Vanilla Extract

I have been experimenting with mint extract and left some in a bottle with some alcohol for quite a while and in the end used it as an aromatic in the bathroom. It evapourated quite quickly but was very pleasant.

I'd watched John Kirkwoods video on Vanilla Extact, quite a while back, and thought it was a good idea. I use vanilla essence when I'm making pancakes.

 PART 1. MAKING THE ESSENCE

Mary told me Vanilla pods came from Sri Lanka and I didn't think any more about it. Today though, I was down the sunday vege market at the Waterfront and there was someonew selling Vanilla pods, apparently they grow them in the Cook Islands, so I thought I'd give making a vanilla essence a try.
The prices of the pods were from $1 to $4. The $1 ones were for making in to essences , so I bought 3 of them. 
I've got a couple of old glass bottles that did have Vanilla Essence in them, so I used one for this exercise, it is 50ml.
 I chopped up the pods and put them in the bottle then poured in Gin. Unfortunately I did not watch the video above first, so only chopped them up, I didn't split them leanthways to increase the surface area and expose the inside.
 I only have Gin so used that instead of vodka, but any alcohol in a storm.
So, I've put the bottle in a cupboard with the coffee with today's date on it,so I'll shake it every day for the next 3 months then give it a try.

PART 2 . TESTING IT

To be continued in 3 months