is
> not for drinking at all, just for cooking in the end, plus gifts for
> the same.
>

The bourbon flavor is not at all pronounced, but I think it makes for an
overall smoother vanilla flavor.

--
Wayne Boatwright

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Date: Monday, 09(IX)/22(XXII)/08(MMVIII)
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