This post may contain affiliate links, which means I get a small percentage of the sale at no extra cost to you. I only recommend items I love and have had a positive experience with. Thank you!

When you are looking for the perfect gift that is perfect for someone that is hard to buy for, why not try a bottle of homemade vanilla extract? Normally, it can take 2-3 months to make a good bottle of extract, but this method will make it ready in almost no time!

Pressure Cooker Homemade Vanilla Extract! No more waiting for months for the beans to extract. This will blow your mind!

*This post constitutes an original TIDBITS method for making vanilla extract.  We reserve the rights to all content, images, method, and directions found in this post, and they cannot be duplicated, re-posted, or distributed in any way or form, except for the use of one image used with a brief explanation and a visible link back to this post.  Thank you for respecting our copyright!

Making Vanilla Extract In The Pressure Cooker 

When you grab your pressure cooker and make homemade vanilla extract, you’ll get an amazing flavor with little to no effort and no time at all. The best part is you can make it with alcohol such as 80 proof vodka or you can make an alcohol free version of this vanilla extract with food grade vegetable glycerin.

You may have a hard time deciding which version you’ll love the most, as they both shine in their own way. If you are concerned about alcohol at all, you may want to use the glycerine version in raw foods such as whipped cream or ice cream, and save the alcohol version for foods that are baked or cooked, so the alcohol dissipates. This will leave the wonderful vanilla flavor behind.

Pressure Cooker Homemade Vanilla Extract! No more waiting for months for the beans to extract. This will blow your mind!


How long does homemade vanilla flavor last?

The vanilla is processed in a jar with a lid, so very little alcohol dissipates. This will allow the vanilla flavor to continue to be extracted over time, much like the traditional method. 

 

You can enjoy your homemade vanilla for a very long time this way, and the shelf life can be years when kept in a cool, dry, place. 

Pressure Cooker Homemade Vanilla Extract! No more waiting for months for the beans to extract. This will blow your mind!

What about an alcohol free version of homemade vanilla?

To make an alcohol free version of homemade vanilla, you will use food grade glycerine. The result is golden, thick and evenly speckled throughout with vanilla seeds. It’s a gorgeous sight to behold, when held up to the sunlight. 

The alcohol free version of homemade vanilla flavoring is perfect in uncooked recipes like whipped cream, smoothies, frosting and of course homemade frozen yogurt and vanilla ice cream.  Simply give it a shake before each use to get a nice dose of seeds in whatever you’re making for that instant pretty factor.

Pressure Cooker Homemade Vanilla Extract! No more waiting for months for the beans to extract. This will blow your mind!

How do I store homemade vanilla extract?

Homemade vanilla is easy to store in the mason jars you used to make it. Simply keep the lid on tight, or use this pour-able mason jar lid.  No need to remove the beans, as the flavor keeps deeping over time. 

Pressure Cooker Homemade Vanilla Extract! No more waiting for months for the beans to extract. This will blow your mind!

What kind of vanilla beans should I use? 

You’ll want to use the best quality vanilla beans you can find. Look for Grade B Madagascar vanilla beans which can be ordered here from Vitacost and here from Beanilla. Each company provides a high quality bean that is worth ordering again and again. 

Pressure Cooker Homemade Vanilla Extract! No more waiting for months for the beans to extract. This will blow your mind!

Making Vanilla Extract in the Pressure Cooker

  1. First things first, gather your ingredients, which include the vanilla beans and Vodka, or food grade glycerin.
  2. Then with some good kitchen shears, snip your beans in half so they will fit nicely inside a pint canning jar.
  3. Then split them down the middle with your scissors, but not quite all the way.  Leave the top of the bean intact.
  4. Insert the beans inside the jar and fill it with Vodka or Glycerin until almost to the first rim markings or about an inch and a half of head space.
  5. Place a rack or trivet on the bottom of the pressure cooker pot, and barely screw the lid onto the jars and insert into pressure cooker.  You can comfortably add 3 pint jars to a 6 quart pressure cooker.
  6. Next, simply follow the instructions in the recipe below and you are well on your way to your very own bottle of homemade vanilla extract.
Pressure Cooker Homemade Vanilla Extract! No more waiting for months for the beans to extract. This will blow your mind!
Pressure Cooker Homemade Vanilla Extract! No more waiting for months for the beans to extract. This will blow your mind!
Pressure Cooker Homemade Vanilla Extract! No more waiting for months for the beans to extract. This will blow your mind!
Pressure Cooker Homemade Vanilla Extract! No more waiting for months for the beans to extract. This will blow your mind!
Pressure Cooker Homemade Vanilla Extract! No more waiting for months for the beans to extract. This will blow your mind!

What pressure cooker should I use?

I use both the  Fagor Lux electric pressure cooker and the Instant Pot electric pressure cooker. But you can use these directions to make the homemade vanilla extract in any pressure cooker you own. 

And if you are looking for more recipe favorites from TIDBITS, check out our NEW COOKBOOK titled Master the Electric Pressure Cooker Cookbook.

Pressure Cooker Homemade Vanilla Extract! No more waiting for months for the beans to extract. This will blow your mind!
Pressure Cooker Homemade Vanilla Extract! No more waiting for months for the beans to extract. This will blow your mind!

Enjoy this handy source list for all the items you see pictured and which we use in our Vanilla making process.  (These are my affiliate links, which help make it possible for me to share information with you for free.  Thank you in advance for using them for your purchases).

Pressure Cooker Homemade Vanilla Extract! No more waiting for months for the beans to extract. This will blow your mind!
  1. Vodka – try your local liquor stores.
  2. Food Grade Glycerin
  3. Mason Jars
  4. Pourable Mason Jar Lid
  5. Reusable Mason Jar Lids
  6. Small hand held glass bottles for beautiful Vanilla pictures and perfect for gift giving.
  7. Instant Pot electric pressure cooker
  8. Beanilla Vanilla Beans
  9. Kitchen Shears
Pressure Cooker Homemade Vanilla Extract! No more waiting for months for the beans to extract. This will blow your mind!

I now have more than enough homemade vanilla extract for the next year!

Pressure Cooker Homemade Vanilla Extract! No more waiting for months for the beans to extract. This will blow your mind!

And be sure you don’t miss our printable extract labels, free to you to use for all your labeling purposes.

Free printable Vanilla Extract labels + 6 more extract flavors! Square or Circle available.

Other posts you are sure to love:

Note:  This process isn’t designed for canning vanilla.  The lid and ring are simply in place to keep all the alcohol from dissipating.  

Disclosure:  To play it safe, we do NOT guarantee the outcome or results of this method of making vanilla extract.  Follow our instructions at your own risk.  We simply share this method that has had wonderful results for us.  We have consulted with alcohol experts and three companies that make vanilla extract and even had it tested for bacteria – which came out negative.  We have especially enjoyed the amazement and awe we’ve gathered from our expert friends about this idea 😉

CAUTION!:  This method is NOT intended to be used with a stove top pressure cooker.  Only use in an electric pressure cooker with a FULL NATURAL RELEASE.  Keep electric pressure cooker away from any open flame while making vanilla with alcohol.  

UPDATE 12/12/16  Due to some new methods popping up for making vanilla extract in the pressure cooker, I want to tell you why I settled on the method I did.  I tested alcohol percentages of all my batches of vanilla to make sure they were staying above 35% (starting from 40%).  It was only once I added the barely tightened lid, that I was able to consistently maintain this percentage.  This means your vanilla is safe to store at room temperature long term and vanilla flavor will continue to be extracted from the beans if you leave them in the jar, win win!  On my batches made in an open jar or directly in the pot, I not only lost a lot of volume, I also ended up with alcohol percentages as low as 25% which I was not comfortable with.  Last thing, if you’re vanilla smells strong of alcohol after you process it, let it sit for a week, swishing daily.  The alcohol will mellow and the vanilla will be more present.  Enjoy!

