Buy two pods of vanilla from your grocer or confectioner, roll these in a piece of paper, so as to dry perfectly, then take twelve pieces of lump sugar, break the two pods of vanilla into it, place all in a mortar, and pound well for a quarter of an hour, or until thoroughly fine; then rub this through a very fine sieve, and you obtain a very fine vanilla powder. To this add one pound of icing sugar, mix this all together well. Take an ordinary jar and at the bottom place two whole pods of vanilla, and pour the pounded mixture on top. Cork well and use when required. A jar of vanilla made in this way can be kept for a year. When used up, pound the old vanilla pods and repeat the process as above, always taking care to put two fresh pods of vanilla at the bottom of the jar. Then you have a pure vanilla. The vanilla usually sold is not, in many cases, vanilla at all.