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12/05/2018 11:01 PMI have no idea why the price of pure vanilla extract has ballooned. I used to buy a large bottle at BJs for around $10. Then it went to $28. Now it is not even on the shelves. Since mid-November I have bought two, two-ounce bottles at the supermarket, each of which cost close to $9. So, I am making my own, according to a recipe on Ina Garten’s first book. I bought five, five-packs of very fresh vanilla beans (on Amazon from the Vanilla King) for $99 and a big Mason jar at the hardware store. I added all the beans and filled the bottle with vodka. Ina did this decades ago and, every few years, adds a few more beans and vodka. It will take four to six months before I can use the extract, but I figure it is still a good deal. I also told my daughter that the vanilla extract is in my will, along with my down pillows and my All-Clad roasting pan. Don’t throw any of these away.—Lee White