And if you are looking for more recipe favorites from TIDBITS, check out our NEW COOKBOOK titled Master the Electric Pressure Cooker Cookbook.

Master the Electric Pressure Cooker Cookbook
Pressure Cooker Homemade Vanilla Extract! No more waiting for months for the beans to extract. This will blow your mind!

Pressure Cooker Pure Vanilla Extract

Created by TIDBITS & COMPANY
Servings 1 pint jar
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
No need to wait months for vanilla beans to extract their flavor any more! Make your own bottle of beautiful and pure vanilla extract in the pressure cooker and enjoy right away.

Ingredients

  • 6-10 Grade B Madagascar vanilla beans
  • About 2 cups Smirnoff Vodka 80 proof 40% alcohol or Food Grade Vegetable Glycerin

Instructions

  • Using a sharp pointed knife or kitchen shears, cut each bean in half and then split in half lengthwise leaving about an inch still connected. Place the vanilla beans in a pint size Mason jar and add vodka or glycerin, leaving 1 inch of head space. Top with a canning lid and ring and barely tighten.
  • Add 1 cup of water to the pressure cooker pot and place trivet inside. Put the Mason jar on the trivet. Secure the lid and turn pressure release knob to a sealed position. Cook at high pressure for 30 minutes.
  • When cooking is complete, use a natural release.
  • Carefully remove the Mason jar, swirl it lightly to release more vanilla seeds from the pod, and place on a cooling rack overnight.
  • Once cooled, top with a pourable lid and use in all your favorite recipes that call for vanilla extract.
  • Tip: When vanilla extract is gone, let the beans air dry, then add to sugar for vanilla infused sugar! Smells and tastes heavenly!
  • Tip: The pressure cooker will fit up to three jars at a time, so feel free to double or triple the recipe.

Notes

Mason jars can develop weak points over repeated use in both pressure cooking and canning. I suggest rotating jars often to decrease the rare chance of a jar breaking while cooking.
Pressure Cooker Homemade Vanilla Extract! No more waiting for months for the beans to extract. This will blow your mind!

Did you make this?

Make sure to follow TIDBITS and Company on Instagram and Pinterest for more creative ideas!

Now go order your supplies and get started!  Whether you’re making it for yourself or for a quick gift, this homemade vanilla extract is sure to dazzle and impress!  Enjoy!  We’d love to hear what you think of this idea and if you give it a try!

Pressure Cooker Homemade Vanilla Extract! No more waiting for months for the beans to extract. This will blow your mind!
Pressure Cooker Homemade Vanilla Extract! No more waiting for months for the beans to extract. This will blow your mind!

Similar Posts

Free Printables!

Get instant access to the TIDBITS subscriber library full of free printables for the keeper of the home.

Discover more TIDBITS

Love this article? Make sure to connect with me on your favorite social platform below, and leave a comment so we can chat!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

252 Comments

  1. In this recipe you said that you prefer the glycerin version in non cooked or non baked recipes, but was that just a preference or can you not use it in cooked or baked recipes?
    P.S. can i also use strawberries and other fruits to make other extracts rather than just vanilla? Thanks!

  2. I had the bottom fall out of a jar which meant 6 beans went “wasted” – can I re use them or would it be quite weak? I also left a few beans in each jar that I intend to gift – are they ok to leave in there or better to take out? Any other uses for the used beans??

  3. I made the vanilla today and I am curious how it works if it stills smells strongly of alcohol. Do you let it sit with the lid on or off?

  4. Good afternoon, I think this recipe is great. I do have one question. What did you use to test your extract after it was processed? Did you use a hydrometer? I want to test mine to make sure they stay above the 35% range.

    Thank you,
    Todd

  5. Love love reading comments and inspires me to make good vanilla in my IP. Thanks
    May I get cook book on this site?

  6. Hi there!
    Love this post~ I’m so glad I found you ❤️
    Quick question, hopefully you still check these old posts (looks like the last comment was almost a year ago! 😬) Is it 6-10 beans PER pint jar? So I would need 18-30 beans for 3 jars? Thank you so much for the clarification!
    Blessings.

  7. I made a ton of this for gifts. I feel like there is still a use for the beans after cooking? Have you tried grinding them up to make a paste? Should I dry them out first? Add any liquid before grinding in food processor? Thoughts on re-use? I have so many I hate throwing them out.

  8. Hello,

    Thank you so much for this recipe! I love making Vanilla and am thrilled to have a faster way to make it now. I also love my Instant Pot!
    I just tried making this the other day and I forgot about your warning concerning old jars and their tendency to break, so I just used the jars I had on hand. One jar broke and spilled vanilla all over in my instant pot :o( But, now I will never forget to be careful about which jars I choose to use.
    The other jar did not break but the vanilla has gotten very cloudy…It doesn’t look clear like yours at all. Do you know if that is a bad thing?

    Thank you so much for your time!

  9. I made this today and was so excited, but when I got it out of the pressure cooker it had lost half of the liquid. Is this normal? What am I doing wrong?

  10. Is there an optimum period of time for vanilla to “age”? I’d like to make it for Christmas. As I understand it, the vanilla lasts for a very long time, but I just want to make sure I don’t make it too early.

  11. I’ve made my own vanilla extract for many years. Quarts of it. I’ve tried various forms of alcohol, and now I only use brandy. Incredible, heavenly flavor. Try a teaspoon of brandy vanilla in your evening cup of coffee and you’ll know you’ve found nirvana. I use it in ice cream, baking; everything. Give brandy a try!

  12. It was my understanding that we are not suppose to use canning jars at anytime in our Instant pots.

  13. Well vanilla beans are now more like 5.00 each so making 16 ounces of vanilla extract would run around 75.00…..rather pay half that at Costco….scared to use alcohol in a pressure cooker too…:(

  14. I’m sorry, but pressure cooking alcohol is dangerous, particularly hard liquor. Don’t take my word for it, research this information yourself. Start by googling “Flash Points of Ethanol based Water Solutions” and then reading about how vaporized alcohol can ignite. Please consider removing this post and sharing the information you discover WITH YOUR READERS after researching this subject.

    Ciao,

    L

    Founder, Hip Pressure Cooking

  15. we’ve gone through our first little half pint of vanilla and now i have the beans left in there. Are they good for anything? or just throw them out?

  16. This recipe looks awesome. I have a bottle setting in a dark spot for the last couple of months that I made with beans and vodka. Now that I know I can make it quicker with my IP, that will be great. I went on Amazon and the price for vanilla beans was outrageous, $150 for around 10 pods was a low price. This is Canadian Amazon. Price in my grocery store was much lower and the beans were nice and supple. I will definitely save this recipe.

  17. Question…I can’t seem to find the answer, but after you process …do you then pour into the sm glass bottles and seal and store? I’m wanting to make for Xmas presents now if possible. Thanks!!

  18. I made my vanilla extract last night! I just opened the jar and a massive whiff of alcohol came out, I also tasted it and it’s tastes like vodka still. Beans are so expensive I could only buy 10, so I have 3.5 beans per 10 oz. Did I not use enough beans maybe?

