# Brit Dopers: Vanilla sugar - what is?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brit-dopers-vanilla-sugar-what-is/398257
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [April 1, 2007, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brit-dopers-vanilla-sugar-what-is/398257 "2007-04-01T02:09:54Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)
#### Post date: [April 1, 2007, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brit-dopers-vanilla-sugar-what-is/398257/1 "2007-04-01T02:09:54Z")
I was making a dessert recipe from one of the naked chef books, and he mentions using “vanilla sugar”.
Is that British English for “berry sugar”, or is it sugar that actually has vanilla flavour added?
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### Author:  [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)
#### Post date: [April 1, 2007, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brit-dopers-vanilla-sugar-what-is/398257/2 "2007-04-01T02:13:57Z")
Take one vanilla bean. Split lengthwise. Scrape with the back of knife. Place in airtight jar. Fill jar with sugar. Wait a couple of weeks.
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### Author:  [@MsRobyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsRobyn)
#### Post date: [April 1, 2007, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brit-dopers-vanilla-sugar-what-is/398257/3 "2007-04-01T02:15:40Z")
Vanilla sugar is vanilla bean that has been steeping in sugar for a while.
You can find it [here](http://www.penzeys.com/cgi-bin/penzeys/p-penzeysvanillasugar.html?id=tyP5ZzQf).
You can also make it at home by slitting a vanilla bean, scraping the seeds out with the back side of a knife and mixing the seeds into white sugar. Let it sit for a week or two. From [Saint Alton’s](http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_24170,00.html) recipe.
That’s all it is.
Robin
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### Author:  [@fuzzy\_fern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fuzzy_fern)
#### Post date: [April 1, 2007, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brit-dopers-vanilla-sugar-what-is/398257/4 "2007-04-01T02:17:25Z")
[QUOTE=Northern Piper]
… is it sugar that actually has vanilla flavour added?
[/QUOTE]
Yup, but I don’t it’s just British, strictly speaking. You can make your own by placing one whole vanilla bean (cut length-wise) in your sugar-containing device of choice (one that has a sealable lid) with amount of sugar. Let sit for a week to infuse, shake once a day.
What recipe, if I may be so bold?
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### Author:  [@Anastasaeon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anastasaeon)
#### Post date: [April 1, 2007, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brit-dopers-vanilla-sugar-what-is/398257/5 "2007-04-01T02:19:25Z")
I’ve always made vanilla sugar by taking a vanilla bean or two, cut them into pieces, and leaving them buried in a container of sugar, sealed and stored in the cupboard for a couple of weeks.
It’s been a while since I’ve made it, though, so hopefully someone can come in and add a few details, if any. I shake it up a couple times over the few weeks I leave it. I don’t know how long is required, I just always used to keep it on hand, so would have it made way ahead of time.
Oh, and keep the beans when the sugar is gone - they’ll last a couple of years worth of vanilla sugar making.
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### Author:  [@Baffle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baffle)
#### Post date: [April 1, 2007, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brit-dopers-vanilla-sugar-what-is/398257/6 "2007-04-01T02:23:37Z")
I heard you can make vanilla sugar by cutting open a vanilla bean lengthwise and putting it in your sugar.
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### Author:  [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)
#### Post date: [April 1, 2007, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brit-dopers-vanilla-sugar-what-is/398257/7 "2007-04-01T04:50:50Z")
So to review, it involves a vanilla bean and sugar… 🙂
Thanks for all the comments everyone.
> [@fuzzy fern](#):
>
> What recipe, if I may be so bold?
Lemon curd pudding. Chatted about it in this earlier thread on [double-boilers](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=413894).
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### Author:  [@LifeOnWry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LifeOnWry)
#### Post date: [April 1, 2007, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brit-dopers-vanilla-sugar-what-is/398257/8 "2007-04-01T05:47:17Z")
Don’t know if anyone’s mentioned it yet, but cutting a vanilla bean…
…should only be done while listening to Rio, by Duran Duran.
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### Author:  [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)
#### Post date: [April 1, 2007, 6:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brit-dopers-vanilla-sugar-what-is/398257/9 "2007-04-01T06:05:03Z")
I wonder if you could make this yourself instead of paying $18 for 2 cups? I’m thinking maybe you could cut a vanilla bean, like lengthwise or something, and then put it in with some sugar and wait? Hmmm… might work?
