Remember way back when my counter hit 10,000 and I told Iris and Betty I would send them a prize for seeing the counter at 10,000? Well, I think they are finally receiving their gifts sometime about now! :) Better late than never, right?
I sent them each a package of Madagascar vanilla beans, and thought I would post some links here about how to use them. I'm afraid that making my own vanilla will be something I miss a lot, although the slightly booze-y taste when you dump too much in (what's that you say? measure vanilla? I can't hear you...) can be a bit overwhelming. :) Don't let that scare you, though.
For about 6-10 beans, I buy a 750 ml bottle of vodka (I think rum would work as well) and dump enough out so that when you put the beans into the bottle, it doesn't run over. Close it up tight and put it in a dark cupboard for at least a month. Maybe 3 or 4, if you have time.
If you prefer not to buy vodka, there are many recipes out there that call for the bean on its own. That is just as much fun, so don't feel limited. :)
Here are the links, and if you need more info, just use Google!
Information on vanilla beans.
Recipes using vanilla beans.
More recipes that I didn't really look at. :)
Enjoy!
About Me
- Rhonda
- Antananarivo, Madagascar
- My brain is too full to keep it all inside...here's where the excess leaks out. I'm a wife of 1, mother of 4, sister to 3 and friend to many. Life is hard, but good because of God's grace.
7 comments:
And now would be a good time to say Thank You!!! Your mom just brought them to me when they were here a week or two ago. Right now they are sitting in my fridge and I've been wondering how to get some vodka. I'll bet I could find some around here if I paid dearly. But I'm not sure the rumours would be worth it! =) I'll be checking out the other ideas and links if I don't ask someone in the city to get me some vodka. I'm sure your dad could carry it in here with no danger of being frisked for alcohol. =)
Surely you can get vanilla beans in N.America, right??? At least, I see them used on t.v. cooking shows a lot. :) Hopefully your dreams of vodka-vanilla can live on...
One more thing: Do you cut open the beans when you put them in the vodka?
i don't usually cut the beans open, but you could. maybe if you did, it wouldn't take as long for it to vanilla-ize the vodka. dunno.
iris, i can get matthew to send you a list of ways to get vodka onto a reserve, if you need him to. Ha ha ha ha. :D
My mom made me a bottle of homemade vanilla for Christmas. I was told not to use it until June so it's still in my cupboard getting nice and flavorful. . .
I find that the vodka vanilla is best reserved for things where you taste it "raw", without baking whatever it is you put it in. Do you agree, Rhonda? Iris, do you think you could get my dad to walk into the liquor store to GET the vodka??? :-) tee hee, just wondering.
Yesterday I was wearing my new shirt from you (rhonda) and all of a sudden I had a rush of memories from Mad (without thinking about the fact I was wearing the shirt). All of a sudden I realized that I was smelling vanilla on my shirt - assumably from Karla having it packed with vanilla beans on the way home. If anyone is one for connecting smells with memories, it'd be me (just ask mom).
so the other day, your mom dropped off a little package from you (via karla) and there was a little package of vanilla beans for betty. i thought, "now how am i going to get this to her? i guess i'll have to mail it." then i found out - i think in the next few days, that i was going to see her in a week at the conference in landmark. cool!
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