Vanilla paste vs vanilla extract

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Janet H

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I recently got a bottle of vanilla paste and while it seems intensely scented I am not convinced it offered a better or more economical result in baked goods.

Has anyone used vanilla paste? Any opinions about Paste versus extract?
 
I have been using vanilla paste for years and love, love, love it. I find it makes a major difference in flavor from extract. I think the flavor is deeper and more full-bodied than extract. Vanilla ice cream is killer good when it's flavored with vanilla paste.
 
Do you think that you use more if it than the extract because of the form factor? the thick nature of the stuff makes it waaay too easy to dump out a tablespoon when a teaspoon may be called for...
 
Some brands of vanilla paste are full of added sugar or corn syrup - you have to read the label to see what you've got. If you get one without sugar, I find it to be the equivalent of scraping a vanilla bean. But the sweetened ones vary by brand.
 
I use the Nielsen-Massey Pure Vanilla Bean Paste from King Arthur. The flavor is rich, deep, and delicious. Honestly, I never looked to see if it had a sweetener - I suppose I should check.

I like it better than extract - especially in items such as drinks where the item is not heated.
 
I use the Nielsen-Massey Pure Vanilla Bean Paste from King Arthur. The flavor is rich, deep, and delicious. Honestly, I never looked to see if it had a sweetener - I suppose I should check.

I like it better than extract - especially in items such as drinks where the item is not heated.

+1
It's the same brand I use. I haven't checked the label either.
 
THIS is what I use when I'm not scraping the beans themselves. I admit that I'm not a regular baker or dessert maker. I do make banana nut bred fairly often (whenever the bananas turn black before we eat them), and cakes or cookies on special occasions. My wife is type 2 diabetic and neither of us does very well with weight control, so we try not to have much in the way of sweets around the house.
 
Ever since reading a discussion on making your own vanilla extract here on DC in 2008, I have been doing just that. I keep a gallon going at all times. I bought about 60 beans from Arizona Vanilla Company and top off either half gallon jar when I remove some vanilla extract. I use it liberally in baking and am really happy with the flavor.
 
I use the Nielsen-Massey Pure Vanilla Bean Paste from King Arthur. The flavor is rich, deep, and delicious. Honestly, I never looked to see if it had a sweetener - I suppose I should check.

I like it better than extract - especially in items such as drinks where the item is not heated.

It has a little sugar - I think most of these do now that I've looked around. BTW did you know that this stuff comes in a 32 oz bottle ? Much cheaper per oz than the little bottles. Example:

http://www.amazon.com/Nielsen-Masse...n-Vanilla/dp/B0000W0GQQ/ref=pd_bxgy_gro_img_y
 
It has a little sugar - I think most of these do now that I've looked around. BTW did you know that this stuff comes in a 32 oz bottle ? Much cheaper per oz than the little bottles. Example:

http://www.amazon.com/Nielsen-Masse...n-Vanilla/dp/B0000W0GQQ/ref=pd_bxgy_gro_img_y


Absolutely! I've been buying the 32-oz. size for a number of years. I don't get it from Amazon though. Can't remember at the moment where I get it. I'll have to look through my "ordering" folder and see.
 
The company I consult for doesn't make a vanilla paste, but they do make their vanilla extracts without alcohol of any kind. It makes a big difference in both the flavor and the quantity you need to use.
 
I'm kind of a vanilla freak. Right now I use Costco vanilla extract, or is it BJ's? It's really nice, seems much more fragrant and flavorful than McCormick. I also have some homemade stuff in the pantry, some Mexican Vanilla, and vanilla bean paste. I'm sure that I have some beans hanging around somewhere.

I use the paste where I would normally use a bean, where I want brown flecks, such as pastry cream, vanilla buttercream etc.. I use extract everywhere else.
 
I use the Nielsen-Massey Pure Vanilla Bean Paste from King Arthur. The flavor is rich, deep, and delicious. Honestly, I never looked to see if it had a sweetener - I suppose I should check.

I like it better than extract - especially in items such as drinks where the item is not heated.


I use this too and LOVE it. I think it makes a huge difference.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Do you think that you use more if it than the extract because of the form factor? the thick nature of the stuff makes it waaay too easy to dump out a tablespoon when a teaspoon may be called for...


The Nielsen-Massey site says to use equal amounts of paste or extract and the ingredients of the paste are given as "Sugar, Water, Vanilla Extract, Vanilla Beans, Gum Tragacanth (a natural thickener)".

At a guess I'd say that the sugar is a preservative but I could be wrong. Shelf life for the paste is given as 3 years.


As for paste or extract I expect it's down to preference - whether you want vanilla seeds to show in your dish - or preferred taste or not or what you can get hold of at the time.
 
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