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### Author:  [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)
#### Post date: [April 1, 2007, 6:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brit-dopers-vanilla-sugar-what-is/398257/10 "2007-04-01T06:18:05Z")
Can I ask a related question? I have a couple of british cookbooks too. What’s “superfine sugar”? I know it’s not confectionary sugar, since that’s in a lot of the recipes too.
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### Author:  [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)
#### Post date: [April 1, 2007, 7:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brit-dopers-vanilla-sugar-what-is/398257/11 "2007-04-01T07:17:57Z")
[QUOTE=elfkin477]
Can I ask a related question? I have a couple of british cookbooks too. What’s “superfine sugar”? I know it’s not confectionary sugar, since that’s in a lot of the recipes too.
[/QUOTE]
Taking a wild guess here, but - powdered sugar?
Also, _Vanillian Zucker_ is also used in lots of German recipes…you can buy packets of it in the USA at Cost Plus or any number of import stores - they usually come in packets of five. I believe it is sold under the brand name of Dr Oetker.
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### Author:  [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)
#### Post date: [April 1, 2007, 8:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brit-dopers-vanilla-sugar-what-is/398257/12 "2007-04-01T08:55:21Z")
[QUOTE=DMark]
Taking a wild guess here, but - powdered sugar?
[/QUOTE]
They said it’s not confectioner’s sugar (which is another name for powdered sugar)
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### Author:  [@Hostile\_Dialect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hostile_Dialect)
#### Post date: [April 1, 2007, 8:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brit-dopers-vanilla-sugar-what-is/398257/13 "2007-04-01T08:59:43Z")
I heard it’s not confectioner’s sugar. Also, that you can make it at home by splitting a superfine lengthwise and letting it steep in a jar of sugar for a couple of weeks.
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### Author:  [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)
#### Post date: [April 1, 2007, 9:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brit-dopers-vanilla-sugar-what-is/398257/14 "2007-04-01T09:02:16Z")
[QUOTE=OpalCat]
They said it’s not confectioner’s sugar (which is another name for powdered sugar)
[/QUOTE]
Then I humbly await a Brit to explain what if “superfiner” than powdered sugar - honey?
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### Author:  [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)
#### Post date: [April 1, 2007, 9:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brit-dopers-vanilla-sugar-what-is/398257/15 "2007-04-01T09:08:07Z")
[QUOTE=OpalCat]
They said it’s not confectioner’s sugar (which is another name for powdered sugar)
[/QUOTE]
Possibly caster sugar? In between powdered sugar (which we call “icing sugar”) and regular (which we call “granulated”).
I have a jar of vanilla sugar in my kitchen. I made it by splitting a vanilla pod lengthways, using the contents in some brownies, and then steeping the husk in the sugar for a few weeks. An unusual method, I acknowledge.
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### Author:  [@clairobscur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clairobscur)
#### Post date: [April 1, 2007, 9:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brit-dopers-vanilla-sugar-what-is/398257/16 "2007-04-01T09:12:19Z")
[QUOTE=Northern Piper]
Lemon curd pudding.
[/QUOTE]
yummm…lemon curd… A shame it’s not sold over here…
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### Author:  [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)
#### Post date: [April 1, 2007, 9:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brit-dopers-vanilla-sugar-what-is/398257/17 "2007-04-01T09:13:30Z")
[…you can make your own superfine sugar by running granulated sugar in a food processor until powdery](http://www.ochef.com/237.htm)
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### Author:  [@Hostile\_Dialect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hostile_Dialect)
#### Post date: [April 1, 2007, 9:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brit-dopers-vanilla-sugar-what-is/398257/18 "2007-04-01T09:42:27Z")
Do you have to cut the food processor lengthwise first, though?
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### Author:  [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)
#### Post date: [April 1, 2007, 10:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brit-dopers-vanilla-sugar-what-is/398257/19 "2007-04-01T10:03:19Z")
[QUOTE=jjimm]
Possibly caster sugar? In between powdered sugar (which we call “icing sugar”) and regular (which we call “granulated”).
.
[/QUOTE]
Like Eskimos that have hundreds of words for snow, I have to admit - this is a new one…never knew there were other variations of sugar granules! All hail the Brits for discovering it!
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### Author:  [@MizGrand](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MizGrand)
#### Post date: [April 1, 2007, 12:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brit-dopers-vanilla-sugar-what-is/398257/20 "2007-04-01T12:06:01Z")
[QUOTE=fetus]
Do you have to cut the food processor lengthwise first, though?
[/QUOTE]
But don’t forget to turn off the power at the box first!
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