Anyone here ever attempt making thier own vanilla extract? If so, was the
effort worth it and what's the recipe?

Thanks-

In article , "??????" wrote:

Anyone here ever attempt making thier own vanilla extract? If so, was the
effort worth it and what's the recipe?

Thanks-

I've got a couple vanilla beans sitting in some brandy -- been at least
a couple months. Smells like booze, not vanilla. Recipe? Hmmmm, I had
a cool bottle (*maybe* 8 oz capacity) that I put the beans in and filled
it with some brandy. Entirely possible I'm not doing something right
with it; I'm not impressed.
--
-Barb, www.jamlady.eboard.com Updated 10-22-04; Popovers!.
"Peace will come when the power of love overcomes the love of power."
-Jimi Hendrix, and Lt. Joe Corcoran, Retired; St. Paul PD, Homicide Divn.

Melba's Jammin' wrote:

In article , "??????" wrote:

Anyone here ever attempt making thier own vanilla extract? If so, was
the
effort worth it and what's the recipe?

Thanks-

I've got a couple vanilla beans sitting in some brandy -- been at least
a couple months. Smells like booze, not vanilla. Recipe? Hmmmm, I had
a cool bottle (*maybe* 8 oz capacity) that I put the beans in and filled
it with some brandy. Entirely possible I'm not doing something right
with it; I'm not impressed.


Well drink that brandy, mayhaps you'll change yer mind...

;---p

--
Best
Greg

Gregory Morrow wrote:

;---p



Why the long face?

Best regards,
Bob

zxcvbob wrote:

Gregory Morrow wrote:

;---p



Why the long face?


It's a long noze...kinda like Pinocchio's...

--
Best
Greg

Anyone here ever attempt making thier own vanilla extract? If so, was the
effort worth it and what's the recipe?

Why bother... economically it's a big loser... and won't be near as fine as the
commercial stuff. And anyhow, with modern vanilla flavoring there is no reason
to use natural vanilla except in dishes where it won't be heated.... a total
waste of money to use natural vanilla in baked goods, save it for desserts like
ice/whipped creams. Modern vanilla flavoring withstand the heat from cooking
better than natural vanilla. I no longer use "real" vanilla for baking,
instead I savor a few drops in melon smoothies.


---= BOYCOTT FRANCE (belgium) GERMANY--SPAIN =---
---= Move UNITED NATIONS To Paris =---
*********
"Life would be devoid of all meaning were it without tribulation."
Sheldon
````````````

"??????" wrote in message ...
Anyone here ever attempt making thier own vanilla extract? If so, was the
effort worth it and what's the recipe?

Thanks-


I tried it years ago, and wasn't impressed as the stuff still smelled and
tasted like booze. I suspect that the 'recipe' is lacking in enough beans.
I have a recipe for Kahlua that calls for mixing the ingredients and then
adding a bean or two and allowing the mixture to stand for 30 days. I'm
always rushed at holiday time so I decided to get an extra fifth of vodka at
Christmas, add two beans to it and let it sit until next Christmas. This
works out much better. Each year I just add two more beans to the
bottle(bottle full of beans) and fill the bottle with vodka and I'm getting
some mellow tasting vodka now that I just add to the Kahlua recipe to taste,
but it still doesn't remind me of the more rounded, complex taste of
store-bought vanilla extract although the aroma is very similar. I do slit
the beans. For Kahlua you definitely do want to use the real beans, or at
least real vanilla extract. The imitation vanilla has a nasty taste and
smell in the finished product, like Mounds candy bars or something. Ack!
Janet

(Naomi Darvell) writes:

Overall, I think a good store-bought extract will work better than most
homemade ones. But stay away from the synthetic stuff; use real vanilla!

That's no longer true. Human sensory perception is incapable of detecting any
difference between modern vanilla flavoring and natural vanilla... and in fact
the flavoring holds up better to cooking heat... of course if you're the sort
with more dollars than brain cells, and thinks snobbishness is Kew-L...


---= BOYCOTT FRANCE (belgium) GERMANY--SPAIN =---
---= Move UNITED NATIONS To Paris =---
*********
"Life would be devoid of all meaning were it without tribulation."
Sheldon
````````````

"PENMART01" wrote in message
...
(Naomi Darvell) writes:

Overall, I think a good store-bought extract will work better than most
homemade ones. But stay away from the synthetic stuff; use real vanilla!

That's no longer true. Human sensory perception is incapable of detecting
any
difference between modern vanilla flavoring and natural vanilla... and in
fact
the flavoring holds up better to cooking heat... of course if you're the
sort
with more dollars than brain cells, and thinks snobbishness is Kew-L...


---= BOYCOTT FRANCE (belgium) GERMANY--SPAIN =---
---= Move UNITED NATIONS To Paris =---
*********
"Life would be devoid of all meaning were it without tribulation."
Sheldon
````````````

I agree with you about the imitation vanilla flavor standing up well in
items that are heated. But the imitation stuff that I have tried in
uncooked items seems to have an off flavor in the finished product(using
name brands). Perhaps there are different methods of imitation vanilla
production that make up with ultimately different flavors? Or maybe the
imitation vanilla reacts adversely with certain components of the recipe? I
detect a coconutty aroma and taste.
Janet

"PENMART01" wrote in message
...
(Naomi Darvell) writes:

Overall, I think a good store-bought extract will work better than most
homemade ones. But stay away from the synthetic stuff; use real vanilla!

That's no longer true. Human sensory perception is incapable of detecting
any
difference between modern vanilla flavoring and natural vanilla... and in
fact
the flavoring holds up better to cooking heat... of course if you're the
sort
with more dollars than brain cells, and thinks snobbishness is Kew-L...


---= BOYCOTT FRANCE (belgium) GERMANY--SPAIN =---
---= Move UNITED NATIONS To Paris =---
*********
"Life would be devoid of all meaning were it without tribulation."
Sheldon
````````````

I agree with you about the imitation vanilla flavor standing up well in
items that are heated. But the imitation stuff that I have tried in
uncooked items seems to have an off flavor in the finished product(using
name brands). Perhaps there are different methods of imitation vanilla
production that make up with ultimately different flavors? Or maybe the
imitation vanilla reacts adversely with certain components of the recipe? I
detect a coconutty aroma and taste.
Janet

Naomi Darvell wrote:



As you know, I have more money than God and I love to waste it. Also, I'm an
incurable snob. So of course I only buy genuine products.


