Vanilla woes

[mystry tour]

Can someone tell me what has happened to the taste of vanilla. It seems it has a bad odor and tastes worse. Dose someone have a good sorce of the good 100% vanilla
Mystry

 

[Russellkhan]

I don't really know what you're talking about, with the bad odor and taste. Haven't run into that myself.

I get my whole bean vanilla from From the Field Inc. It is great stuff: excellent flavor and aroma, fair trade, soon to be certified organic. And the company is run by good guys trying do something good for the world with their business.

Full disclosure: I am friends with one of the guys running this company.

 

[Toots]

I use Penzeys vanilla and I've also used good vanilla from the Spice House in Chicago. I also have a gigantic bottle of vanilla that I bought in Mexico a few years ago too.
What brand are you using?

 

[Lizannd]

Russellkhan, how much are their

vanilla beans, they don't say on their website.

 

[mystry tour]

I have used a cpl different kinds. It says onthe bottle %100 vanilla but it also says it contains corn syurp too. It just has an odd taste, I may be streaching the odor a bit but it just doesnt taste like it use to.Mystry

 

[jennyema]

If it has corn syrup in it it's not vanilla extract, it's some sort of vanilla flavoring.

IMO the best ones out there are Nielsen Massey and Penzey's

 

[PieSusan]

Real vanilla extract smells wonderful but alone has never tasted good to me so I am sorry I can't be of much help.

However, I agree if you are buying the real thing as opposed to artificial vanillan (made from wood pulp--thank you very much Mr. Kimball, I prefer not to use it) you should have good results.

 

[jennyema]

However, I agree if you are buying the real thing as opposed to artificial vanillan (made from wood pulp--thank you very much Mr. Kimball, I prefer not to use it) you should have good results.

That taste test result made very little sense to me.

 

[Fearless Kitchen]

I didn't think vanilla extract could go bad, but I guess it can!

I don't use much vanilla anymore as I prefer the taste of almond extract. I get mine from Simply Organic and I've been very happy with it. I know that they do produce a vanilla extract as well. I have a big ol' vat-o-vanilla extract from Costco that I'm not unhappy with, but it does contain sugar.

 

[MexicoKaren]

I bought some "pure vanilla extract" at Costco a few months ago - it was imported form the US. While I usually use Mexican vanilla, this was just more convenient because I was out of vanilla and wanted to do some baking. Last week, I bought some good Mexican vanilla at the grocery store...I uncapped each bottle and sniffed: no comparison. The Mexican vanilla smelled SO much better. I tossed the rest of the Costco stuff.

 

[B'sgirl]

You can make your own fairly easily, I have heard. Just do a web search. You just need a vanilla been and a little rum or something like that.

 

[jennyema]

I didn't think vanilla extract could go bad, but I guess it can! .

It doesn't go bad. It has a lot of alcohol in it.

Beans themselves get stale and hard.

 

[ChefJune]

I use only Nielsen-Massey Bourbon Madagascar Vanilla, beans, paste and extract. I'm not aware of it ever spoiling.

Pure Vanilla Extract should not have either corn syrup nor "sugar" in it. It does, however, have a fairly high alcohol content.

 

[mommysews]

Pampered Chef sells some really good vanilla. If you want some, let me know. I use about half of what is called for with this and still get the same flavor.

 

[mystry tour]

Thanks Ladies. I am sure it has something wrong with it so I will get some different type.
Mystry

 

[PieSusan]

It use to be that Mexican vanilla contained a dangerous chemical but that is no longer the case. I always ask friends to bring me back some vanilla when they visit Mexico. It does smell wonderful. Now that I think of it, I bet I could just buy it online. lol

 

[PieSusan]

Which brand do you like, Karen?

I have received both 32 oz and 8oz size bottles and when I really go into baking mode--it doesn't last as long as one might think.

 

[Russellkhan]

vanilla beans, they don't say on their website.

Last time I checked, it was $10 for a 5 bean bundle, but that was awhile ago. I think I read something about problems in Madagascar that are affecting vanilla recently, so I don't want to try to say for sure what the prices currently are. I'll probably run into James (my friend in that company) in the next couple days, so I'll ask him about it.

 

[Russellkhan]

It use to be that Mexican vanilla contained a dangerous chemical but that is no longer the case.

Coumarin is no longer a worry? That's good to know. I remember reading about it some time ago and I've always avoided Mexican vanilla because of it. Were new laws made or something that stopped the production of the stuff that contained it?

 

[MexicoKaren]

Which brand do you like, Karen?

I usually buy Orlando - it is available right in the supermarket. So if you come to Mexico on vacation, go to a supermarket to buy your vanilla. Way cheaper, and if you buy a good brand like Orlando, you know you're getting the real deal.