Whole vanilla beans (right) and cut up vanilla beans (left).

 

WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

at least 6-9 whole vanilla beans*

an odorless oil such as jojoba, almond, sunflower* – (I used jojoba)

cutting board & sharp knife

glass jar with lid

wax paper

cheesecloth

* organic/fair trade recommended

 

1 – Start by slicing the pods in half lengthwise and scraping out the paste on the inside.

Then cut up the rest of the pod into small pieces.

 

2 – Add inner pod scrapings plus the cut up vanilla pod itself into a clean, dry glass jar.

 

3 – Fill the jar with oil, enough to cover the vanilla, plus an inch or two more.

 

 

4 – Line lid with a piece of wax paper and close tightly.

Label with ingredients (vanilla + whatever oil you choose) and the date.

 

5 – Place your jar in a sunny place (like a windowsill) where it won’t be in danger of being knocked over.

 

Allow the oil to infuse for a minimum of 2 weeks.  The oil will become darker as it absorbs the vanilla, capturing its delicate sweet scent.

6 – Strain the infused oil through a fine mesh, like cheesecloth.  You may have to strain it more than once to remove all the particles.  Pour the now infused oil back into the glass jar for storage, or a separate dry & clean glass jar if you prefer.

You’re done!

Use as a natural perfume, in your handmade lotions, or straight as a luxurious body oil or massage oil.  If you used an edible oil (like sunflower), this could also be used for culinary purposes too.

 

Notes: You can re-use the vanilla pod pieces you strained out for a second batch of fresh oil if you’d like to try and extract out any last goodness, or go ahead and add to your compost.

You can also double or triple infuse this oil for a stronger vanilla scent by repeating the steps above with fresh vanilla beans, but re-using the same batch of infused oil.

 

HEADS UP: This vanilla base note will be featured in a brand new Stella Deer perfume.  So if you love the smell of vanilla subscribe to the email list for a chance to pre-order at a special price once it’s unveiled.

 

Tell me: have you ever made an infused oil? If so, what kind and what did you use it for?