Making Vanilla Extract

Over a year ago (June 2017),  I bought a Madagascar Vanilla Bean to make vanilla extract. Since I had sunk enough money into one vanilla bean to practically buy groceries for a week, I certainly could not afford a bottle of vodka to make the extract. I used Cruz (or Cruzan) Mango Rum that I had for making fig preserves. I cannot quite see the label on the bottle on the top shelf since it is obscured by something else.

I was buying one tiny bottle of rum every week or so. One day exbf was in the liquor store and suggested I go ahead and buy a full bottle. After that purchase about ten years ago, I never used the mango rum in baking or jelly making. Isn't that always the way?

One vanilla bean in a cup or so of rum has been sitting in the cabinet in the dark for about six months.  I gave it a shake every few days or weeks at the end.

Used in any recipe with bananas, the taste of the banana is much richer. Mango Rum was not my choice, just all I had. No, the specific taste of mango does not come through. For anything else, the vanilla with mango rum enrichens and deepens the flavor.

I have taken pictures with my smart phone or Android or whatever I have. However, I get a message that something is open that should not be open and that I cannot transfer pictures.

I have kept several empty bottle from Vanilla Extract and plan to pour some of the extract into those since the bottles are dark.

Your turn
Have you ever made vanilla extract? How did it compare to commercially-made vanilla extract? What liquor did you use?