jennyema
Chef Extraordinaire
Chef_Jen said:actually mexican vanilla can also be very good and expensive
Yes, the real stuff can be excellent.
Chef_Jen said:actually mexican vanilla can also be very good and expensive
vagriller said:I remember an episode of America's Test Kitchen's where they tested different types of vanilla extract. They mixed a measured amount of several popular and some exotic varieties with milk. The mix had a much stronger vanilla flavor than you would likely taste with any recipe. The results proved that they were all very similiar, and used in a recipe the difference would be even less noticable. That is my story and I'm sticking to it!
I'm with you on that, Beth. I've even made "Vanilla Bean" Ice cream with only the extract from Neilsen-Massey, and my eaters thought it was my "best vanilla yet!" Go figure!bethzaring said:IMO, I can taste a hugh difference between imitation vanilla and Bourbon-Madagascar from Neilsen-Massey. I started baking when I was a kid, in my cooking-challanged Mom's kitchen. She only kept imitation vanilla. When I moved out and started to keep my own kitchen, I started with store bought pure vanilla. I know only use the Bourbon-Madagascar from Neilsen-Massey. This vanilla is heavenly in cookies and whatever else you bake.
So to answer your question, no, all vanillas are pretty much not all the same. You get what you pay for. If you can afford it, try a very good vanilla.
Alix said:Ummmmm...HOLY CRAP! How do you know which are the cheap brands from Mexico???? I've had two people bring back bottles for me and I am using one of them now. Is Coumarin a blood thinner? Like Coumadin?
ChefJune said:Vagriller, if you haven't tested them yourself, why would you dispute someone who has?
bevkile said:It will never get as dark as what you buy, but that is because commercial vanilla has "burned sugar" added to it, so my bil told me. I looked at the ingredients on some of my "pure vanilla" and none of them used sugar as an additive but they did have corn syrup added.
Ishbel said:A bit like those HUGE packs of 'saffron' that you can buy in Greek island markets... which turns out to be turmeric when you get it home, Ayrton!
I fell for it ONCE on Crete. Too cute to do so again