Vanilla Extract
You will need approximately 40 vanilla beans per 1.75 liters (roughly a half gallon) of alcohol.
1. Find the jar(s) or bottle(s) that you want to use. Wash them well and allow them to air dry.
2. Using a sharp knife, slice the vanilla beans in half, but don’t go all the way through. You want them to stay intact and just expose the little seeds inside
3. Place your split vanilla beans in your containers
4. Fill with your rum or vodka and cover with a tight lid
5. Let them sit a brew for 6 weeks to 6 months. The longer the brew the stronger the flavor.
Gluten Free Vodkas
Vodka traditionally is made from grains (usually the gluten grains wheat, barley and rye). But there's a growing slate of specialty vodkas made from alternative materials such as corn, potatoes and grapes ... and there's some evidence that these vodkas may fit into a gluten-free diet better than traditional vodka options.
Many people with celiac disease and gluten sensitivity find they can't drink vodka that's been distilled from gluten grains (see my article Is Vodka Gluten-Free? for the details). However, these people frequently find that they can tolerate non-gluten-grain-based vodka just fine.
But it's not always obvious which vodkas on the liquor store shelves are made from gluten grains, and which are not, so here's a list of your various gluten-free vodka options:
- Blue Ice vodka. Blue Ice makes two different vodkas: one potato-based and one wheat-based. If you decide to try it, make sure you grab the blue bottle, which contains the potato vodka. Both the wheat and the potato vodkas are processed in the same facility. Blue Ice Vodka is the first brand ofspirits eligible for a gluten-free label.
- Bombora vodka. Bombora, a grape-based vodka, is imported from Australia. The company makes only grape-based vodka, so there should be few concerns about gluten cross-contamination in the facility.
- Chopin vodka. Chopin makes three varieties of vodka: wheat, potato and rye. Obviously, if you react to vodka distilled from gluten grains, you need to stick with the potato-based vodka, which comes in a bottle with a black cap and lettering.
- Ciroc Ultra Premium vodka. Ciroc, another premium vodka, this time made from grapes, comes in four different flavors. Ciroc's plain vodka is gluten-considered gluten-free.
- Cold River vodka. Cold River potato vodka is made in Maine and comes in two flavors: plain and blueberry (made with real Maine wild blueberries). Both are considered gluten-free. Interestingly, the company also makes an unusual potato-based gin (see the article Is Gin Gluten-Free? for more information). .
- DiVine vodka. DiVine vodka is made from grapes by a winery in southwest Michigan. The winery/distillery does not process any gluten grains.
- Glacier vodka. Glacier vodka, made in Idaho out of Idaho potatoes, does not include any gluten grains, according to the company. Be aware it's made in a facility that also makes a wheat-based vodka (actually, it's the same facility that makes Blue Ice vodkas).
- Luksusowa vodka. Poland-crafted Luksusowa (which means "luxurious" in Polish) is the top-selling potato vodka in the world, according to distributor W.J. Deutch & Sons. Luksusowa makes only potato vodka, so again, any concerns about facility cross-contamination should be minimal.
- Monopolowa vodka. This potato-based vodka originated in Poland and now is distilled in Austria.
- Smirnoff vodka. Smirnoff is distilled from corn, and the company's plain vodka should be safe, even if you're sensitive to gluten-grain-based alcohol. However, watch out for Smirnoff Ice beverages (the kind that come in six-packs) — they are malt-based and notgluten-free (see my article Gluten-Free Ciders and Beer Alternatives for more information).
- Tito's handmade vodka. Tito's is made in Texas from corn. Here's the company's rather extensive (but helpful!) gluten-free statement: "Tito’s is made from 100% corn and as a distilled spirit, is completely gluten-free. Some producers add a little bit of mash back into the spirit after distillation, which would add gluten content into an otherwise gluten-free distillate (if using wheat as the base), but I don’t do that regardless. It’s an important thing for us, and we actually include “GLUTEN-FREE” in lots of our materials and on the website so people can make informed choices. But, I am a vodka man, not a doctor, so if you have more questions or concerns, you should definitely talk to your doctor about it!"
- Vikingfjord vodka. Vikingfjord is another pure potato vodka which is made in Norway.
some info from http://celiacdisease.about.com
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