Who Loves Ya, Honey?

  Alright, let's see what new project we can start.  I still have some of those great vanilla beans I ordered - and this time, I'll share my source, later in the post.  I've been browsing, asking for suggestions, and some wonderful gals over at the Kittencal's Kitchen forums what to do with my vanilla bounty, and Swedish Chef and MaMere suggested this magical elixir called Love Honey. I headed over to check it out, and it sounded fantastic.  So guess what we're making today? 

  Love Honey!  This recipe has been scaled up for 12 oz from the original 8 oz, and I'm leaving out the cardamom from the source recipe.  I don't have anything against cardamom, mind you.  I just do have a thing against paying $8.50 for a bottle when I just need a pinch.  To check out the original, go visit EdsGirlAngie's recipe here: http://www.food.com/recipe/love-honey-110383

Love Honey

Ingredients
12 oz honey
3 cinnamon sticks, broken in half
1 1/2 teaspoons whole cloves
2-3 pieces of lemon rind
1 vanilla bean
3/8 teaspoon ground ginger

  In a small pot, pour the honey.  Heat over low heat for just a minute or two.  In a jar, or in my case - honey bear, put the spices in.  Pour the slightly heated honey over the spices and seal tightly.  Store for 3-4 weeks before using to let the flavors blend.

Notes - Just a word on how I prepped my vanilla bean and lemon rind.  As per MaMere's advice, I took a sharp knife and just scored my vanilla bean with about 4 slashes.  And the lemon was done simply with a vegetable peeler, just taking the yellow rind.  Once you get down into the white pith, you begin to get very bitter flavors.  I enjoy a lemon flavor, so I went with 3 strips for my honey bear.

  The hard part? Waiting.  I'm really curious to how this tastes.  The spices were rich and heady just putting them into the container.

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  Now back to the first vanilla project we started.  We're at day 21!  Wanna see how it's progressed?

  Seven days into our vanilla extract mellowing, and wow!  Look how much color our vodka has taken on.  It's becoming a lovely amber shade, and more beans have come away from the pod during the jar's weekly shake.  I was pleasantly surprised how it is matured already; I was not expecting to see this kind of coloring this early in the process.

  Today marks week 3.  The color has become richer and darker as time as passed.  I bet the flavor has, too!  Patience, grasshopper, patience.

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  I realized much later after my post where I started my vanilla extract, I forgot to give you links to my supplier.  I purchased my vanilla beans on Ebay.  Yep, Ebay.  Now, hold up.  This is a very reputable vendor, that comes highly recommended: Vanilla Products USA.  They also have a website storefront, as well.  Vanilla Products actually has 2 separate stores on Ebay - one for vanilla, and the second for other things, although, there are some smaller packages of beans on the second account, which is where I bought my dozen Tahitian beauties.
http://stores.ebay.com/Doylestown-General-Store  (Seller - greenerdogjr)
http://stores.ebay.com/Vanilla-Products-USA  (Seller - vanillaproducts)
http://www.vanillaproductsusa.com/

The Great Vanilla Bean Endeavour

  I'm in perfect agreement when Alton Brown laments the conception that vanilla is mediocre, nothing special, meh, just plain, well, vanilla.  I just don't know how something so fragrant and exotic can be seen as so-so.  Sadly, I think many of us have been jaded on experiences with artificial flavorings, which sometimes come from wood pulp.  Yep, wood pulp.  I can see how the magic is lost in that case. 

  Vanilla beans are pods from a type of orchid that originated in Mexico.  Now, vanilla pods are cultivated in several places across the globe, and are frequently classified from where they are grown, as each area adds subtleties to the flavor.  Among the most well-known types are Mexican, Bourbon/Madagascar, West Indian, and Tahitian.  Harvesting vanilla pods is no easy feat, hence the price that comes second to saffron in the spice market.  But there are some reputable dealers out there with fair prices if you are willing to do a bit of research.

What to Look for:
  A good quality bean will be plump, slightly oily, flexible, and fragrant.  Old pods will be brittle and dry.

 
  What can you do with them?  Well, lots of things.  My first experiment with vanilla beans started today.  I'm beginning my first batch of homemade vanilla extract.  I hope to keep you, gentle reader, apprized of the progress over the coming weeks.  All you really need to start making your own extract is a glass jar, some vodka, a few beans, and patience.

Vanilla Extract
Yields 8 oz.

Ingredients
1 cup vodka
2-3 vanilla beans
small glass jar

  First, we're going to split the beans.  Take a sharp knife and run the tip through, starting near one end and all the way down through the other end.  For this application, we are not going to scrape out the seeds.  Just look at this beautiful bean footage.  Decadent vanilla 'caviar' for the win.  (Click this picture for a nice close-up.)

 

  
  Put the beans in a small, glass jar and fill with the vodka.  Avoid using a plastic container to avoid picking up off-flavors.  (Plastic lids are okay.)  Twist on the lid and store for at least 2 months in a cool, dark, dry place.

 

   Day 1 and counting!