Vanilla Extract

#1

Why is it so expensive? Are vanilla plants made of gold or something? I don’t get it.

Also, anyone got any good recipes or uses for vanilla extract?
I have a bottle, I just had to sell a kidney to pay for it. :stuck_out_tongue:

(matt ) #2

Increased demand and reduced supply. A cyclone hit Madagascar in 2016 and they are a major producer. Recovery takes time.

It’s also expensive by nature and its picked by hand. I think only saffron is more expensive.

(Tessy M.) #3

A great reason to take a trip to Mexico! You can get it there for cheap!

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(Arlene) #4

I’ve made my own vanilla extract for years. Buy a pint of vodka, add several vanilla beans, wait 6 months and you have a pint of vanilla extract. When I’m getting low I make another pint so it’s ready when I need it. Super easy.

(Ethan) #5

Vanilla beans are extremely expensive because a lot of the work to cultivate them is done by hand.

#6

Sounds easy, I didn’t know vanilla had booze in it.

#7

My father made us homemade vanilla for Christmas several years ago…The more vanilla beans you add the quicker the extract develops. His recipe only took 2 months…I think he googled for the recipe. You can get B grade vanilla beans on Amazon and there are varieties from other places than Madagascar that are cheaper. Thinking about doing this myself as my stash from Dad is finally starting to get close to being gone.

(Ethan) #8

Vanilla extract must by definition contain alcohol.

(Sophie) #9

I have also been making my own vanilla extract for years. The stuff is truly addictive. My very first make was a fifth of Absolut Vodka. It was great. Since then I’ve used Meyers Rum and JD. I think I like the rum the best. I gave some to a friend and she raves about it all the time.

I get my beans from here… https://www.beanilla.com/

#10

Takes insane amounts to make the extracts when their pure. You can get cheaper ones which I believe are loaded with alcohols, which may or may not be bad, but those are like half the price, which scares me. I buy the McCormick 12oz on which costs almost $20 but even with my excessive use it lasts a while. For many things I also use Torani sugar free vanilla syrup which is much cheaper at I think $7 for a 750ml bottle.

#11

I found a really cool page on making it in the InstantPot. There are recipes on how to make several different ones here. I like how she breaks it down and gives pros and cons on different alcohols and how to maintain the alcohol content to make it last longer.

(tulsanurse1) #12

I love the suggestion of making your own.

(matt ) #13

All vanilla (including “pure”) is in alcohol by design and by law in the US at least. The FDA requires that pure extract must contain 35% alcohol. The alcohol is what draws out the vanilla oils and acts as a base. There is no “pure 100% vanilla with nothing else” that i have seen and if there was it was would be pretty useless as a ingredient.

There are also vanilla extracts that are in other bases like glycerin but they are not called pure as I understand it.

(Sophie) #14

I’ve made Vanilla Sugar with my beans too. Most people don’t know about it in the US, but it’s common in Europe. It always added that extra little something to baked sweet goods. Now that I think about it, I may try some with Eryth. No reason why that shouldn’t work. Need to order more beans!

(Candy Lind) #15

Extracts are virtually all alcohol-based. That’s why they aren’t Whole30.

(tulsanurse1) #16

So does that also mean that vanilla extract (homemade) is not Keto approved?

(Arlene) #17

Why wouldn’t it be “keto-approved”? You only use a very small amount in recipes. That’s not going to do any liver damage, or affect your ketones.

(tulsanurse1) #18

Thank you :slight_smile:

(Arlene) #19

Thanks for the ideas. I should have thought to try other alcohols. I will definitely give the rum a try. I always put a little vanilla in my mug of hot “keto” cocoa. So yummy!

(Sophie) #20

Make sure you use the regular dark rum, not the “spiced” or you’ll be sorry.