*Recommended by The Washington Post*
Our Nyanza Vanilla is grown in the hills around Nyanza (aka Lake Victoria) in Tanzania, where the altitude, rich soil and temperate climate produce an especially rich, sweet vanilla.
The DIY Vanilla Extract Kit contains chopped-up, vine-ripened split pods, perfect for making your own vanilla extract. We have 10 grams of chopped vanilla and room to add 100ml of your favorite spirit.
Fill the jar with the vodka, whiskey or rum and let it infuse for at least a month, but it only gets better with time. Top off frequently, and use as you'd use any other vanilla extract.
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Vanilla is the fruit of a flowering vine. It takes as long as a decade for a vine to begin to produce fruit, and the white orchid flowers must be pollinated by hand. The pods grow in small bunches like bananas, and they take 6-9 months to ripen. After harvesting, they're cured in wooden boxes, where they turn from green to brown and develop their characteristic rich, complex aroma.
In a climate and terroir similar to that of Madagascar, they develop a deep, rich aroma and flavor. We prefer the vine-ripened pods (standard pods are often picked slightly underripe as a shortcut) for their stronger, sweeter, more concentrated flavor.
In the photos, you can see the nearly-ripe vanilla pods, the vanilla flower, and the vanilla vines.
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my new favorite vanilla
This is so much better than store-bought extract. I used vodka, and it smells incredible, tastes even better. I'm considering buying a second one to use bourbon for a different flavor profile.

Nyanza Vanilla Extract Kit
This is the greatest thing since sliced bread. I love that it’s so fresh.

Amazing vanilla
Burlap and Barrel did not disappoint with this vanilla. I made it using vodka, and have been using it in oatmeal, fruit salad and basically every recipe that calls for vanilla extract. The flavor is so intense and delicious and quintessentially vanilla-y. Not to mention, the aroma is so wonderful, I would wear it as perfume!

Ambrosia
I made this Nyanza vanilla extract with rum, and it is rich and unique. Love it!

Floral, fragrant
Fun and easy to use the kit and it results in lovely, floral vanilla flavoring. One wish: some kind of pouring lip on the jar for easier use with a measuring spoon.