The Cellar - vanilla

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- Food and Drink (http://cellar.org/forumdisplay.php?f=26)

- - vanilla (http://cellar.org/showthread.php?t=8619)

The ice cream thread talked a little bit about vanilla... vanilla beans do rock. However, I was shopping at my local gourmet food shoppe today - I am a competative baker and it is time to reload on some staples (fine baking chocolates and flavorings). I was looking at their selection of vanilla extracts and was surprised by the different types. Mexican vanilla, Tahitian Vanilla, Bourbon Vanilla... Does anyone use any of these different types on a regular basis? How do the flavors differ from straight up plain ol' vanilla extract. I like to use different flavors in my baked goods, so any info would be appreciated.

A local ice cream shop serves what they call "Mexican Vanilla" ice cream. It tastes a little less sweet (does that make it more savory?) and a little beanier, if that makes sense...

I dunno, my taste buds are underachievers.

my wife was shopping at wally world a while back , she was looking in the ethnic section , she freaked out when she found a "fith " sized bottle of vanila extract , when she got home we tasted both and couldn't tell a difference .

You gotta be careful on the Vanilla Extracts, because there are a lot of bad artificially flavored ones (check your fine print).

Vanilla extract is a favorite of hard core drunks because, like listerine, it's a lot easier to steal than real booze.

I forget if I told the story of the drunk who had been left passed out in a car in our parking lot and took off while her boyfriend was filing a commitment on her ... all she left behind was her empty bottle of vanilla, carefully laid on the windshield and secured by the wiper blade.

Ah, there was a tear in my eye on that one ...

When we finally got her back her blood alcohol level was over 250.

She smelled like a batch of Nilla Wafers.

According to my favorite source for herbs & spices:

Quote:

Vanilla
Pure Vanilla, used as a whole bean or in extract form, makes desserts taste better. The sweet aroma of vanilla is like no other. Vanilla beans are commonly used in desserts such as ice cream, custard, or creme sauces, or used to flavor sugar, which is then added to more dense baked goods such as cookies. To use in cooking, split the bean down the middle, roll the skin open, and chop into 2" hunks. Vanilla beans are cigar-shaped seed pods of the fragrant climbing orchids native to Mexico. Beans are carefully cut from the vine while green, and cured by sweating under blankets, giving them their characteristic black color and distinctive, fragrant flavor. Superior beans, such as those from Madagascar and Mexico, are handled carefully and cured to a consistency that is neither too moist nor too dry. The best vanilla beans are grown to 7-8 inches. Smaller beans do not have as nice a flavor and bring in a lower price. Longer beans demand a higher price, but farmers take the risk that a tropical storm will damage their crop, or fear that their beans will be stolen during the night as he and his family sleep in their nearby hut. Though theft is virtually nonexistent by Western standards, vanilla beans command quite a sum of money even before drying. It is common for each small family plot to have its own smart dog to patrol the perimeter and bark wildly at any stranger foolish enough to trespass at night, waking everyone within earshot. Vanilla Beans are used for baking and dessert making throughout most of the world. A bit more time-consuming to use than extract, vanilla beans impart the strongest true vanilla flavor without the alcohol of extract. Madagascar vanilla beans set the standard of excellence and are the vanilla beans of choice for most cooks. Many people believe Mexican vanilla beans are equally fine, with a robust, dark vanilla flavor that is perfect for rich baked goods. Using vanilla beans in cooking allows you to vary the flavor in your baking and dessert making by using different types of vanilla beans for different dishes; the flavor will always be wonderful. Using vanilla beans: Vanilla beans can be used in two ways-for desserts that have a liquid base, such as creme sauces, ice cream, sweet breads or custard, the bean can be steeped in the liquid. For these desserts, half a bean is usually enough to impart great flavor to any recipe. Cut the bean in half, split it lengthwise with a knife, and scrape the seeds into the liquid. If you can let the liquid steep a few minutes before cooking, even better. Throw in the skin of the bean too. The inner seed mass of the vanilla bean has the most flavor, but the skin has some too. Just remember to pull the skin out (scrape off any remaining seeds into the liquid) before the dessert is baked or frozen. The inner seeds of one vanilla bean can also add amazing flavor to desserts such as cheesecake; split the bean, scrape out the seeds and add them to the batter. Try cutting up the vanilla bean skin and adding it to the drip basket for flavored coffee.

:yum:

On Wolf's note, when I did IT in the grocery biz we shared offices with the security guys. The various alcohol-based extracts were amongst the most shoplifted items. Suddenly an entire row would be cleaned out. They knew why it was...

Most shoplifted: high-priced pills and such, to be returned later for cash.

My grandfather would occasionally rescue his brother from skid row (by making him listen to whitesnake! bwah!) and bring him home to dry him out and clean the feces off his clothing. Those were the two items that they always had to restock afterwards -- Listerine and vanilla extract. The extract worked well enough to get the drunk brother to pull a knife every once in a while, which landed him back on the street. I really don't comprehend that level of addiction. Maybe the things I think I'm "addicted" to, I'm not. Maybe I just have to work on impulse control.....

Nielsen-Massey makes my favorite vanilla products, using only beans from Madagascar. Available at Williams-Sonoma and Whole Foods.

http://a1412.g.akamai.net/7/1412/243...0005/img2m.jpg

Quote:

Only the best vanilla from the island of Madagascar is intense enough for Nielsen-Massey, whose extract has long been the choice of bakers and ice cream makers. (This vanilla is known as “bourbon vanilla.” The term dates from the time when Madagascar and several other vanilla-growing islands were under French rule and were called the Bourbon Islands.) Made from selected vanilla pods in an exclusive cold-process method, the extract has a rich, intense flavor. The vanilla beans are whole 7” pods, each equivalent to approximately 1 tablespoon of extract. Convenient to use, the pure vanilla paste contains flecks of vanilla bean seeds. Use this superior-quality vanilla to enhance baked goods as well as custards, cheesecake and ice cream. Vanilla extract is 8 oz. Vanilla beans include 2 pods. Vanilla paste is 4 oz.

I will have to try that. In the local supermarket I usually scoot right past the McCormicks and get the Spice Islands brand, which seems to be the better of the two.

And never, ever, ever the fake stuff.

Quote:

Originally Posted by jinx

Nielsen-Massey makes my favorite vanilla products, using only beans from Madagascar. Available at Williams-Sonoma and Whole Foods.

Have you ever used the vanilla paste? I'm curious about that. I'm going to have to get this for my final enteries. Thanks for the suggestion - I can't wait to try this!

On a slight tangent, having Crohn's disease and an allergy to chocolate means that I eat a fair amount of vanilla ice cream. One of the best grocery store vanillas I have ever tasted is Dean's "Homemade Vanilla". Really good stuff.

I think it may be a new flavor. I don't remember seeing it before.

Quote:

Originally Posted by melidasaur

Have you ever used the vanilla paste?

No, just the extract, I don't bake very often or get very creative with it. My mom used to use it in a pastry that I can't remember the name of though, and always raved.

I might try the paste in pie crust... I went to this restaurant and had some pie with a really lovely flavored crust. Before I use the paste, I should probably learn how to make crust... it's on my list of things to do :).

I conquered crust this winter making [about a million %$#&*] pies for a bake sale. The key is cold ingredients. Keep the flour in the freezer, refrigerate the fat, and use ice water.

Hey Jinx, that's the way I learned too! (Original recipe from my grandmother on my mother's side). Cold Crisco and ice water. -- I don't freeze the flour, though.