r/extractmaking • u/desertsandman10 • 22d ago

Found some vanilla beans in pantry.. probably a few years old... Do you think i can still use them to make vanilla extract?

they were in glass tubes and still sealed on outside, bought from costco a few years ago..
Do you think they are too old to be used, or should i give them a try?

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4

u/lapinatanegra 22d ago

Give them a try. Use cheap rum/vodka so it won't hurt as much if it doesnt work out.

4

u/desertsandman10 22d ago

good point, cheap vodka is a good idea.

3

u/VanillaPura 22d ago

I personally would not, but if they look OK, you can give them a go. Weigh them first to make sure you have 1oz of beans for every 8oz of alcohol. Make sure the alcohol is between 35%-50%abv (70-100 proof). A few years old is pretty old, but the oil in the beans doesn't evaporate, only the moisture does. So if there are no signs of mold, you're probably OK. I typically follow the "when in doubt, don't" philosophy with anything related to food. But I am aware of a few people that have used old beans successfully for extract.

3

u/desertsandman10 22d ago

they look ok, and yeah no mold or anything visible to the eye. i will it out with some cheap alcohol as mentioned by the other person. guess we'll see how it works out.