[Sandra]

What can I do with vanilla beans that have been used to make vanilla extract? The only animals I have are cats, so they can’t use them.

I’ve made homemade vanilla extract using whole vanilla beans, and now that the extract is ready, I’m wondering if there’s anything useful or creative I can do with the leftover beans.

They’ve been soaking in alcohol for several months, so they’re no longer fresh, but they still smell amazing. I hate the idea of throwing them away if there’s a way to repurpose them.

I don’t have any pets other than cats, so options that involve dogs or farm animals aren’t really helpful in my case.

I’m mainly looking for ideas that would work in the kitchen (like baking, infusing sugar, etc.) or DIY projects like crafts or natural air fresheners.

Have any of you found good ways to reuse spent vanilla beans? I’d love to hear your tips, even if they’re small or unconventional.

Thanks in advance!

[Sheila]

As a pastry chef I keep a separate container of sugar and add all the used once vanilla pods (even after scraping) to this sugar and then use that sugar for the vanilla flavored products I make.

Great intense vanilla flavor

[Heidi]

Start a mother jar. There are vanilla groups on Facebook that teach all about vanilla making and how to make a mother jar. Plus, so much else.

You can probably google how to do it.

I started mine so long ago I don’t remember how to begin the process or I’d share it with you.

I can say it’s very simple!

[Rachel]

Can you dry and grind it? Use it as a spice with like a homemade pie spice or homemade ice cream flavoring?

[Krystal]

Vanilla beans can be used for extract a second time still. How much did you make the 1st time? Was it single or double fold? What liquor did you use?

Or if you plan on make a fresh batch with new beans again you can start a “mother jar”.

Or throw them into some sugar and have some vanilla flavored sugar that can be used for anything.

[Rena]

I add them to my next batch of extract. Or I let them completely dry and blend them with sugar for vanilla powdered sugar or with dry coffee creamer for vanilla creamer.

[Laura]

I used to throw sugar and the dried beans in a food processor – boom vanilla sugar!

[Jasmine]

Add them to sugar. Extract them again. Dry them and grind them up. Use the resulting vanilla powder mixed with sugar or salt.

Put some vanilla powder in your coffee when brewing.

[Christa]

I’ve a container with were I put used vanilla beans into the sugar, and the vanilla beans give the sugar vanilla flavour

[Susan]

I had some well aged and used vanilla beans and just out of curiosity, I put them in a bottle of baby oil.

I waited a couple of months and it smells amazing.

This is for use on my dry skin.

I would never try it on children.

[Author]

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