By the by ~ have you noticed the price of Vanilla

[valley ranch]

I do use Almond ~ I will try Lemon as well ~ a little off the subject but ~ had some Butter Finger bars here in case kid came Trick or Treating ~ I was reading wrapper today it says: "Coloring added from real sources" I guess that means real rather than fake sources ~ do you think ~ or humor ```

 

[misfitmorgan]

I sorta got around it by buying my vanilla from stores that deal in remainders (Home Goods, mostly) where everything is on a steep discount. Though this plan does rely on being able to stock up when the stuff is available (so you need to be able to lay down significant amounts of money when the supply is available.)

I currently have a fairly large supply of vanilla left from the last time I did this, so I'm good for the moment.

This method also allows one to taste around different sources of vanilla and figure out which kind is best for your needs. Most of what I have is standard Bourbon Madagascar, but I also have some from places like Tahiti and Mexico (note that you have to get from someone you REALLY trust, as a lot of cheap Mexican Vanilla is adulterated with Tonka beans/courmarin, which is carcinogenic.) I USED to have some from New Guinea, Indonesia and Uganda but I ran out (Ugandan was my favorite but due to unrest, I don't think they export Vanilla anymore.)

When I get desperate enough I supposed I will do the bean in the vodka thing (though since the higher the proof the more you extract, I'll probably use my 180 proof stuff.)

You're very lucky to get to try all those different vanillas!!! I want to try the tahiti kind, I have noticed it is slightly cheaper then the bourbon I can find and I don't think I have ever had it. I don't think I would choose to do 180 because as mentioned I use the real deal for non-cooked/low heat stuff and I think you would taste 180 proof to much to the point is may overpower the vanilla. That's just my thoughts though, never having tried it I don't really know.

 

[misfitmorgan]

I do use Almond ~ I will try Lemon as well ~ a little off the subject but ~ had some Butter Finger bars here in case kid came Trick or Treating ~ I was reading wrapper today it says: "Coloring added from real sources" I guess that means real rather than fake sources ~ do you think ~ or humor ```

Really don't know, I assume they mean real natural colorant instead of synthetic. Their website does say "unwrap an improved recipe"

 

[pjn]

I make both the Tahitian and Madagascar vanilla. I like the Tahitian best but the beans are more. Have not done the Mexican yet. I use 80 proof Vodka. Have made for gifts.

 

[flowerbug]

I do use Almond ~ I will try Lemon as well ~ a little off the subject but ~ had some Butter Finger bars here in case kid came Trick or Treating ~ I was reading wrapper today it says: "Coloring added from real sources" I guess that means real rather than fake sources ~ do you think ~ or humor ```

the combination of lemon and almond is really good used lightly in a cream cheese pound cake... one of my all-time-favorite muffins as the crust gets nice and crispy browned goodness... i don't eat them with anything on top as they are so perfect just as they are.

 

[Prairie Rose]

I had a chemistry teacher once who had worked for years in the food industry, retired and got a teaching degree to spend the rest of his life teaching high school kids basic chemistry and physics. We didn't have the funding for supplies to do experiments, but the equipment was all there, and he liked to show us how to use it. He was constantly mixing together one commercial flavoring or another from his bottles of chemicals. It always amazed me how good some of those things smelled when he was done...but I like to believe that if I buy something cherry flavored, the flavoring comes from actual cherries, lol.

Now that i'm done thread hijacking, the kitchen I work in doesn't bother with real vanilla at all. Their imitation vanilla comes in the same kind of bottle as a gallon of vinegar, and costs a whopping $12. Fruit flavors? they don't bother with extracts there either,, those come in half-gallon buckets of 'concentrate.' It has the same texture as thick icing, and can be scooped like ice cream. I'm not sure any actual fruit is in it, but whatever they use it in retains the smell and bright colors of whatever fruit after baking, despite the heat baking the flavor compounds off. The only real extract I have ever seen them use is almond.

When I am out of homemade vanilla and almond or lemon flavoring is not appropriate? Sometimes I will add a splash of bourbon or rum or even a tablespoon of real maple syrup, but increasingly I will not add a flavoring at all. If it really needs it and I am out? I will make something else.

I have always been inclined to make my own version of everything, but the longer I work in food the more driven I am to make it all on my own, lol.

 

[baymule]

the combination of lemon and almond is really good used lightly in a cream cheese pound cake... one of my all-time-favorite muffins as the crust gets nice and crispy browned goodness... i don't eat them with anything on top as they are so perfect just as they are.

The best thing about pound cake is the batter. Then bake what's left.

 

[flowerbug]

The best thing about pound cake is the batter. Then bake what's left.

kinda like high strength egg nog?

 

[baymule]

kinda like high strength egg nog?

I make my own eggnog. My great Grandmother made it on Christmas morning with breakfast. My Mom said she remembered drinking it as a little kid. My Grandmother made it for Christmas too, I drank it as a little kid. Funny how my non drinking parents let me get snockered on eggnog as a child. LOL I watched Grandmother making it, and wrote it down. Now I make it. I only use half the bourbon the recipe calls for. Full strength it will blow your head off.....or at least it will blow mine off. Haha

 

[baymule]

@seedcorn do you like eggnog?