  19. Last night I stuck My vanilla beans in a bottle of bourbon then found this method this morning. I just made 2 pints with the bourbon and I have enough beans to make another 2 pints , but they’re sitting in a bit of bourbon. Since the beans I have left are already in the leftover bourbon there is quite a bit of vanilla pulp/seeds and I definitely don’t want to lose that so was I going to take some of the beans out to put in vodka then just top the jar with bourbon off with vodka. There isn’t an issue mixing liquors is there?

  20. I’m so excited to find your post! I just bought an instant pot last week, (it’s still in the box), but my granddaughter and I made vanilla a couple Christmas’ ago for gifts. It sat for 3 months and I swirled it every day. The label said, “Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla, made especially for you, by Brenna, with love and Vodka” 🙂 She was not quite 12 at the time. Everyone either laughed or was slightly horrified by that one, LOL.
    All that said, I’m out of vanilla and still have beans in the freezer and jars in the garage. Can’t wait to try it out! Thank YOU!!!

  21. Marci, I recently joined the marvelous group: Instant Pot Community, because I am having fun with my brand-new Instant Pot. Today, I see that they linked to your website. YAY!
    I’ve made my own vanilla for years in the traditional manner and now I can’t wait to try your method. Thank you so much for your very clear instructions and your delightful comments! I am a VERY happy camper!
    ~~ Mary Huber

  22. I made a big batch of this for Christmas gifts, and this vanilla is AMAZING! I am a vanilla snob, and this exceeds expectations. My friends are bringing me their empty bottles for refills, so I am making it again today.

    1. Linda, I love it! I used to buy pricey vanilla extract and I absolutely agree this homemade stuff blows them out of the water. I hope you’re friends are treating you well for that gold you’re giving them 🙂

  23. I absolutely loved reading the story of how you came up with this recipe! Thanks so much for going through all the trial and error recipes. …and including your dad’s friend in with the story (I feel like giving him a hug and thanking him as well) 🙂 I plan to make this as soon as my vanilla beans arrive. Thanks again!!

    1. Thank you so much for your comment on the story! I believe with my whole heart that I was inspired with the vanilla idea so that I could meet that man. My kids and I still go chat with him at the liquor store and it brings light into his eyes every time we do. Enjoy your vanilla! I just made a new batch last week and it’s wonderful:)

  24. I do have one question. I read the comments and didn’t see it addressed. We like to put vanilla in our coffee. Will the alcohol content be too high with the vodka version of this? I want my kiddos to be able to put it in their coffee. Wouldn’t want to send them off for their day tipsy! LOL! That would be bad!

    1. Rebecca, Haha! Yes, you may not want to be “that Mom”. If you’ve ever used pure vanilla extract from the stores, it is very similar. If you’re only using a couple drops, that is pretty negligible. If you add vanilla when you brew your coffee, the alcohol content would likely evaporate anyways. So unless you add a couple of glugs of vanilla extract to your coffee, your family should be starting their day nice and sober 😉

  25. Barely tighten the lid… what does barely tighten mean?, loosely tight, not too tight, or very tighten?

    1. Shirley, loosely tight. So it’s just tight enough that the ring will stay on if I lifted up on it, but not tight enough to contain the fluids if it was tipped over. Does that help?

  26. So I found this recipe trying to find a way to use my Instant Pot to get orange extract from the zest. I need it for an orange syrup. The previous way I was doing it was creating an oleo saccharum- sugar and orange zest in a container in the fridge for a week, stirring it occasionally.
    Wondering what your thoughts would be for replacing the glycerine with 2c of a 1:1 simple syrup and the orange zest in the pint mason jar and making the extract in the Pressure Cooker like you do with the vanilla beans.
    What are your thoughts?

    1. Jackie, I’ve made a lemon extract before using just the yellow part of the peel and it was fantastic! So I’m thinking your idea is basically genius! So you’re doing a simple syrup of 1 cup sugar and 1 cup water and then adding the orange zest? I wonder if you could add the sugar, water, and zest all to the jar and let it go for 30 minutes. I bet that would melt the sugar and infuse the zest all at once. I’d start with 30 minutes and then do another 30 if needed. Let me know how it goes! I’m tempted to go try it myself right this second!

  27. Hello, just wondered if you have ever calculated the cost for your vanilla. I spent 6 bucks on an off brand yesterday and spilled over half due to the flimsy bottle, well i forgot to close jt too. I use a lot of vanilla so think a couple pints would be great. How much are the beans? Thanks for sharing.

    1. Marlene, This is a bit of a rough estimate, but for 1 pint of vanilla extract I used about $5 worth of vodka and about 10 vanilla beans which is about $10 when I buy them in bulk. So about $15 for nearly 2 cups of vanilla. On Amazon, the Nielsen-Massey vanilla I used to buy is $22 for 8 oz so that would be $44 for 2 cups of vanilla. McCormick vanilla is about $20 for 2 cups. So it definitely depends on what brand of vanilla you’re buying. Hope that helps!

  28. Hi,
    Do you know why Pinterest won’t work on your blog? You say in the text to pin but I have tried repeatedly and I get the message there are no images to pin?!
    I want to save this vanilla recipe because it looks very well written and tested.

    I have lots of boards and do know how to pin…

    Thanks!

    1. Anne, that is super strange to hear. I’ve never had anyone have this problem before. I’ll look into the back end of things and see if I can see a problem. Thank you so much for taking the time to let me know!

      1. Hi, tested after you updated but still unable to pin. It is not a Pinterest app issue because pinned from other sites before and after trying your site. Tech stuff can be sooo annoying. Sorry there is still a glitch!
        Cheers,
        Anne

    2. Hi Anne,

      It looked like I needed to update a pinterest plugin on my site. I went ahead and did this. If you wouldn’t mind giving it another try to see if it works for you, I would be very appreciative!

      1. Hi,
        I updated my Apple IOS. Pinterest app was up to date. Even after doing so and with updating at your end, pinning this recipe in your site is not possible. The message on Pinterest is “no images are found”.

        So I saved your page to my NYTimes recipe box using their cooking app. Then from NYTimes I was able to create a Pinterest pin. Seems like it must be an glitch on your site.

        But happy I figured out a way to pin this great vanilla recipe!!!

  29. Hi I haven’t tried yet but can’t wait to. I was searching thru the comments to see if this was addressed but couldn’t find anything.

    Was wondering if you use the alcohol in the recipe is there an alcohol content. We don’t drink, but have no problem making stuff with alcohol.

    I guess just wondering if the alcohol content is the same as store bought?

    1. Garnett, Yes there will be 35-40% alcohol content left in the vanilla after the 30 minute cook time. But you want this! The alcohol will not only keep extracting vanilla flavor from your beans, but it also makes it safe to store at room temperature. Store bought pure alcohol is usually 35% alcohol. Does that answer your question?

  30. Marci thanks so much for posting this recipe! I did make the vanilla for gifts and it turned out great but I did have one jar that the bottom did break out of it. I tightened the jars the same as when canning my fruit so not over tight and I did not do an early release with the pressure.

    I am doing another batch today as gave out over 12 4-oz jars already and need some more for gifts so will not tighten quite as much and see how that goes.

    Love your site! Thanks so much and Happy New Year!
    Anne-Marie

    1. Anne-Marie, I had one jar break very early on in my testing and had determined that it was because I was putting them in with a tightened lid. I’ve read of people making sure their jars are warm when they go in so you could try that to be on the safe side (I’m just always in a hurry to get them in so I’ve never done that myself). I bet they were a huge hit as Christmas gifts. I think the world saw a lot of vanilla extract this holiday season 😉 Thanks for letting me know your experience!

