This particular batch of Vanilla Extract is about 8 months in the making. You see, I started just before Christmas and each time that I shook it and popped it open, I just wasn’t getting that fragrant vanilla extract smell I’m used to. Blame the bionic pregnancy nose for that one.
Don’t be intimidated by the time I took on this. The recommended time to allow your vanilla to steep is 8 weeks, but I wanted a much more concentrated bottle. Now when I pop open the seal on this bottle of extract, a sweet vanilla scent escapes, and when blended into a batch of my Philadelphia-style ice cream that I make on the reg, the smooth vanilla goodness is enough to keep me from throwing in any additional add-in flavors. And trust me, I love ice cream add-ons.
This is probably one of the easiest recipes you’ll encounter for such an artisan kitchen staple. Vodka, and vanilla beans. That’s all you need.
I use Madagascar Vanilla Beans from Beanilla. You can buy them on Amazon, or directly from Beanilla’s website. Beanilla has excellent customer service, and great prices on bulk Vanilla Beans. I buy them in bundles of 25 and enjoy the standard free shipping. Living in Alaska, free shipping is a huge a bonus.
Start this recipe now for a more concentrated batch of aged Vanilla Extract to give out as Christmas gifts, or to keep for yourself. Or try letting it sit for the recommended 8 weeks and see how you like it!
Homemade Vanilla Extract
Author: Crystle
Prep time:
Total time:
Homemade Vanilla Extract – Easy and Inexpensive
Ingredients
5-7 Vanilla Beans
8-10 ounces Vodka
Instructions
Split vanilla beans lengthwise to expose vanilla caviar. Place in bottle and cover with Vodka. Make sure vanilla beans are completely submerged. Shake bottle to allow ingredients to incorporate a little bit.
Shake once a week for 8 weeks, then your extract is ready to use. There may be small debris in the bottle, this is made up of the vanilla bean caviar. It’s totally normal, and absolutely flavorful. Store in a dark place at room temperature and enjoy to the last drop!
Notes
Ratio of vanilla beans to Vodka is 3-5 vanilla beans per cup of Vodka. [br][br]You can use bottom shelf hooch if your budget prefers. [br][br]Vodka is a recommendation. Any clear liquor will do the trick.
Life in Fairbanks has sure gotten sweeter since the snow melted away. Almost any day of the week we can head out to a number of local events; the Farmers market, Monday market downtown, Festivals, fun runs — it’s like the entire city of Fairbanks is playing catch-up for the dormant winter where everyone hunkered down indoors. Pedestrians, bicyclists, and tour buses full of foreigners fill the streets, all breathing new life into this sleepy town. It’s nearly impossible to go anywhere without running into the other military families we’ve met while living on post. The festive hustle and bustle of summer in Fairbanks reminds me of life in my old college town.
I had no idea it would be this way. I thought the pace set last winter would continue at its lumbering rate. Turns out I was really wrong about what ‘pace’ was set. It seems as though everyone else was busy during that time, making soap, knitting, and sculpting … at least that’s what I concluded while walking around at the Farmers Market this weekend. I’m feeling the need to play catch-up, too. The insanely long daylight hours motivate me to work long into the night on projects small and large. Canning is one of those back burner projects I’ve been meaning to get back to.
Last summer Isaac and I lived around the corner from a Costco, which sold us big jugs full of sweet and spicy mango habanero sauce. We adorned everything with that delicious treat. It was seasonal item that eventually disappeared from the shelves, then we disappeared from Washington. But that sweet and spicy memory didn’t disappear at all. I wanted to recreate it at home using seasonal ingredients.
With strawberry season in full swing, I thought now was a good time to jump on the canning bandwagon again.
Et voilà, strawberry jalapeño jam! — I just love how these things come together.I’m a little embarrassed to say that we’ve already emptied one of the 10 jars of this sweet and spicy treat that I prepared yesterday. I made homemade ice cream last night, and swirled in this jam before it even had time to properly set. Then today we indulged in the jam slathered on a layer of cream cheese on artisan bread. It was divine.
We haven’t shared with Margot, since this stuff packs a punch (I’d give it a 7 on a scale of heat from 1-10), then again my heat tolerance has gone down since we went on a short juice fast earlier this year. My Margot isn’t a fan of spicy food, yet.
The fresh jalapeños were strong, even though I almost completely de-seeded them. Between the jalapeños, rogue splashes of boiling water, and multiple loads of dishes, my hands are raw. I recommend wearing food prep gloves for this recipe if you have any, you’ll regret not doing so when you accidentally rub your sleepy eyes with your spicy fingertips like I did.
If you’ve never canned before, don’t be intimidated. It’s much easier than you’d think if you’re using the water bath method (which is only to be used for high acid foods like fruit preserves). The special equipment needed is minimal, too. I have my Ball canning pot, funnel and jelly jars. I do recommend specialty tongs. My normal tongs work okay, but I will be purchasing specialty tongs soon.
For more information on canning, head over to Food in Jars, my favorite blog for canning and preserving foods.
Strawberry Jalapeño Jam
Recipe Type: Canning
Author: Crystle
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 10 half pints
This sweet and spicy jam works well on cream cheese and crackers, swirled into yogurt, topped on ice cream and even as the J in classic PB&J sandwich.
