Any other vanilla freaks here?

(Dirty Lazy Keto'er, Sucralose freak ;)) #1

My GF and I both are ! And we go through quite a bit of it. She uses it in ll kinds of fat bombs and Keto deserts, and I use a big shot in every morning mug of coffee… I bought a pint (16oz) bottle of McCormacks Pure Vanilla extract less than two months ago for $35, and now we are out :frowning: note: a few years ago, I used to get these same 16oz bottles at my Super WalMart, for $9.99 ! Are you freaking kidding me ??? Then they switched to Great Value brand, still for $9.99… but it tasted like watered down cr@p :unamused:(

So here we are… trying to find some good quality Vanilla for less than $2 an oz… I SO wish I had plenty of $$$, as there are a couple of fancy Vanilla makers which I’d love to try… Like:

But is $4 an oz
or:

https://www.beanilla.com/madagascar-vanilla-extract-2x?gclid=CjwKCAjwm4rqBRBUEiwAwaWjjJQ1ysr4oy0cu4Aiq_1zGIV5DGXDij73tJxQG7oCRCU-Xs_Gk7JpqBoCzY8QAvD_BwE

Which is almost $6 an oz… but it is double strength
But alas, I think I’m just going to have to order a couple 16oz bottles of McCormacks which tastes pretty good, and is really the cheapest I can find.

Oh, and don’t be suckered by the 1 quart or even 2 quarts of “stuff” that says its vanilla for like $15… They are SO freaking deceiving with the labeling of artificial vanilla… or vanilla, its just ridiculous :frowning:

BTW, I saw where you could buy 55gal drums of the Neilsen Massey :slight_smile: I think that’s what I really need ! It said, call for price… Unfortunately, I don’t think the $13K I might get for my truck would cover it :slight_smile: lol

(Michael - When reality fails to meet expectations, the problem is not reality.) #2

Good luck! I love vanilla, too, but can not justify the purchase any more until prices come down again to a reasonable level. There’s a world wide shortage that has been ongoing for over a year.

(Dirty Lazy Keto'er, Sucralose freak ;)) #3

Well, I just can’t (or don’t want) to go without, so for now, its the $4 an oz McCormacks I guess…

(Dirty Lazy Keto'er, Sucralose freak ;)) #4

Couple more things to add…

one, I was reading reviews on the McCormick’s Vanilla, and several people said the $35 bottle they had received tasted terrible, or watered way down. One guy even suggested that it might be “fake” product from China, and just relabeled !

Then, my GF bought a 4oz bottle from Trader Joes which smelled, and tasted way diluted :frowning: Actually, the little bit of McCormicks we had left, smelled and tasted way better… but I was already turned off of buying more of that.

So I ended buying a 4oz bottle of 2X strength Madagascar from Beanilla + a 4oz bottle of Tahitian Vanilla + a 4 oz bottle of all natural Maple extract, for a whopping $70 ! Depending on how these taste, we might end up getting 16 or 32 oz of one of these vanilla extracts.

#5

I prefer to make my own. Dark Rum as a base (although usually people use vodka) and buy vanilla pods &/or vanilla powder, if using pods, slice down the length first. Then stuff as much as you want into a jar and top up with rum (or whatever your using) and let sit at least a couple months before using.

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(Dirty Lazy Keto'er, Sucralose freak ;)) #6

That’s cool :slightly_smiling_face: Reading your post, my GF and I just decided we want to try this too :slightly_smiling_face:
Where do you get your beans ? Beanilla actually has beans but maybe I could find a better value on them somewhere ?
BTW, I think Beanilla uses mostly bourbon for their vanilla extracts.

Kind of weird that I would have anything to do with anything that involves alcohol… As I despise that ef’ng drug… but I’ve found that nothing else works as good to extract vanilla from the beans… And I guess it’s worth eating a half a teaspoon of alcohol, for the amazing taste of vanilla :slightly_smiling_face:

#7

Im in Scotland so you’ll probably need to look closer to home for supplies. Ebay and amazon are worth checking but last time I got it from a online spice company. Look at quality of pods also. Lower quality pods are cheaper and usually used for extracts. b or A grade is fine… AA and AAA grades are the really good ones but more expensive and what you want for using directly in dishes. (But dont waste the High grade ones, Once you scrape out the goo to use, you can throw the rest of the pod in your vanilla brew)

Dont bother getting them from the grocery stores… its usually one or 2 in a pack for stupid money.

Also once youve used the exstract up and just have the pods left, you can add in more rum and zap in the blender… then let rebrew… depending on how good your blender is (i have a ninja) you might need to run through a strainer to get out the fibery pod bits once your ready to use but its good stuff :smile:

(Dirty Lazy Keto'er, Sucralose freak ;)) #8

Fixing to buy 15 of these, and going to make 32oz of true, full strength Vanilla extract :slight_smile: Whoo Hoo ! As soon as I taste it, and confirm that its the freaking bomb (I hear after 2 months its usable, but only get better with time) I’ll start another 1qt bottle, and hopefully, I’ll never have to buy store bought vanilla extract again… or even order it on the internet ! :slight_smile: And btw, 1qt of premium vanilla extract, for $50 is a freaking steal !