  31. Ok first let me say I have never thought or attempted to make vanilla. I got as a gift an IP for Christmas and as I am browsing found your post. I am going to assume that you make it because one you know what is in it; perhaps better or fresher flavor; but my question is to, would you use the same or less in a dessert.

    1. Lorna, Congrats on your new appliance! I do like that my vanilla doesn’t have all the extras that store bought does and yes it tastes and smells amazing! I use the same amount as I did with store brands. Enjoy!

  32. Hi there-
    That you know of, is there any issue doing this at high altitude (we’re at 6,000 ft)? My Gourmia electric pressure cooker manual says not to can anything in it at more than 4,000 ft. I’ll be bummed, since I just ordered my vanilla beans!

    Thanks – I’m so excited about this possibility.

    1. Nydia, As long as you leave the lid loose, I think it will be fine. But I can’t guarantee it! I’m at 4500 feet though so I’m not to familiar with the changes you’d need to make. Sorry I can’t be more helpful!

  33. I can’t wait to try this. I noticed while following your links to vanilla beans that they also carried Mexican Vanilla beans. Mexican vanilla is the best I have ever tasted. Do you have any thoughts on whether I could use the same recipe but change up the beans? I am still pretty new to pressure cooking and a bit unadventurous so far. Thanks

    1. Sorry, didn’t realize I didn’t have to check stars. It would let me select the last star. I wanted to give it 5 stars”

    2. Jamie, You could absolutely use mexican vanilla beans and use the exact same recipe. I’ve never used mexican beans but I’ve used uganda and tahitian and they were amazing (especially the Uganda).

  34. Hi! I just made three jars of this – barely tightened the lids like you mentioned in comments (just until I met resistance). It looks great – each jar lost about 3/4 of an inch of liquid, though. Would you say that’s consistent with your experience? I know you said you lose very little with the light tightening, but I want to make sure that what I’m seeing aligns with your definition of “very little” before I hand these out as gifts.

    Thank you!

      1. Thanks! It smells pretty alcohol-y, so I’m wavering between just bottling it up and hoping for the best, or reprocessing it.

  35. I just tried making some glycerine based vanilla for Christmas gifts, but it doesn’t really taste like vanilla. I processed it for a total of 60 minutes. I don’t know if the problem was the beans or the method. The beans were from Amazon and they didn’t have much of a vanilla smell right out of the package – should they? At this late date, I’m not sure if this is going to work. How can.I tell if my beans are.good?

    1. Jeanine, The vanilla beans I order are VERY fragrant. I did actually get a batch from Amazon once that were brittle and very faint smelling, and I had to add more beans to my vodka to get it to work. The glycerin darkens after a few days so it may be fine. If they are for gifts, chop up some extra vanilla beans in to 1 inch pieces and leave them in the glycerin to continue to infuse. I hope it works for you!

  36. I’m planning on trying this with a 1/2 pint jar (I only bought 3 vanilla beans and didn’t want to invest too much on a first attempt.) is there any concern with just halving the recipe for the smaller bottle?

    1. I just realized you answered my question in a previous post. But just to clarify, the cook time remains the same right? Thanks in advance.

  37. How would one know if too much alcohol evaporated during the cooking? When I opened the IP, I got a fairly strong whiff of alcohol. Is that ok? I had lids lightly tightened on while processing.

    1. Crystal, that sounds perfect. There will be a whiff of alcohol when you take the lid off but the majority of it will still remain inside the jar.

  38. I would like to try bourbon, have you tried this?, and maybe some lavender?, I put lavender in everything, how about a bourbon, lavender vanilla extract?. lol, I will let you know, I just ordered my electric pressure cooker!!!!!!

    1. Marybeth, that sounds so original and amazing! I made a lavender honey in the PC and it’s heavenly! Please let me know how it is.

  39. I have read MUCH info, but basically followed your recipe. I have made with vanilla and with rum. The taste is of too much alcohol and bitter. So I put more beans in a small amount of vodka in the IP and then added it to what I had already made. Still the same. I now wish I had taken notes on dates, etc. My first batch was at least 2 months ago. Even though I’ve been disappointed, I have more beans and am thinking to try again today, but if it still isn’t up to par I suppose I will throw in the towel rather than spend more money. I have even bought nice bottles and labels. Last week I bought a bottle of pure vanilla so I could do a taste comparison. Had my husband taste too. Store bought MUCH better…seems a bit sweet, though the label doesn’t mention sugar. I’m thinking about pulling a bit of what I made and adding a small amount of sweetener. Thoughts? I had wanted to give homemade vanilla as gifts, but I would be embarrassed to give this. (And please don’t take this as I’m blaming you…not at all. I just can’t figure why mine isn’t good and hope for solutions.)

    1. Shelly, thanks for letting me know your experience. I am surprised that after 2 months it isn’t wonderful. Every now and again it doesn’t seem to work for people and my guess is it’s the beans or the kind of alcohol. I made some with a higher proof, cheap vodka several months ago that still doesn’t taste or smell right. I’ve stuck with Smirnoff and either the Frontier beans I linked to or my new favorite, Uganda beans from Amadeusvanillabeans.com. I get the best results when I stick with this. It will always taste like alcohol straight out of the bottle but the alcohol burns off when you cook with it, leaving behind the vanilla flavor. My favorite store bought vanilla has a lot of other ingredients in it, but still tastes like alcohol. If you haven’t tried reprocessing it for another 30 minutes, I would do that. Maybe add a couple fresh beans. And please let me know how it goes! I want you to be the talk of the town this Christmas!

  40. Hello! I am making tonight to give as gifts tomorrow. I even had fancy labels made. Nothing like the last minute. Should I put one bean in each gifted jar?

    1. Yes, put a slit bean in each jar and it will work great 🙂 I used to call Cami Camille as a kid to make her mad, ha ha 🙂

  41. I ordered my supplies and can’t wait to try this. I normally make vanilla the old fashioned way but I ran out this time and didn’t plan ahead. I don’t want to go 4 months without vanilla! I’ve also never made it with glycerin so I’m going to give that a try!

  42. Marci,
    I made a 1/5 of vodka yesterday and a 1/5 of everclear today. The beans were split and cut to 1 inch lengths prior to cooking for 30 minutes. Natural release both times, nothing burst.
    The vanilla is cloudy in both bottles. Will it clear up or is that just added flavor to the liquid.
    Tomas

    1. Thomas, It is a bit cloudy after in cooks but clears up over time. Good to know nothing broke, thanks for testing for me! I wondered how the everclear would do. Let me know what you think of the everclear version in a week.

      1. Marci,
        The Everclear cleared right up but the Titos vodka still remains cloudy. It seems that minute particles of the beans are permanently in suspension. I do not think the suspension willl bother anything.
        I made an IP cheesecake using the Everclear and it recievrd high marks for those who ate it.
        I have not used the Titos yett.

        1. Thomas, so glad to hear back from you! I have a couple bottles that have stayed a bit more cloudy than the others, and they all taste and smell wonderful. Nice work!

  43. Great recipe! well written and easy to follow! One question though, is the glycerin version shelf stable like the Alcohol version or do I need to refrigerate?

    1. Andrea, Thank you! AS far as shelf life for the glycerin version, I’ve read anywhere from 1 to 4 years. It varies so much! So I guess I would say at least 1 year. I actually did stick mine in the fridge after 6 months just because I felt better about it, but according to what I’ve read, it’s not necessary.