I am very happy for you that you have so much money. Personally, I am hoping the
price of real vanilla extract comes back down. I use a lot of it because I make
my own ice cream and each batch calls for 2 Tblsp. of it. I used to by it 475
ml. bottles of it for $12.95. When there was a discussion here a few months ago
about the price increase I checked it at the grocery store and that same size
was $23.95. Last week I had a look and it was $26.95. Luckily, my bother had
been given a few bottles of good vanilla extract by some people who had been
down to the islands and she gave them to me. I figure I have enough on hand for
at least a year, so I may have to start saving up to replace it then.

Naomi Darvell wrote:



As you know, I have more money than God and I love to waste it. Also, I'm an
incurable snob. So of course I only buy genuine products.


I am very happy for you that you have so much money. Personally, I am hoping the
price of real vanilla extract comes back down. I use a lot of it because I make
my own ice cream and each batch calls for 2 Tblsp. of it. I used to by it 475
ml. bottles of it for $12.95. When there was a discussion here a few months ago
about the price increase I checked it at the grocery store and that same size
was $23.95. Last week I had a look and it was $26.95. Luckily, my bother had
been given a few bottles of good vanilla extract by some people who had been
down to the islands and she gave them to me. I figure I have enough on hand for
at least a year, so I may have to start saving up to replace it then.

Janet Bostwick wrote:

"??????" wrote in message ...
Anyone here ever attempt making thier own vanilla extract? If so, was the
effort worth it and what's the recipe?

I tried it years ago, and wasn't impressed as the stuff still smelled and
tasted like booze. I suspect that the 'recipe' is lacking in enough beans.
I have a recipe for Kahlua that calls for mixing the ingredients and then
adding a bean or two and allowing the mixture to stand for 30 days. I'm
always rushed at holiday time so I decided to get an extra fifth of vodka at
Christmas, add two beans to it and let it sit until next Christmas. This
works out much better. Each year I just add two more beans to the
bottle(bottle full of beans) and fill the bottle with vodka and I'm getting
some mellow tasting vodka now that I just add to the Kahlua recipe to taste,
but it still doesn't remind me of the more rounded, complex taste of
store-bought vanilla extract although the aroma is very similar. I do slit
the beans. For Kahlua you definitely do want to use the real beans, or at
least real vanilla extract. The imitation vanilla has a nasty taste and
smell in the finished product, like Mounds candy bars or something. Ack!
Janet

I just bought Contemporary Encyclopedia of Herbs and Spices : Seasonings for the
Global Kitchen_ by Tony Hill. I been waiting for it to come out for months. It
has a delicious sounding recipe for coffee liquor that uses vanilla beans-seeded
& chopped into 1/4 inch pieces. After 2 weeks they've pretty much dissolved as
the recipe said they would. The stuff still tastes harsh, but it's supposed to
age for at least another 6 months. Will report later...
Edrena

?????? wrote:

Anyone here ever attempt making thier own vanilla extract? If so, was the
effort worth it and what's the recipe?

Thanks-

The "recipe" I've used in the past was to put a couple
of vanilla beans in a pint jar of vodka. I like to chop
them into 1" pieces so more surface is exposed. Let sit
a couple of months before using. Trouble is you have to
use quite a bit more to get the same amount of flavor - say
1 T. if the recipe calls for 1 t.

Kate

--
Kate Connally
“If I were as old as I feel, I’d be dead already.”
Goldfish: “The wholesome snack that smiles back,
Until you bite their heads off.”
What if the hokey pokey really *is* what it's all about?

"Janet Bostwick" wrote in message
...

"??????" wrote in message
...
Anyone here ever attempt making thier own vanilla extract? If so, was
the
effort worth it and what's the recipe?

Thanks-


I tried it years ago, and wasn't impressed as the stuff still smelled and
tasted like booze. I suspect that the 'recipe' is lacking in enough
beans.
I have a recipe for Kahlua that calls for mixing the ingredients and then
adding a bean or two and allowing the mixture to stand for 30 days. I'm
always rushed at holiday time so I decided to get an extra fifth of vodka
at
Christmas, add two beans to it and let it sit until next Christmas. This
works out much better. Each year I just add two more beans to the
bottle(bottle full of beans) and fill the bottle with vodka and I'm
getting
some mellow tasting vodka now that I just add to the Kahlua recipe to
taste,
but it still doesn't remind me of the more rounded, complex taste of
store-bought vanilla extract although the aroma is very similar. I do
slit
the beans. For Kahlua you definitely do want to use the real beans, or at
least real vanilla extract. The imitation vanilla has a nasty taste and
smell in the finished product, like Mounds candy bars or something. Ack!
Janet

In a recent taste-off, the golden tongues of Cooks Illustrated seemed to
prefer the fake to the natural.... Probably one of those things that have
to be done double-blind if you really want to know.

There is a government standard for Vanilla Extract. the FDA requires a
minimum of 13.35 ounces of vanilla beans to a gallon of a minimum of 35%
alcohol to 65% water mixture. So you do need plenty of beans.

del cecchi