Ensure vanilla beans are fully submerged (top up with more alcohol if needed)
Pour in enough vodka to completely cover the vanilla beans so they steep evenly.
She notes that an 8 oz bottle may not cover the tops of long beans unless you adjust. The key is full submersion so the entire bean infuses.
The short version
- Pour enough alcohol to cover the beans completely.
What goes wrong
Leaving the tops of beans sticking out above the alcohol
Top up with more vodka (or shorten the beans) so they’re fully covered.
Why it works
Keeping beans submerged prevents uneven extraction and reduces the chance of exposed bean drying or infusing inconsistently.
Put it to use
Learn next
Squeeze bananas in the peel to make them easier to mash
Before peeling, gently squeeze bananas through the skin to soften them so they mash faster and more evenly.
Crush Weetabix with milk to make a no-cook breakfast base
Break up Weetabix and mix with milk to form a soft base for layered overnight breakfast pots.
Pat parboiled potatoes dry before air frying or baking for crispier fries
Dry the potatoes after boiling so they crisp instead of steaming in the air fryer or oven.
Rinse cut potatoes to remove excess starch before cooking fries
After cutting potatoes into fry shapes, rinse them to wash off surface starch for better crisping.