I always thought it would be fun to make my own vanilla extract. The beans were so expensive that I never thought I would be able to. After our children left home, we had a little more spending money, and I splurged to buy some beans. The next year, I bought more beans to make a larger batch and was able to give it as Christmas gifts. After that one thing led to another, and now I sell my extract. I have learned so much since I started! My extract is stronger than what you buy at the store because I use more beans per batch. I let it extract longer than needed so it becomes thick and rich.