Vanilla extract is usually made by steeping vanilla beans in alcohol for weeks and weeks and weeks. But the Instant Pot laughs in the face of linear time, and with it, you can make vanilla extract in an hour.
Important warning: you can do this with an Instant Pot or other electric pressure cooker, but DO NOT do this with a stovetop pressure cooker. Hot alcohol + pressure + fire = too many risks. Don’t do it!
If you don’t have an Instant Pot right now, even if you order one (or, yes, another plug-in pressure cooker), even if it takes a few days to get to you, you’ll still be able to make vanilla extract faster than if you started the traditional method right now.
Click over to The Kitchn for the full instructions, but basically you put vanilla beans and alcohol into canning jars—any kind of alcohol; vodka will be the most neutral, though I’d go for bourbon myself—put the jars on the Instant Pot’s trivet, add some water, and cook for an hour. It takes about another hour for the pressure to naturally dissipate, but when it’s done (and the jars are cool) you’ve got some really good vanilla extract. It’s a perfect gift for the baker in your life, even if that baker is you.
How To Make Instant Pot Vanilla Extract | The Kitchn
