Vanilla Extract

Ingredients:

• 8 oz. clean, dark glass bottle and cap
• 7-8 ounces of vodka (inexpensive varieties do work well)
• 2-3 fresh, high-quality 6" vanilla beans. They should be dark, and the bean should have consistent coloring on the entire bean.
• Muslin (available at fabric stores) for straining

Vanilla Extract Directions: Carefully cut the vanilla beans lengthwise. Then, cut them into small pieces, about 1/4" - 1/2" in length (about 2 cm). Put all the vanilla pieces into the bottle. Then pour the vodka into the bottle leaving enough room to shake the bottle well. Cap well. Allow the extract to sit in a dark area for 30 days, shaking the mixture daily. After 30 days, carefully strain the extract through the muslin fabric to remove all vanilla bean pieces and particles. You may need to strain the extract several times. Rebottle into a clean bottle.

Vanilla Room Spray

• 4 oz. clean spray bottle with a fine mist setting (do not use a bottle that previously contained cleaning products or hair products such as hair spray).
• 1.5 ounces of distilled water
• 1.5 ounces of vanilla extract
• Up to 10 drops of your favorite essential oils if you would like to add to the vanilla aroma.

Be sure and take heed in the safety data for the oil(s) you choose to use since an air freshener, by its nature, will come in contact with all those in your household.

Directions: Fill the spray bottle with 1.5 ounces of vanilla extract and 1.5 ounces of distilled water. (Even though a 4 oz. bottle is suggested, leave about 1 oz. unfilled so you can shake the bottle well between uses.) Then, add up to 10 drops of your essential oils if desired. Shake the bottle prior to each use, and let it sit for about a day before making a conclusion that the aroma is too weak; the aroma can change after the air freshener has had time to sit. Mist lightly in the room. Be especially careful not to allow the air freshener mist fall onto furniture or into open beverages.

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