Homemade Vanilla Extract

oh the sweetness of vanilla
If you have a month, you can make your own and make it knowing what's really in your vanilla extract.
I found that I kept running out of vanilla extract, and as you know, sometimes it can get pretty expensive. Vanilla beans themselves can be as well, but hey just for fun, the idea of making your own, is quite an experience.

You just take 2 vanilla beans, cut them in half, lengthwise and then again in half. Then I put them in a bottle, and filled to the top with vodka and for my own know, labeled them with the dates that I should take out and shake. Keep it in a cool dry place, I kept mine in a closet and every week I take it out and shake them for 10 minutes. At the end I assume you would just strain out the beans, or you can keep them in there.
Just for fun, a friend of mine had homemade brandy and we made a second bottle of vanilla extract with the brandy. That one should be interesting.
But this is just worth the fun of trying, like a science experiment!