In article >, Michael Ellis > wrote:

> Why dont you make your own? Take a vanilla bean, split it down the center,
> open it up and put it in a cup of vodka. Shake it once a day and after a week
> you have amazing vanilla extract, better than you buy in the stores

So, one bean will flavor 8 ounces of extract? Last time I bought
a pint from Penzy's, it was something like $65, while beans go for
around $2 apiece. That means they sold me 2 beans for the price of
thirty?

I think that this is way too little bean for the amount of alcohol, but
I haven't tried it, and apparently you have....

Mike Beede

Mike Beede wrote:
> In article >, Michael Ellis > wrote:
>
>
>>Why dont you make your own? Take a vanilla bean, split it down the center,
>>open it up and put it in a cup of vodka. Shake it once a day and after a week
>>you have amazing vanilla extract, better than you buy in the stores
>
>
> So, one bean will flavor 8 ounces of extract? Last time I bought
> a pint from Penzy's, it was something like $65, while beans go for
> around $2 apiece. That means they sold me 2 beans for the price of
> thirty?
>
> I think that this is way too little bean for the amount of alcohol, but
> I haven't tried it, and apparently you have....
>
> Mike Beede

Cooks Illustrated tried it a few years ago, and much to their surprise, the
homemade extract sucked and was more expensive to make that commercial
vanilla extract.

Bob

On Tue, 20 Jan 2004 20:07:28 GMT, (j.j.)
wrote:

>Hark! I heard Frogleg > say:

>> includes a number of items in small plastic bags and a sort of
>> hand-crafted label and info sheet. It never occurred to me to think
>> these suspect because they were without US gov't-approved labeling. Or
>> were labeled without a 4-color press.
>
>Hardly the same thing -- read this part again:
>
>"It is in a small brown bottle, which looks like
>it has been reused. There is adhesive from a
>previous label under the label for the vanilla."
>
>If a third party gave me a bottle in this condition, *regardless*
>of country of origin, I simply wouldn't consume it. YMMV...

'Tank' also mentions that the bottle had an intact metal-sealed cap.
That there was extra(?) adhesive under the label implies a certain
amount of sloppiness, not necessarily a previously-used bottle. I was
rather surprised watching 'Food Finds' the other day to see how many
(US) commercial products are bottled/packed rather casually in small
quantities. I.e., a big pot with a spigot and a human (in gloves)
filling jars, putting on lids, and packing in boxes for shipment. I
imagine they occasionally spill a bit and need to re-label. Not saying
this is the *only* explanation, but just a reasonable one.

In fact, when soda came in glass bottles, most of them *were* reused.
With a new metal cap. :-)

Hark! I heard Frogleg > say:
> On Tue, 20 Jan 2004 20:07:28 GMT, (j.j.)
> wrote:
>
> >Hark! I heard Frogleg > say:
>
> >> includes a number of items in small plastic bags and a sort of
> >> hand-crafted label and info sheet. It never occurred to me to think
> >> these suspect because they were without US gov't-approved labeling. Or
> >> were labeled without a 4-color press.
> >
> >Hardly the same thing -- read this part again:
> >
> >"It is in a small brown bottle, which looks like
> >it has been reused. There is adhesive from a
> >previous label under the label for the vanilla."
> >
> >If a third party gave me a bottle in this condition, *regardless*
> >of country of origin, I simply wouldn't consume it. YMMV...
>
> 'Tank' also mentions that the bottle had an intact metal-sealed cap.
> That there was extra(?) adhesive under the label implies a certain
> amount of sloppiness, not necessarily a previously-used bottle. I was
> rather surprised watching 'Food Finds' the other day to see how many
> (US) commercial products are bottled/packed rather casually in small
> quantities. I.e., a big pot with a spigot and a human (in gloves)
> filling jars, putting on lids, and packing in boxes for shipment. I
> imagine they occasionally spill a bit and need to re-label. Not saying
> this is the *only* explanation, but just a reasonable one.