      1. Great! Thank you for responding! I literally just pulled a batch of the glycerin. It is a little light on color but I’m sure it will darken over the next week 🙂

  44. Marci.
    A sound jar with a tight fitting metal lid and band will not break during canning. It will easily withstand the pressure applied to the outside of the jar.
    Using the quick release feature on the Instant Pot will allow the INTERNAL pressure in the jar to rise well above the EXTERNAL pressure. If the lid is loose, the alcohol will boil away. If the lid is tight, then , most likely the jar will burst. Soooo, never use the quick release feature if the jar has a tight lid. !!!!
    My guess is that the quick release feature was used with the steel cut oats, the oats began boil, the internal pressure rose above the external pressure and the jar burst.If the top was fitted loosely, then the oats boiled and rose up to seal the escaping vapor and then the jar burst.
    Just my opinion.
    Thomas

  45. I made some today – both vodka and glycerin. The vodka jars came out very cloudy. The glycerin jars have barely any color in them. I saw above someone said that even though it doesn’t have color it still has great flavor. I haven’t tasted it yet so don’t know. But is there any way to clear up the cloudiness? It doesn’t look nearly as pretty as your bottles. Thanks for any suggestions you can offer.

  46. I just made this recipe, it was really easy. I only made one pint jar because I was afraid I’d screw up too many beautiful vanilla beans. I only have my Instapot since black Friday. I put a cup a water in the bottom, put the trivet in and put the mason jar with the vodka and vanilla beans in, set it on manual for 30 minutes. After a while, something didn’t smell right, so I stopped the process, let out the pressure and there wasn’t any water left in the instapot, but the Vanilla looks good. What did I do wrong?

    1. Jackie, That is strange. 1 cup of water shouldn’t evaporate that quickly. Was it under pressure when you stopped it? Or did it struggle to come to pressure? The only thing I can think of is that it was struggling to come to pressure so all of the water evaporated. That could happen because the seal wasn’t correctly in place or something was blocking the valve (like pieces of food or something).

  47. Hello!

    I love this idea and plan to do it for Christmas gifts for colleagues this year. Quick question… I’ve seen other recipes (one specifically from Frieda Loves Bread) that says to cook on HP for 60 min. Is there a reason you only do yours for 30 min?

    Thanks in advance!

    Jeff

    1. Jeff, I made several batches of vanilla before I settled with how I did it in the post. You lose a lot of volume when you do it directly in the pot and it also decreases the alcohol percentage. I tested it yesterday and when I did it in the pot for 60 minutes my percentage went from 40% alcohol to about 28% which makes me concerned that it shouldn’t be stored at room temperature (for bacterial growth purposes). So stick with the jar method. I also have done a 30 minute and a 60 minute batch in the mason jars. The reason I stuck with the 30 minutes is that it started to look slightly cloudy after 60 minutes (probably from the vanilla bean breaking down) and it really didn’t seem that much stronger. However, some have said it wasn’t very strong after 30 minutes and in that case I’ve told people to process it again and that seemed to work for them. I think there’s so much variation in beans that 60 minutes may be needed in some situations. So there you go! Your colleagues will think you’re a genius!

      1. hi.
        My experience with a pressure cooker is that when the top of the mason jar is loose, the liquid inside the jar will boil away. The mason jar will withstand the the pressure buildup with the mason jar lid on very tight. Why not do it that way and keep the alcohol from evaporating?
        Tom F.

        1. Thomas, I have very little boil away when I make the vanilla. I actually started testing these in jars with tight fitting lids, but after having a few complaints of bottles breaking for people when making my steel cut oats in a jar recipe, I decided to barely tighten the lid to be on the safe side. I suspect for the most part, there wouldn’t be a problem with making the vanilla with a tight fitting lid, but I know that people would blame it on that if they did have a jar break. What’s your thoughts on that? I’m curious.

          1. Marci,
            I am short of time right now, but have you ever used an alcohol called EVERCLEAR? It is 150 proof.
            Tom

  48. Thanks for the recipe! I made this a week ago using the same vodka you recommended and Madagascar Bourbon Planifolia Grade A Gourmet Vanilla Beans 5~6″. I wasn’t home when the natural release finished, but when I took them out of the pressure cooker they were a beautiful dark color! The next day, when I shook the jar there was still a lot of bubbles from the alcohol, so I let it sit for another 2 days. When I finally opened the jars, they had been sealed and smelled strongly of alcohol and not really like vanilla! I used new lids and old rings, but they all sealed and I’m wondering if that effected the process? In your directions you said you could use the vanilla after letting it sit 24hrs…..and although mine was a good dark color, it was way too strong of alcohol to use immediately. I put them in individual bottles with 2 beans per bottle, and have let them continue to sit. Should I process them again (pouring back into pint jars)? I wanted to give as Christmas gifts and not sure they’ll be ready to use by December 17. Thanks!!

    1. If they still smell strong of alcohol after a week, I would go ahead and reprocess them. There will always be some alcohol smell and taste because you want the alcohol there to preserve the extract. If you have a pure vanilla from the store at home, smell the 2 side by side. When I compared my vanilla with my store bought pure vanilla, I could definitely smell the vanilla more in mine (I also could smell some alcohol in both). The alcohol will burn off when you cook with it leaving behind just the wonderful vanilla flavor. Saying that, the vanilla smell should be present, so if it’s not, go ahead and reprocess. Good luck!

  49. Is there a reason to leave the pod in after it’s done? I saw some people on FB saying that if the pod sticks out as your use it, that it can rot.

    1. Lisa, I leave the pods in so the flavor will continue to extract. I haven’t had any problems with it, but if you’re worried, you could chop up your pods in the first step so they always stay immersed in alcohol.

  50. Making extract for Christmas gifts. Unfortunately, almost all the online sources for Madagascar Bourbon Grade B Beans are sold out. Thought I’d try the Tahitian beans. Very unique scent but turned out awesome. Thanks for the idea of using our Instant Pot. These will be well liked I’m sure.

    1. That’s crazy! I didn’t know there were so many businesses sold out already. I made a Tahitian as well and loved it. Thanks for the info 🙂

    1. Yes, however I’ve tried it, processed it twice, and it’s not very flavorful. I’m trying to figure that one out. If you try it, let me know how it turns out for you please!

    1. Elle, you can but it’s not necessary. I actually prefer the speckled look myself. Especially in whipped cream and ice cream!

  51. Hi. I just followed this process yesterday. I used 6 Madahascar Grade A beans for each pint. I also used 40% aldohol.
    I made 3 jars, swirled them a bit after they were done with the natual release and left them overnight.
    I just checked on them this morning and are dark but taste and smell more like alcohol. Should I try to process them again?
    By the way, I stumbled on your site a while ago when I was trying to find presssure cooker yogurt recipies (I found the instructions that came with the pot are not clear). I made the yogurt recipe and Ricotta cheese (from your book). Both very successful!

    1. Monia, Pure Vanilla will always have a bit of an alcohol taste and smell. I wouldn’t reprocess them yet. Let them sit for a week and swirl them every now and again and the alcohol smell will mellow. If it still seems quite strong, you could reprocess them. I’m so glad you’ve got to enjoy the ricotta and yogurt! I love making yogurt, it really never gets old for me 🙂

        1. The time I reprocessed a jar, I didn’t add any additional beans, but I did add splash more of Vodka to bring it back to the 1 inch mark. I hope it works for you!

  52. If I wanted to use bourbon … which would be fantastic in my speculaas cookies (windmill) and triple ginger cookies… would I use the same amounts and procedures? Been wanting to make vanilla extract for years; and even more so after my brand new 8 oz bottle I purchased slipped and fell before I even got to use any.
    Just got my IP today and made sweet dumpling squash in it, it was delicious. Need to do some chicken soup cause I picked up a bug during the holiday weekend – YUK.

