Recipe for Vanilla Extract - Martinsville Bulletin

Vanilla Extract
Sauces
Contributed by: Suzanne Overstreet
Ingredients: 2 vanilla beans 1/2 cup bourbon
Split vanilla beans lengthwise, then cut them in half and crosswise. Put the beans, including any seeds that may have fallen out, in a glass jar. Add bourbon, seal the jar, and give it a vigorous shake. Put in a cool, dark cupboard for 2 weeks and shake well every day. After 2 weeks, let the extract sit undisturbed for 2 more weeks. It is ready to use after that. Continue to replenish the extract with an equal amount of bourbon; the beans should last at least one year, or longer if less extract is used.
(This recipe was contributed as part of a "Cook of the Week" feature.)