According to my mother, who talked with someone who works for (I think) McCormick’s - the price of vanilla in the US is about to go thru the roof. She claims that most of the beans used come from Madagascar and they’ve had some really bad years. I found this article which seems to confirm what she heard.
So Mom’s going to get me a big bottle when she gets hers. Also according to the friend, vanilla doesn’t go bad - it just gets better as it ages.
Anyway, take it for what it’s worth. If you use a lot of vanilla, you might want to think about laying in a supply. Should the price go up, you’ll be ready. And if not, you won’t have to buy any for a while. Plus you can ridicule me.
I’m ahead. I got six bottles of vanilla. The real stuff. It was on sale and yes I do use it. Maybe I should buy a case or two and start a black market vanilla scam. Or corner the market on vanilla in south Georgia. I shall be the vanilla king! BWAHAAHAAHAAHAA
Thanks for the tip, FCM. I always have to add just a little extra when I’m using it. Cakes, french toast, whipped cream, whatever.
Gotta go score me some extra vanilly.
pssst…swampbear, over here in the alley. Yah, ummmm…I got this cake, see…and I’m needing a certain special ingredient…ya know? Soooooo, how much ya askin for a bottle of the good stuff? I don’t want anything cut, ya understand. I want it straight. And pure. Just like a virgin. That’s right. A vanilla virgin…
Psh. Is there really such a thing as too much vanilla inthe house? How can you make chocolate ship cookies on short notice unless you’re sure you’ve go the vanilla? I guess I’ll have to get antoher few bottles though…
Just last month, my mom gave me 4 1-ounce bottles that she got in a bulk package. Now she’s going to get me a pint bottle. I should be set for a while.
Of course, since I’m low-carbing, I don’t know what I’m going to do with all of it. I can’t remember the last time I baked…
I like to make my own vanilla extract by splitting a bean or two and putting them in a small bottle with a liqueur. Right now I have one with Amaretto and one with Frangelico. The Frangelico one is superb when making Biscotti.
I just read an article in Cooks Illustrated that claimed artificial vanilla was just as good (even better) as the real stuff in taste tests. It has to do with real vanilla requiring so much alcohol to adhere to US standards as opposed to the fake stuff (vanillin).
I accidentally bought some artificial vanilla. I didn’t realize my mistake till after I used it and tasted the final product. I didn’t think it was as good as real vanilla.
sugar??? water?? how 'bout just a vanilla bean in a 12 oz or so container of brandy. or other favorite liquor. yum.
the great thing about extracting your own vanilla is that the beans are so powerful. when i run out, i usually just put some more brandy in the bottle and we’re off to the races again.
According to legend, the original introduction of “New Coke” was to avoid the use of more expensive Madagascar vanilla beans. We all know how that story ended.
Thank you, FCM, for this advisory. Vanilla is one of my favorite flavoring agents. It is the secret to a good home made chocolate pudding and many other favorite dessert recipes of mine. It is also extremely difficult to add too much vanilla to a given recipe when it’s called for. I shall have to stock up on this marvelous orchid pod extract.
ouisey - the Cook’s Illustrated article explains where vanillin comes from. I think it’s from tree pulp or something, can’t remember off the top of my head.
And FCM - I think the article said that it depends on what you’re cooking, whether real or artificial vanilla tastes better. IIRC, tasters preferred artificial vanilla in baked goods, because it tasted more like vanilla and less like alcohol. In lightly-cooked things, though, like custard, the real vanilla was the winner by far. And, after they wrote the article, they tested vanilla powder and vanilla paste, and compared them with vanilla beans. Vanilla beans were the best, of course, but vanilla powder was surprisingly good – possibly better than real vanilla extract.
I could be mis-remembering some of this information, though. I’ll have to go home and check. If anyone else has the current issue handy, feel free to correct me!