    1. Geri, Yep, I did a batch with bourbon and used the same ratios as I did with the vodka. Sweet dumpling squash sounds amazing! And check out the elderberry syrup recipe to keep you well this season! Enjoy!

  53. Curious to hear your sisters response on the comparison. And what’s your thoughts about transferring vanilla into Swing Top bottles for gift giving? Also Bless you and your sister for your pressure cooker cookbook! I LOVE IT!!!

    1. Hey Terri! This is Marci and I love hearing that you enjoy the book, it completely makes my day 🙂 I think my pressure cooker vanilla is better than any I’ve ever bought, and cheaper! And I think the Swing top bottles would be beautiful. Put a vanilla bean in each of them and the flavor will continue to get stronger. Lucky people in your life this Christmas!

  54. My first batch is in the Instant Pot right now. I am making 3 pints to divide for Christmas gifts. Just a note – Smirnoff Vodka is not gluten free. If you are making vanilla for someone who has gluten sensitivity, use Tito’s vodka. It is pricier – but gluten free.

    1. Elise, Thanks for the tip! I’ve been asked that question about gluten free vodkas and wasn’t sure how to answer.

  55. I made a batch using vodka and Madagascar beans from Beanilla. When I checked the jars in the morning, they have a slight white ring around the top of the vanilla. What would that be from? The jars were sterilized and the beans came right out of the package.

    1. Kathy, I’ve made probably 15 batches of vanilla, and I don’t believe I’ve ever seen that. You wouldn’t think mold would have grown that quickly though. I’m not sure what that would be!

  56. Very informative tutorial! I made a batch, with vodka, today. I tightened the lid a bit more than finger tight. Is it normal to lose a bit of the liquid from the jar as it cooks? I lost about 3/4 of an inch from a pint jar. Could it be because I used a two-piece lid and ring?

    1. Cheryl, That’s normal. The only way to keep all the alcohol from evaporating would be to screw the lid on very tight which would mean risking the bottle breaking. I hope you enjoy it!

  57. Have you ever tried doing part vodka, part vegetable glycerin? I see a lot of quality vanilla has 35% alcohol, or the like… really want to try this and inclined to do the vodka version, but worried it will be too alcohol-y…
    So, just wondering if a hybrid would work.

    1. Michele, I’ve never even thought of trying it that way, but that could be a really good idea. I’ve got half a bottle of both vodka and glycerin, I just may give it a go! With the alcohol version, if you’re cooking with it, the alcohol taste will burn off so it won’t be an issue in that situation. But I also use it with ice cream and whipped cream and love it!

      1. Thanks Marci – just ordered my beans and bottles and still on the fence which way I will go. will probably start with the pure vodka version and experiment from there. We pretty much just bake with vanilla at this point, but may give as gifts as well. Please update if you try it and like it. thanks!

  58. This really sounds amazing. I was going to do the same thing you were ( making vanilla and giving it as xmas presents) until I found out how long it rally took,so now maybe this year I really can give really good gifts of my vanilla. Thanks so much for the recipe. By the way have you tried lasagna in your pc, its realllllly good and fast, I got my recipe from you tube.
    Thanks again

    1. Pam, Vanilla makes such a great Christmas gift! I haven’t done lasagna in the PC yet. Can you hook me up with that recipe!?

      1. Where did you find your labels? I have been handwriting my Vanilla extract labels and my writing (as hard as I try) is not the best.

  59. My vanilla smells like the alcohol and a little vanilla. I did use a different brand vodka. And I opened it a couole of hours after it was done instead of the next day. Is this smell normal, or do I need to dump it out? Or can it be fixed?

    1. Deborah, let it sit for a few days. If it is still strong of alcohol, process it again. I like to give mine a good swoosh after its done and then leave it undisturbed overnight. Let me know how it works out!

  60. The clear jars are no longer available on amazon and they don’t know if they will restock.
    If you know of another source, would you share?
    Thanks,
    pam

    1. Pam, The Amber colored ones are really popular for storing vanilla. Try searching for those on Amazon. I’ll see if I can find a direct link for you!

  61. My hubby got me an Instant Pot for Christmas this year (yes, this year, he gave it to me early) and i am having so much fun. I made your recipe for Yogurt today and it turned out beautifully!!! I had been asking my hubby for a yogurt maker for years so imagine my excitement when i found out the IP does it. I too had for several years thought about making vanilla for Christmas gifts but was daunted by the time involved. So imagine my surprise again at finding this !!! I will be trying it as soon as I gather the supplies !!!

    1. Libbi, I love all of that! The pressure cooker is an amazingly versatile appliance. Tell your hubby your gonna be asking for a 2nd one for Christmas 😉

  62. Thank you for replying. You have done a great job teaching this skill!

    I used Frontier Madagascar Vanilla Beans. I opened one pint, & was pleasantly surrounded by vanilla. And, a tiny, tiny taste yielded a “knock your head off” good tasting vanilla! I had been & will continue to stir it a few times a day, but I believe it shall be a delight to use & give as gifts!

    Thank you again for all of the work you put into this.

    1. Lisa, Your too kind! I’m so glad you love it. While it’s good right out of the pot, it will definitely continue to get stronger. I have some I made 6 months ago, and it’s heavenly.

  63. Is it normal for the glycerine vanilla to be much lighter in color? I did it for 30 min, it looked as if nothing happened at all. So, I did another 30 min, & it is still really light. I used 6 pods, cut in half, as instructed. Thank you, this is a great project!

    1. Lisa, what kind of beans did you use? Let it sit for a few days, swishing it a couple times a day and lets see if the color deepens. Does it smell like vanilla?

  64. So sad, just tried it. After the natural pressure release, went to lift the jar with a hot pot holder from the top and the bottom broke off of my jar! Now all that extract is in the water at the bottom of my Instant Pot. Bummer! Any ideas?

    1. Ann, That is so disappointing! How much air space did you have at the top of the bottle? Did you barely tighten the lid?

      1. I filled it to the line it shows on the bottle for freezing, about an inch, I would say. Should I not screw the lid at all? I did turn it maybe once, not really tight at all. I will try again today. I hate to waste the ingredients but they were in water and I was afraid of some glass shards…

        1. I definitely barely tighten it. I turn the lid just til it meets resistance and then back off a bit. I would be nervous to use them as well. It would be hard to make sure you got all the glass out. Make sure they are canning jars like Ball Mason and Kerr.

    2. Mine did the same thing 🙁 My vanilla was also a lot lighter in color. Is the recipe for one jar only? ‘Y beans were nice and soft. It has a strong alcohol smell but it’s pretty similar to the store bought smell. I am hoping some of the alcohol smell dissipates.

      1. Ann, the alcohol smell definitely dissipates over time, but if it’s not very dark, I would throw in an extra bean or 2 and reprocess it. Yes, the recipe is for 1 jar. Pure vanilla will always smell a bit of alcohol. If you cook with it, it will be wonderful 🙂

  65. I am so happy to have found this website. I love pressure cooking experimenting. I am going to try this recipe but make chocolate extract. I have been searching a few days at recipes and was hoping i’d eventually run into a recipe that doesn’t take 7 months. Thank-you.

