Infusing Oil with Vanilla
Throughout this year, I've been making all kinds of infusions in all kinds of things. This particular infusion is one I keep coming back to. It's easy to make, fun to do, and smells so delicious it's pure pleasure for the nose.
I mean, who doesn't love the scent of vanilla?
As you can see from the picture, you don't need all kinds of things to make a great vanilla-infused oil:
- Vanilla beans
- Sweet Almond Oil (or Jojoba or Apricot Kernel)
- Clean jar with tight-fitting lid (canning jars are perfect)
Shall we get started?
But First, Let's Talk Vanilla
I know it can be tempting to buy bargain-priced vanilla. I realize it costs far less than the pricey stuff. My pocketbook can attest to this fact.But guess what.
Yeah, I know you already know this. The good stuff is pricier for a reason.
I did a few comparison tests, and here's what I found.
The bottom (bigger) vanilla bean cost far more than the 2 top beans (and a few more) together. The top beans definitely smell like vanilla, and if I had not set out to compare, I might never have been the wiser.
But I did. And here's how I put them to the test.
Sniff Test
This test was quite simple: Sniff, then note down immediate reactionBargain Beans: yup, that's definitely vanilla
Pricey Beans: intoxicating vanilla-delicious nose candy
Slice Test
On the left: pricey beans after slicing
On the right: bargain beans after slicing
The beans were sliced right where you see them on the board. The plump juiciness of the pricier bean is pretty evident, don't you agree?
No? Ok, let me remove the beans so you can get a better look.
See what I mean?
OK, let's infuse and see if the difference is still evident!
Formula For Infusing Oil With Vanilla Beans
- 1 part vanilla beans
- 10 parts oil (I used sweet almond)
Method
- Slice beans
- Place in clean jar
- Pour oil into jar
- Seal jar
- Place in a sunny semi-warm spot (24° - 28°C / 75° - 82°F)
- Agitate daily while infusing
- Infuse for 10-14 days
You: What? That's sounds wrong! Normally infusing oils takes WEEKS! MONTHS! Not a mere 14 days?!
Me: In this particular instance, all normal rules are out the window. You see, vanilla beans are magical. They need only 14 days (and the right temperature) to infuse.
Honest.
Stay tuned for a fun straining tip and the final comparison.
Comments
Where do you use your vanilla oil? In cosmetic products? Does anyone know if that scent stays through soaping process?
Thanks Lise!
Try adding fractionated coconut oil on you next batch. Being slightly more polar than regular oils has the capacity of extracting even more, in addition of its extraordinary shelf life.
This infused oil is one of my must-haves and I always have handy.
Another trick I use when I need to give a whack to the infusion is to water-tight the pot and put it into the washing machine. I have my machine setup no further than 60°C, so the oil won't oxidise but the extra heat helps with extraction.
This is my main ingredient for lip balms as I don't find the actual flavour I like (I find then to chemical), so I go for natural: vanilla, coconut and cocoa ;)
Wanting to make some tonka bean soap for X-mas as a private label gift.
I have just completed a trial infusion of 2 shaved Tonka beans in a 1/2 cup of fractionated coconut oil for 7 weeks; did not want to use jojoba in case it did not work out. The scent is divine. I am doing a second filtering of it as it is very cloudy. It became cloudy almost immediately when shavings were put into the FCO. Also, I have mixed feelings about it now. I could not find anyone who had done a Tonka bean infusion but that lead me to read Tonka bean can be harmful...yet it is used in perfume making so that means it is applied to the skin...sometimes these articles never really clarify details. Any input would be greatly appreciated :)
I have two ounces on order... 1 ounce is less than 20 beans (https://www.amazon.com/Spices-Cumaru-Vanilla-Dipteryx-odorata/dp/B01701SL4I) 1.8 oz as an example, 30 beans at most.
Tonka beans are purportedly quite aromatic. If 20 beans at most were ground up and used in place of an essential oil after infusing (say, in sunflower oil). Max amount for my recipe is 100 grams infused oil in 24 bars of soap. I don't think toxicity would be an issue? I was planning to research about what comprises essential oils this evening to see if this theory would bear out.... and then I read your email!
I personally looooove the aroma of coconut oil . So the addition of the delicious aroma of vanilla bean ended up being one of my favorites . I then allowed it to set for a few days and then took the hand mixer to it so it had that nice fluffy whipped texture [tried my best to keep it cool]
Anyway, so I am currently awaiting a little batch of FCO and vanilla bean started on April 8th, for some strange reason I feel like keeping it
Infusing until may 8th . I have been hesitant to let sun get to it , instead keeping it in my room in a cool place, shaking daily.
I absolutely love this project! Thank you for the info about the quality difference
Of the beans! I guess it certainly makes sense ! But I never have tried the superior
Beans.
I wish jojoba oil was more affordable ;) I just love the idea of the amazing shelf life plus jojobais
Awesome already.
I am so sorry for writing such a long comment. I have a question that relates to the FCO being more polar , which helps the infusion a bit more . That is super intriguing !! I must go searching dear Susan's posts regarding this polar subject !!
If you have the time, could you tell us a bit about how being more polar helps ? I love science .
Thank you for such a great post and blog ! ❤️
Short answer about polar oils: they dissolve materials that are insoluble in non polar oils.
There's an article about this right here: http://www.cosmeticsandtoiletries.com/research/chemistry/17390254.html
Thank you for all the info 🤗
Thanks! Ellen
I have been trying to infuse vanilla beans but the smell I get is of an old musky vanill-y scent. Doesn't smell yummy like when I sue powdered vanilla. So I'm thinking it's because I'm using the whole pod like you do in your post? The beans are old? They were kind of dry. I've done several batch with different vanilla beans and they all have that weird smell.
Do you get the same results, I'm curious.
Thank you!
Can I ask what the recommended usage percentage of this concoction would be into a lip balm batch?
I am going to infuse in caster oil and generally use about 10% caster oil in my lip balm base...