Prep strawberries by rinsing and removing green tops, and mince the jalapeños. Add to blender or food processor and blend on crush setting for a minute, or until semi-smooth in consistency.
In large canning pot, sterilize 10 half-pint jelly jars and lids for five minutes in boiling water. Remove from canning pot. Dry lids and rings and be sure to allow excess water to drain out of jars. Set aside on a dish towel (use one that’s okay to get messy). Don’t drain the water, you’ll use this exact set up in a moment.
In large dutch oven, bring strawberries, jalapeños, lemon juice and pectin to a boil. Slowly add in sugar until dissolved. Bring ingredients to a boil, stirring regularly. Check the temperature of the jam mixture using a digital thermometer. When it reads 220F, remove the pot from the heat.
Ladle the hot jam into jars filling to 1/4 inch of the rim. Run flat knife, or thin spatula along interior walls of jar to remove air bubbles. Wipe rims of jars for proper sealing. Tightly place lids on jars (use oven mitts to hold jars, they’ll be hot).
Gently place filled jars into bottom of canning pot giving them 2 inches of space in between and making sure they have at least 1 inch of water covering the lids. Bring water to a boil. Boil for ten minutes. Remove pot from heat, and remove jars from pot.
Allow jars to cool and set on wood or cloth covered surface overnight. Check the lids for proper seal. They should not have any play vertically. Store in cool dark place for up to one year.
Notes
– If you have food prep gloves, I recommend using them for the jalapeño preparation. [br][br]- If you’re worried about a proper set for your jam, use the freezer plate method: place several salad plates in the freezer in advance. When you think your jam is done cooking, spoon out a sample on the frozen plate and allow to cool for a few minutes. Remove dutch oven from heat in the meantime to prevent overcooking. Once cooled, slide your finger through the jam, if it has a skin and parts readily, it’s ready. If it’s still very runny, place dutch oven back on heat and test again a few minutes later when you’re think it may be ready.[br][br]- It’s always a good idea to sterilize a few extra jars in case your yield runs on the large end.[br][br]- Recipe adapted from All Recipes Strawberry Jalapeño Jam
The days have been getting longer and longer since the winter solstice back in December, when we saw only a few hours of daylight. Today we have roughly 15 hours of daylight, which will steadily increase until the summer solstice where the sun will only disappear for a couple of hours. These are wild extremes that we live, way up here.
With winter in the rear view mirror, the landscape has changed slightly each day that the temperatures has risen above freezing. South-facing rooftops have little to no snow remaining, main roads are as clear as they were before the snow fell, and the deep snow drifts that covered our yards all winter are now slowly receding; all signs of the coming Summer. The temperatures weren’t what bothered me most about our first Fairbanks winter — it was the lack of daylight. Now that the sun is shining brightly I feel compelled to wear sandals and skirts, and drink iced green tea, even though the temperatures still hover in the mid-thirties. The rest of the town is in the same mood. Pedestrians in shorts, kids on bikes, men scraping the last bits of ice from their driveways; these are all elements of the slushy spring break-up I’ve been hearing all about.
It’s wonderful.
It’s a coincidence, too, just as I exit the first trimester of pregnancy that the sun should be shining so brightly. My food aversions are nearly all gone, and I’m back to eating healthier foods. The gloomy cloud of winter was prolonged by my first trimester, and now that the sun has broken through, things are looking up.
We’re heading to Anchorage this weekend for a Maternity photo session (a client’s, not mine), then off to Las Vegas and OKC for some shopping, eating, and family time. Later this month we find out if we’re having a boy or a girl, then it will practically be summer! Picnics, hikes, dog walks, cook outs — I’ve missed all these things while the snow has inundated our world.
These muffins are the perfect embodiment of my current mood and circumstance. They’re zesty, sweet and tart; their flavors swarm and whelm you, just like the warm spring after a long, tedious winter. I’ll keep this recipe on-call until the height of summer pulls me into another culinary direction.
Raspberry Orange Muffins
Recipe Type: Breakfast
Author: Crystle
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 12
Zesty, sweet and tart, these muffins shine brightly on the breakfast table.
Ingredients
2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 egg
1/3 cup orange juice
2/3 cups greek vanilla yogurt or one six ounce container
1/3 canola oil
2-3 teaspoons grated orange zest, from about one orange
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 6oz box of fresh raspberries
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375F.
Line a muffin tin with paper cups, or grease with baking spray.
Stir together dry ingredients in medium mixing bowl until no brown sugar clumps remain.
Combine egg, orange juice, greek vanilla yogurt, canola oil, and vanilla in large mixing bowl on low speed. Slowly add in the flour mixture until incorporated. Add raspberries and mix until the raspberries have broken up, do not over mix.
Divide batter evenly between muffin cups, filing each until 3/4 full.
Bake 20-22 minutes until golden brown and they pass the toothpick test (comes out clean).
Cool in pan for several minutes, serve warm or cooled completely.
Notes
Sub in all-purpose flour for the whole wheat pastry flour, if you prefer. [br]I threw in extra sugar for this recipe since the first batch ended up a little too acidic from the orange juice and zest. If you prefer to cut back, you can get by with 2/3 cup brown sugar instead.[br]Recipe adapted from Driscoll’s.
For more information on canning, head over to 
Yea Yea Pueblo 