  66. Have you ever tried a larger batch by putting the vodka and beans directly in the cooker? Why is in necessary to do it in the jars? Is there a pressure cooker rule that I’d be breaking?
    I Make vanilla the old fashioned way all the time and this would be a life saver…I have Two Instapots. 😉

    1. Jennifer, A lot of alcohol dissipates if there’s not a lid to contain it which decreases your volume quite a bit. I suggest doing it the way I wrote it. And good for you! Two (or three) pressure cookers is a must!

  67. Yes, this is a much faster way to make vanilla than the method I use for the product I make and sell. However, it is far from unique or original. Your disclaimer of copyright is nonsense.

    Added heat is one of the things I try to avoid during the maturation process, which is why it takes me 4-6 months to mature it.

    Don’t get me wrong, this method will make a passable vanilla. If you have the time, it can be made much better.

  68. Do you find that this vanilla is stronger than what is sold in stores? Just curious, because I have bought vanilla in other countries and find I need to use much less of it in recipes because it tends to be much stronger than vanilla we can buy in stored in the states.

    1. Terra, I do prefer this homemade version to store brands that I’ve bought at local grocery stores. As well as a couple different brands I’ve ordered online. My sister in law is a big fan of the vanilla she brings home from Mexico though, but I’ve never personally used it. I’ll give her some of mine and have her compare it and then I’ll check back!

  69. You mentioned trying different brands of vodka for this before settling on the one with the red label. Did you try any non gmo or organic brands. Any reason I should not use them. I’m so excited to try this btw!
    Barb

    1. Barb, I didn’t try any organic brands. It was more the price points I was looking at when I was trying them. I can’t say I know a whole lot about non gmo or organic brands. I don’t see why they wouldn’t work the same way for this recipe though. Report back if you try!

    1. Janice, sorry, I missed that question! I’ve never used cheesecloth for this before, but I think it would work great. I have a small mesh strainer that fits over a wide mouth mason jar that works well for this as well.

  70. The finished product sitting in my mason jars seems to be cloudy or muddy. Does it clear up over time? It does not look like what is in the glass vials pictured. Hope I didn’t mess it up.

      1. Through cheesecloth? I thought leaving some of the seen there were ideal. These are a gift so I would like them pretty.

        1. Janice, I like the seeds in mine as well, so if I were to hand it out in small bottles as gifts, I would take the beans out of my pint size jars, divide the extract between my bottles, and then add 1 bean to each of them. Hope that helps!

    1. Donna, I like doing it inside a jar because it helps contain the alcohol. If you do it inside the pot, a lot of your alcohol is going to dissipate and you won’t get as much extract in the end. Plus, keeping the alcohol percentage higher keeps it safer to store and room temperature and it will also continue to extract vanilla flavor even more overtime.

  71. Im curious if heating the alcohol to such a high temperature changes the structure of the extract. You have tested the pressure cooker version and the sit and wait version together and didnt notice a difference in flavor on its own or in cooked foods?

    1. Amanda, the taste and smell are very similar to store bought and homemade. I took my bottles to a professional baker who tested them in her recipes and she happily approved them 🙂

    1. Cathy, I use the one that came with my pressure cooker, but there are several available on amazon. Quite a few options come up if you type in Instant Pot accessories. If you signed up for the pressure cooker email course Cami and I did, I link to a couple specific ones. Let me know if you need more info!

  72. Hi there..what a great idea and so glad you shared! One question for you: my favorite vanilla product is Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Bean Paste. (by the way, no bourbon in their ingredient list!) Have you ever tried this brand, and if so, how close does your recipe get? Thanks very much!

    1. Shelly, I’ve used the Paste and their vanilla and when I did a side by side with whipped cream, it was quite similar. My husband couldn’t even tell the difference!

  73. Do you have any cost estimates to compare homemade vanilla to store-bought vanilla? I have no idea what vodka or beans cost and I’m just looking for a rough estimate. Thanks!

    1. Karyn, This is a bit of a rough estimate, but for 1 pint of vanilla extract I used about $5 worth of vodka and about 10 vanilla beans which is about $10 when I buy them in bulk. So about $15 for nearly 2 cups of vanilla. On Amazon, the Nielsen-Massey vanilla I used to buy is $22 for 8 oz so that would be $44 for 2 cups of vanilla. McCormick vanilla is about $20 for 2 cups. So it definitely depends on what brand of vanilla you’re buying. Hope that helps!

    1. Sherrie, It wouldn’t be a good idea to alcohol near a possible open flame like if you were using a pressure canner or stove top pressure cooker on a gas stove top. Does that answer your question?

  74. Why would u pressure cook it it’s in alcohol alcohol never goes bad I made my last year never pressure cooker and it’s fine

    1. Charlene, I’m using the pressure cooker to speed up the process. Instead of waiting 2 months, my vanilla was deep, dark, and intense in just 30 minutes! I’m not actually canning the vanilla. Does that answer your question?

  75. I can’t seem to find Grade B vanilla beans locally. Can Grade A beans be used instead? If Grade A are acceptable would you use the same number of Grade A beans as the Grade B in the recipe? As the Bs are drier do they have a more concentrated flavour thus requiring more A beans than Bs if substituting?

    Really looking forward to trying this in my Instant Pot!

    1. I talked to the Beanilla company about this when they’re Grade B beans were out of stock. They told me the Grade A were more expensive but that they would still make a great bottle of extract. They also told me to use the same number of beans whether they are grade A or B. If you’re interested in ordering them online, both the links we provided have proven to be excellent beans.

      1. Thanks Marci for your replying!

        I’m in Canada and find that one of two situations can occur when ordering from the States: Either they won’t ship ship to Canada, or their S&H charges are absolutely unbelievable! 🙂

        I tried a Canadian site I’ve used previously, VanillaFoodCompany.Ca , but they didn’t have any Grade B. Now with your information I’ll go ahead and order some of their Grade A beans.

    1. Terri, It actually doesn’t matter if they’re used or new since they are not being used to seal or can the vanilla. I use them only to prevent all the alcohol from dissipating.

  76. Love this idea, finding out all kinds of cool things for using my Instant Pot! Thank you so much for posting this for everyone! Had one question, what is the difference between grade A beans and grade B beans? I’ve seen both for sale so just curious if there is a difference. Thanks!

    1. Vicks, grade A apparently have a higher moisture content and seem to be the bean to use for virtually everything. Grade B seem to be used exclusively for making vanilla extract and have a lower moisture content. Grade B don’t seem to be available in my area, I am hoping it’s possible to get good results using Hrade S.

    2. Vicki, Yarrenbool gave a great description, thank you! Grade B are also usually cheaper and are perfect for making extract.

        1. Yarrenbool, yes they can be used. I used Grade A Tahitian beans once and it smelled amazing. Use the same number of beans as I wrote for in the recipe and proceed with the same directions as well. Thanks again for your great description of the difference between the 2 kinds of beans!

  77. What is the shelf life of vanilla extract? So many pluses in your adventure for you and your family. Thanks for sharing.

  78. I’m making one pint each of the alcohol and glycerin based vanilla extracts. The glycerin straight out of the bottle is very thick. Should it be diluted or used as is?

      1. Thank you so much for this fun and great recipe! I did mine in 1cup glycerine for 30 min, & it was as though I had hardly turned it on. So, I made sure all my levels on my pressure cooker were right (I think), & I did it 30 more min. It is very clear, but does look pretty, just Nothing like yours. Did I do something wrong?

        Thanks a million!

        1. That happened to me and I realized I forgot to add the cup of water to the pressure cooker (I’m new to the InstantPot). Did it again with the same batch (but with the water) and it turned out nice and brown. The beans I used (Frontier, Grade B) were nice and plump and soft.