Well, if you want to be *reasonable*, this is the wrong newsgroup. ;-)

> In fact, when soda came in glass bottles, most of them *were* reused.
> With a new metal cap. :-)

You have a good point. I still don't know if I'd want to try the
stuff in Tank's bottle, but I do see your point...


--
j.j. ~ mom, gamer, novice cook ~
...fish heads, fish heads, eat them up, yum!

Frogleg > wrote in message >. ..
> On Tue, 20 Jan 2004 17:30:40 GMT, (j.j.)
> wrote:
>
> >Hark! I heard "Tank" > say:
>
> >> It is in a small brown bottle, which looks like
> >> it has been reused. There is adhesive from a
> >> previous label under the label for the vanilla.
>
> >> To cap is a sealed, twist off kind. It is made of
> >> metal, the kind where there is a separate ring
> >> on the bottle, after you have opened it the first
> >> time.
> >
> >The bottle sounds interesting -- dump the contents down the
> >drain, and save it as a conversation piece...
>
> A recent post here (about sugar content in tomato sauce, I think)
> indicated that foods in Canada don't bear the same ingredient and/or
> nutrition labels we have in the US. So I guess we should dump all food
> items that haven't entered the USA with USDA approval labeling
> (sympathy to our northern neighbors). My Grenada spice basket
> includes a number of items in small plastic bags and a sort of
> hand-crafted label and info sheet. It never occurred to me to think
> these suspect because they were without US gov't-approved labeling. Or
> were labeled without a 4-color press.

The labeling doesn't have a thing to do with whether the contents are
suspect. Your analogies to Canadian foods or the Grenada spice basket
don't apply. Vanilla from an untrusted source is likely to be
adulterated; that is a fact of the vanilla trade, and there is no
analogy to canned goods from Canada or spices from Grenada or any
other red herrings you may wish to drag across the discussion. Since
the adulterants are dangerous, and it is not practical for a consumer
to determine whether vanilla has been adulterated, and more than a few
tourists are ignorant of the problem, the advice to dump the vanilla
was well taken and has nothing at all to do with the quality of the
label.

--
Chris Green

On 21 Jan 2004 10:58:14 -0800, (Christopher
Green) wrote:

>The labeling doesn't have a thing to do with whether the contents are
>suspect. Your analogies to Canadian foods or the Grenada spice basket
>don't apply. Vanilla from an untrusted source is likely to be
>adulterated; that is a fact of the vanilla trade, and there is no
>analogy to canned goods from Canada or spices from Grenada or any
>other red herrings you may wish to drag across the discussion. Since
>the adulterants are dangerous, and it is not practical for a consumer
>to determine whether vanilla has been adulterated, and more than a few
>tourists are ignorant of the problem, the advice to dump the vanilla
>was well taken and has nothing at all to do with the quality of the
>label.

My goodness, you're testy. :-) All vanilla from an "untrusted" source
is suspect? I think if a friendwent to some trouble to bring me a
bottle of vanilla (or rum or jam or...), I'd give it a shot. Are you
by any chance USAsian? Suspicious of anything not stamped by the
USDA/FDA?

I have no axe to grind. I'm not promoting poisonous foodstuffs. I did
a fair amount of web research, and it seemed to me that unless a kid
slips you a bottle purported to contain vanilla under the table while
whispering "for you -- 10 cents," there's a fair chance it's OK
vanilla. What "adulterants" do you expect in foreign vanilla?

I mentioned Canadian labeling practices because I recently found they
were different from those in the US. I mentioned Grenadan (Granadian?
Grenadine?) spices because the OP said his vanilla gift was a product
of Grenada and I know it's a spice island that produces vanilla, among
other things. I *didn't* tell the OP to chug his vanilla gift. I
merely said from his description and what I've been able to gather, it
was probably quite genuine (and possibly superior) vanilla.