#9

Good idea… i always thought those wee 4oz bottles were pointless… cant belive that last some people years…

(Dirty Lazy Keto'er, Sucralose freak ;)) #10

Honestly, at many grocery stores, they sell more 1 and 2 oz bottles ! That wouldn’t last me a week or two.

BTW, I was researching ratios of beans to vodka for double strength vanilla, and decided I need 25 beans for a full liter of 2 fold and so I found 25 grade A beans and, with great reviews, for $70 +$10 for vodka. That is going to make us $200 worth of vanilla.

My GF likes the idea so much, she is thinking about investing in more beans, and then selling home crafted vanilla…

But here’s the thing, not only does vanilla have a basically unlimited shelf life, it supposedly gets better and better as it ages. Supposedly beans soaking for 2 years are unbelievable rich and smooth :slightly_smiling_face:

Already in my Amazon cart. Buying it early next week ! Whoo hoo :slightly_smiling_face:

(Steve) #11

I would use a really good vodka if you are going to all that effort with grade A beans, it will make a difference in the long run.
I had some vanilla soaking in award winning Forty Creek Whisky Reserve that aged for about 3 years, great stuff.

(PSackmann) #12

Not to hijack, but what rum do you use? I have a favorite potato-based vodka for brandies, would love a good dark rum idea for this. I’ve used Flor de Cana before, always looking for good suggestions.

(Dirty Lazy Keto'er, Sucralose freak ;)) #13

Ya know Steve, not knowing any better, I would have thought the same thing, but several different vanilla making pros said, don’t waste your money on expensive vodka, as it won’t make any difference. The only thing they cautioned about, was to make sure you don’t get anything which is flavored, as to the whole idea with using vodka, us that it has the least flavor to begin with, therefore, the least effect on the flavor of the vanilla itself.

(Dirty Lazy Keto'er, Sucralose freak ;)) #14

Whatever has the least flavor. Most store bought vanilla is 35% (70 proof) but I guess 40% Vodka is very common and works quite well with vanilla making.

#15

look for a mid range one. Cheap rum/vodka etc can have a nasty flavour. You want something smooth and without any overt burning sensations when drinking. But No point buying the expensive stuff to make vanilla either.

(Dirty Lazy Keto'er, Sucralose freak ;)) #16

Geez I would have no idea about anything with alcohol :slightly_smiling_face: lol

I actually hate the stuff, but like I say, my research says, that nothing else even comes close to extractung vanilla flavor from the beans, as alcohol.

Suggestions for the most flavorless vodka I can get ?

(PSackmann) #17

I didn’t know if you had a specific brand for the dark rum in mind. I make a lot of different brandies and liqueurs and have some specific brands I choose, mainly for the flavor profiles and quality. I’m always open for ideas on other brands though.

Thus the potato vodka, almost no flavor so there’s nothing to overpower the infusion. Exceptions are orange, coffee, cherry, chocolate, and apricot, which can all hold their own with some flavor if it’s balanced. I’ll have to experiment with the vanilla, I can see infusing it straight, and also doing a blend with brandy or dark rum, depending upon the end result.

#18

I used to buy the Nielsen Massey Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla extract (liquid), but switched over to the paste as it seems more concentrated. For doing infusions, I will scraped entire vanilla beans, then toss it all in the pot. I think the 4 once jar of paste is around $24-25; and the 2 ounce liquid is around $15-16 at King Arthur. (If you are new to shopping with King Arthur, they give you a coupon for 10-15% off. )
Nuts.com rocks too, with their selections. Pretty sure they sell the vanilla beans, as well as the paste and extract. Haven’t been shopping in a while, so, not entirely sure. But they have tons of great stuff anyway.

(Dirty Lazy Keto'er, Sucralose freak ;)) #19

Okay, so potato vodka for me. I’m suspecting they might try to mostly keep that a secret on the labeling… So what should I look for on the label ?

BTW, I see that a lot of vanilla is extracted with Bourbon ? Then, interestingly, I have seen vanilla beans listed as “Bourbon Madigascar”… but I don’t know if that means these vanilla beans have a slight Bourbon’ish flavor from the start ? Or, if they believe they should be extracted with Bourbon ? Not sure. I just want straight, heavy, rich, creamy vanilla flavor. If I could get that with water, I would.

But that’s okay… I guess alcohol actually does have a good use, besides cleaning wounds :slight_smile: lol

(Dirty Lazy Keto'er, Sucralose freak ;)) #20

Yes, from my research, Nielsen Massey makes some excellent Vanilla. I ended up buying a couple 4oz bottles from Beanilla, because they had 2X Vanilla, and I like the idea of more vanilla extract, in less alcohol. But at either place, its “expensive” !!! Like $200 a qt ! And I know, I know… a qt sounds like a ton of vanilla right ? Well, we decided on a qt as I personally will go through 16oz in a few months. Might last my GF a little longer… but then again, not really with me getting into hers when mine runs out :slight_smile:
We are going to start making a qt of 2X next week. But we are still really thinking about starting more… maybe a bunch more, depending on how its starting to taste after 2 months :slight_smile: I’ve read its super easy, and as long as you get good beans, good vanilla extract is pretty much a given.
We are also considering some different regional vanillas, like Tahitian, Ugandan… etc.