      2. Oh, shoot!! O just poured my glycerin and saw how thick it is and diluted about 1/3 distilled water. Hopefully, ot will still be yummy!

        1. Deborah, How did it turn out? I’m not sure on this, but where it’s diluted, it might be better to store in the fridge.

  79. This is so cool. Thanks for sharing. I now want to visit my mom and use her pressure cooker. Not sure how she would feel about me using alcohol…..but I might just make her some without!

    1. Kristie, My mom was bugged by it as well. It didn’t help that my daughter kept telling people that my mom likes to go to the liquor store ALOT! It took some explaining to get my mom to understand that the pure vanilla she buys from the store does in fact contain alcohol (:

  80. Any idea what PSI if using a standard pressure cooker? I have the “old” stove top pressure cooker for all my caning, but would love to give this a try!

      1. Jill, I personally love the speckles of seeds, so I just remove the vanilla pod and pour the extract straight into the bottles.

        1. How long do you have to wait to put it into the little jars? Making these today for Christmas presents! Once transferred into little bottles, should little bit of the bean be included in each bottle?

          1. Dorene, you could go ahead and transfer them now. I would absolutely put a bean in each so that it continues to extract even more vanilla flavor. You’re gonna be the talk of the town 😉

    1. I’ll admit, my experience with standard pressure cookers is little (like I used it once as an adult and was on the phone with my mom 4 times asking her what to do with it). Someone can correct me if I’m wrong, but high pressure is typically a PSI of 13-15. Hope that helps!

    2. Jill, in case you haven’t seen the update, I only suggest doing this in an electric pressure cooker to reduce the risk of alcohol vapor being released through the valve.

    3. It’s not safe to use a stove top pressure cooker especially if you have a gas stove. IF any vapors get out, they can ignite from the flame of the stove.

    1. I’m not sure. I ordered from Amazon twice and I wasn’t happy with what I got at all. They were so dried out I could barely cut into them. Luckily Amazon is wonderful and they returned all my money! The Vitacost and Beanilla links we provide are my favorite places to order from.

    2. Vicki, actually, I just talked to Cami and she’s emailing vitacost about the link. In the meantime, the Amazon link is to the Frontier brand that I love and order from Vitacost, so you’ll be getting the same good quality beans. My experience is anywhere from 35-40 vanilla beans in the 4 oz package.

      1. I ordered these also and just put them in the jars. They seemed nice and fresh. The package does not indicate the “grade” though so I wasn’t sure about them at first till I read this reply. Do most suppliers indicate the grade on the package?

        1. Rosanne, Most vanillas have the grade listed. However I got 2 packages from Amazon that were labeled Grade A and they were so brittle they would just crumble when I tried to slice them. Typically if they’re plump and moist they are grade A. If they’re on the drier side, grade B. I’ve had quite the variation with Grade B’s though. Some I could slice down the middle and some I had to just chop into half inch pieces. So I’ve tried them all and in my opinion they all work wonderfully!

  81. Thank you Diana! I am pretty thrilled about the idea too, if you can’t tell. And yes, the sooner you get an electric pressure cooker – the better 😉

  82. This is completely amazing!! I can’t wait to try it, I’ve been dying to make vanilla for years! I can’t believe how simple and easy this is. You ladies are the BOMB!! ?

  83. FYI…Your link for the Food Grade Glycerin takes you to Propylene Glycol which I am sure you don’t want in your vanilla.

    1. Oh my! I’m not even sure how that happened! Thanks a million for the heads up. It’s all fixed now 😉

  84. Oh that is fascinating!! I love the smell of vanilla – I could actually smell in when I was reading your post.
    I definitely will be trying this. Thank you.

  85. Hi. Did you use metal rings inside the pressure cooker or plastic ones on the jars?
    Do you transfer eventually from the pint jars to those little brown ones or are the little brown ones more for gift giving? Where do you get them?

    1. Bridget, You would only want to use the metal ones inside the pressure cooker. I use the white plastic ones for storing. For my own use, I just leave the vanilla in my pint jars with a pourable lid. I use the small ones for gift giving. The link for the small bottles is just above the printable recipe at the bottom of the post. Enjoy!

    1. I wrote for 6-10 in the recipe at the bottom of the post. It’s typical to use 3-5 beans per 8 oz of liquid or that can be doubled for double strength. I tried using double and it didn’t seem much different than when I used 8 for 1 pint, so that’s my go to amount for the most part.

        1. 6-10 whole beans for a pint jar Bridget, not sure why you halved the amount,

          I found splitting grade B extract beans pretty difficult, espec the Madagascar ones, actully my packaging said not to split them but bt then I was already haldway through 😀 Ive currently got in the Instant Pot 1 jar Madag,, 1 lar Tahitain and 1 jar Indonesian.. my fingers are crossed!

  86. “I now have more vanilla sitting in my cupboards than I will go through in a year, which means I’ve run out of excuses to drag my kids in for weekly visits to the liquor store to see our friend. ”

    You could start making homemade poo pourie. It seems like there were other bath items that use alcohol as well.

    1. I spent a lot of money to make organic extract. I followed the directions to a T and used a never before canned jar. After cooking and natural release I opened the Instant Pot and lifted the pint jar just to have the bottom fall off my jar. So disappointed. I strained the seeds and took out the pods and but them in a new jar of vodka while I look into how else to make it, knowing I will have to strain again the final product. ☹

  87. So cool! Thanks for sharing. I’m going to assume that in the text of the recipe where it says “quart jar” it should actually say “pint,” since it says “pint” everywhere above.

      1. Another silly question but im new to pressure cooking. If you double or triple the recipe does that also inlude the 1 cup of water? As in, 2 pint mason jars
        Plus 2 cups of water? Cant wait to try this!!

        1. Jill, Nope, you won’t need to add more water to the base of the pan. For any recipe, you typically need 1 cup of fluid for the pressure cooker to build pressure. I had so many questions like this when I first started learning it! I tried to cover all of the questions I had as a newbie in the Ebook we just put out. Check it out if you haven’t already. I think it’s a pretty good resource.

          1. Thanks!! So here i am..making it…i have 2 jars..the trivet it came with ..and the lid wont close. 2 pints. What the hec?? Im doing something wrong?

          2. Jill, I use the trivet that came with the Instant Pot. It’s the lowest one I have. Were you able to get it to work?

          3. Hello!
            Is there any benefit to blending in the Vitamix before cooking in the Instant Pot?
            If so, would you then strain it?
            I saw a comment on your post about using the VitaMix and adding additional vodka afterwards?
            Please advise and THANK YOU !

      2. Hi Marci—I made just one pint yesterday and processed it 30minutes, per the recipe.. I let I cool, then opened
        it for a smell and had a big whiff of vanilla and strong alcohol fumes, too. Should this be? Did I have the lid on too tight or will the fumes dissipate over time? I am tempted to process it again with a much looser lid. Thanks for your response. I want to make more but will wait to hear baclass from you.

        1. Adrienne, It will mellow after a few days. I’d wait about a week, give it a swish every now and again and if it’s still really strong on the alcohol side, go ahead and process it again. I do leave the lids loose, not so loose that they would fall off if I lifted the jar by the lid, but close to that. Does that even make sense!? 😉

        1. Sue, I usually buy my beans on vitacost.com (frontier brand) and they end up being about a dollar a piece. If you buy vanilla beans at a regular grocery store, they are VERY expensive. That would be a bottle of gold considering I use upwards of 10 beans per bottle, yikes! If you’re gonna make this recipe, I highly suggest checking Amazon, Beanilla, or Vitacost and buying them in bulk.