re: was Herbal Infusion NOW Vanilla Infusion question

November 10, 2004

>I do infuse vanilla all the time (wonderful

> results there and more cost effective than the CO2 or absolute). I

> just always find myself buying the lavender EO instead.

>

> Good luck and let us know how it turns out!

> Andrea

Hi Andrea,

Could you tell me how you infuse vanilla? I have some vanilla beans, and I

have been wondering what I could do with them.

I have made some vanilla sugar, by placing a vanilla bean in with my sugar,

for sweetening teas or whatever, and I love that.....but I'd love to have

some vanilla scented lotions and such with a vanilla infusion if possible.

Thanks for any info you can give!

Candy

November 11, 2004

--- " C. Lucas " wrote:

> Hi Andrea,

>

> Could you tell me how you infuse vanilla? I have some vanilla

beans, and I have been wondering what I could do with them.

>

> I have made some vanilla sugar, by placing a vanilla bean in with my

sugar, for sweetening teas or whatever, and I love that.....but I'd

love to have some vanilla scented lotions and such with a vanilla

infusion if possible.

>

> Thanks for any info you can give!

> Candy

Hi Candy,

I'm sorry I didn't reply earlier --just returned home after a very

long day.

Okay, I infuse and tincture vanilla beans. I will give you exactly

the infusion and tincture that are in my basement inside their

cupboards. (I will be making new ones shortly also).

Okay, for the infusion I have an 8 ounce amber boston round. I split,

scraped and chopped up 6 vanilla beans into that boston round. I then

poured jojoba oil over the beans --leaving about 1 " of head-room

total. Cap very tightly (phenolic cap). Store in cool dark place. I

shake it daily or every few days. Twice I have given it a heat

treatment. To make sure it was gentle heat, this is what I did: I

put water in a pot and brought it to a boil (I made sure that the

water would come up at least half way on the bottle). I turned the

heat off and put the bottle of jojoba/beans into the pot ***with it's

cap still tightly on***. Whenever I felt the water was getting too

cool/lukewarm, I would turn on the heat to bring it to a simmer, then

turn it off and repeat as necessary. I did this over a 2 hour period

both times. Right now it has been 2 months and I intend to let this

infusion go for probably 3 months unless I need to dip into it for a

product I want to make. Haven't use any of it yet.

The tincture: 6 vanilla beans in a flint, wide-mouth 8 oz jar. Beans

were split, scraped and chopped and placed into the jar. Everclear

grain alcohol was poured into the jar to leave 1/2 " head-room. Capped

tightly and shaken every day/every few days. No heat ever. Stored in

cool dark place (no light ever reaches it). This tincture is about 2

months old --smells heavenly! Is long-lasting/strong and I have been

dipping into it for about 3 weeks now to use in my natural perfumes.

Once enough is gone (about 1/2 way), I will add a few more beans and

fill up with more alcohol. I will then have to wait at least another

month before using again. I am in love with this tincture! I usually

bought a 10% vanilla CO2 in jojoba and this vanilla is very comparable

to it. Not drop by drop, mind you. But this is soooooo much more

cost effective and I love, love, love the scent!

HTH!

Andrea

November 11, 2004

..

>

> Okay, I infuse and tincture vanilla beans. I will give you exactly

> the infusion and tincture that are in my basement inside their

> cupboards. (I will be making new ones shortly also).

<SNIP>

Andrea,

Thanks so very much for the information. I may have to go buy even more

vanilla beans! This sounds absolutely luscious!

Again, thank you for sharing your methods. I have marked them, and filed

them for future reference!

Have a great evening!

Hugs,

Candy

November 11, 2004

I never thought to infuse vanilla! Thanks so much for sharing your

recipes.

Juliet

> I'm sorry I didn't reply earlier --just returned home after a very

> long day.

>

> Okay, I infuse and tincture vanilla beans. I will give you exactly

> the infusion and tincture that are in my basement inside their

> cupboards. (I will be making new ones shortly also).

>

> Okay, for the infusion I have an 8 ounce amber boston round. I

split,

> scraped and chopped up 6 vanilla beans into that boston round. I

then

> poured jojoba oil over the beans --leaving about 1 " of head-room

> total. Cap very tightly (phenolic cap). Store in cool dark

place. I

> shake it daily or every few days. Twice I have given it a heat

> treatment. To make sure it was gentle heat, this is what I did: I

> put water in a pot and brought it to a boil (I made sure that the

> water would come up at least half way on the bottle). I turned the

> heat off and put the bottle of jojoba/beans into the pot ***with

it's

> cap still tightly on***. Whenever I felt the water was getting too

> cool/lukewarm, I would turn on the heat to bring it to a simmer,

then

> turn it off and repeat as necessary. I did this over a 2 hour

period

> both times. Right now it has been 2 months and I intend to let

this

> infusion go for probably 3 months unless I need to dip into it for

a

> product I want to make. Haven't use any of it yet.

>

> The tincture: 6 vanilla beans in a flint, wide-mouth 8 oz jar.

Beans

> were split, scraped and chopped and placed into the jar. Everclear

> grain alcohol was poured into the jar to leave 1/2 " head-room.

Capped

> tightly and shaken every day/every few days. No heat ever.

Stored in

> cool dark place (no light ever reaches it). This tincture is

about 2

> months old --smells heavenly! Is long-lasting/strong and I have

been

> dipping into it for about 3 weeks now to use in my natural

perfumes.

> Once enough is gone (about 1/2 way), I will add a few more beans

and

> fill up with more alcohol. I will then have to wait at least

another

> month before using again. I am in love with this tincture! I

usually

> bought a 10% vanilla CO2 in jojoba and this vanilla is very

comparable

> to it. Not drop by drop, mind you. But this is soooooo much more

> cost effective and I love, love, love the scent!

>

> HTH!

>

> Andrea

November 12, 2004

Hi everybody

Am I missing something here? This sounds so complicated and sent me running to

the cupboard to check my infusion - but it's still gorgeous. I spotted vanilla

pods on a market this summer and bought two - split them open and shoved them in

a bottle of macadamia (I like its stability and lightness). They've all just sat

together in the cupboard but the resultant oil is delicious - smells better than

chocolate! No sign of going rancid or contamination.

Jane

-

Andrea

Thursday, November 11, 2004 2:50 AM

Re: was Herbal Infusion NOW Vanilla Infusion

question