A professional chef on another site gave me the method that they use to make their vanilla; their method is for instant use.
3 Vanilla beans per 1/2 litre of vodka.
Add beans and about 1/4 litre of vodka to a blender and blend until beans are broken up into small bits. At this point, add your remaining vodka and blend for an additional 5-7 minutes.
Strain this into whatever vessel you'll keep your V. extract in and store in a cool dark place.
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I like the idea of blending the beans up it does seem that you would get the most flavor out of them but I do think that I will leave the beans in the bottle and rubber band some cheesecloth over the opening; that way I will get the best of both worlds.
Instant flavor that grows deeper over time.
I was also given this link to the website where they order their beans in case anyone is interested. I haven't done a lot of pricing on vanilla beans but these prices seem reasonable to me.
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