By Natalie Mast
Q. How long have you been a vanilla extractor and what is your go to bean, liquor and best method for vanilla richness?
Be prepared for many, many answers to this, because the answers will be as varied as the number of people in this group. My personal answer is this: I’ve been making vanilla extract for 22 years…23 in July. The ratio is 1 ounce of vanilla beans for every cup of alcohol for your standard, single fold (regular strength) extract or 2 ounces to every cup of alcohol for double fold (double strength.). 
My favorite combinations are Costa Rica planifolia in white rum because of its sweet fruity undertones, Raiatea in vodka or Everclear diluted with distilled water (known as EC/DW) because of its strong cherry-vanilla flavor, Tonga in gold rum for its sweet and very vanilla forward flavor, and Papua New Guinea v planifolia (Known as PNG planifolia) in vodka or EC/DW for its classic vanilla flavor. I chose these combinations because vodka and EC/DW are truly neutral. So I use these alcohols for beans that I want to be the star of the show. I choose white rum because it’s still neutral but adds a touch of sweetness to the finished extract. So any beans that are described as sweet, fruity, or citrusy pair very well with white rum. Gold rum is also sweet but it adds a touch of caramel flavor. So anything that already has caramel undertones or that are described as buttery or that are very vanilla forward make beautiful extracts in gold rum.
PNG planifolia is my “work horse.” It’s my favorite all-around, general use vanilla. I do use bourbon and brandy too but only with beans that are described as dark, strong, earthy, or smoky. Bourbon and brandy have a stronger flavor and they need stronger beans and a longer extracting time to overcome the strong flavor. As to what method… that is a source of contention. I like to leave mine whole because it’s faster, easier, and I like to use the caviar (the seeds and goo inside the bean pods) in my baking. Plus, your extract will already be nice and clear and won’t need to be filtered before using. Many people like to split their beans, chop them, or both. This may yield slightly faster results (experiment in progress) but it’s not strictly necessary and if beans are split/chopped, the seeds and goo will come out and end up in your extract. The seeds do not dissolve so there will be little black specks that look like dirt in anything you bake with it unless you filter it.
I don’t shake mine. I have close to 15 gallons extracting or finished and if I tried to shake every jar every day, it would take hours. Shaking isn’t necessary either and won’t speed up your extract significantly unless you have a shaking machine that shakes the jars for you continuously multiple times per second. Many people like to shake though and that’s ok. I usually shake before use to make sure all the oils are well incorporated and none are sticking to the jar. I like to let mine steep for a year because it allows a deeper flavor to develop. It might be ready before, but it just gets better after a year+. There is no wrong way to do it. It’s just personal preference. Happy extracting!