I am as entitled to my opinion that he should enjoy it as others are
to say "dump it." However, I hope if he decides not to use it that he
passes it along to someone who would. I believe I'm 2nd (or perhaps
3rd) in line.

>
>What the heck is coumarin?
>

I think it's in rat poison.

On Tue, 20 Jan 2004 04:49:59 -0600, wrote:

>On 19 Jan 2004 21:51:09 GMT, (Nancree) wrote:
>
>>>>Does anyone
>>>>have any
>>>>suggestions as to how I might determine if this
>>>>vanilla is safe to use?
>>======================
>>If the label has "no coumarin" on it it is safe to use. And it's delicious.
>>My friends and neighbors and I have used it for years.
>>nancree
>>
>
>What the heck is coumarin?

It is a chemical found in many plants -- lavender, woodruff, sweet
clover, and Tonka beans, which are a spice with a flavor similar to
vanilla, although much cheaper to produce. In high concentrations,
coumarin can be toxic. It is used medically as a prescription
blood-thinner/anti-coagulant, and cancer-treating drug, and as an
ingredient rodent poison designed to make the little buggers bleed
internally.

US importation of food products containing coumarin was banned in
1940, 'though I haven't been able to discover why.

US-bottled vanilla does *not* carry a "no courmarin" label.

In article >,
Frogleg > wrote:

> On Tue, 20 Jan 2004 04:49:59 -0600, wrote:
>
> >On 19 Jan 2004 21:51:09 GMT, (Nancree) wrote:
> >
> >>>>Does anyone
> >>>>have any
> >>>>suggestions as to how I might determine if this
> >>>>vanilla is safe to use?
> >>======================
> >>If the label has "no coumarin" on it it is safe to use. And it's
> >>delicious.

So, coumarin is a banned substance, but if a manufaturer was
unscrupulous enough to use it in "vanilla", you would still trust them
to tell you that they did, by saying so on the label.

Interesting.

Isaac

On Fri, 23 Jan 2004 04:42:30 GMT, Isaac Wingfield >
wrote:

> Frogleg > wrote:
>
>> On Tue, 20 Jan 2004 04:49:59 -0600, wrote:
>>
>> >On 19 Jan 2004 21:51:09 GMT, (Nancree) wrote:
>> >
>> >>>>Does anyone
>> >>>>have any
>> >>>>suggestions as to how I might determine if this
>> >>>>vanilla is safe to use?
>> >>======================
>> >>If the label has "no coumarin" on it it is safe to use. And it's
>> >>delicious.
>
>So, coumarin is a banned substance, but if a manufaturer was
>unscrupulous enough to use it in "vanilla", you would still trust them
>to tell you that they did, by saying so on the label.

You quoted no material that I wrote, so I don't know what your quarrel
is or with whom.

In article >,
Frogleg > wrote:

> On Fri, 23 Jan 2004 04:42:30 GMT, Isaac Wingfield >
> wrote:
>
> > Frogleg > wrote:
> >
> >> On Tue, 20 Jan 2004 04:49:59 -0600, wrote:
> >>
> >> >On 19 Jan 2004 21:51:09 GMT, (Nancree) wrote:
> >> >
> >> >>>>Does anyone
> >> >>>>have any
> >> >>>>suggestions as to how I might determine if this
> >> >>>>vanilla is safe to use?
> >> >>======================
> >> >>If the label has "no coumarin" on it it is safe to use. And it's
> >> >>delicious.
> >
> >So, coumarin is a banned substance, but if a manufaturer was
> >unscrupulous enough to use it in "vanilla", you would still trust them
> >to tell you that they did, by saying so on the label.
>
> You quoted no material that I wrote, so I don't know what your quarrel
> is or with whom.

It was in response to the statement of "safety" directly above my reply,
and was not directed at you. Looks like the original poster's
attribution is missing; I didn't notice that. Sorry.

Isaac

jmcquown wrote:
>
> Tank wrote:
> > Hi Group,
> >
> > My wife received a small bottle of imported
> > vanilla extract as a gift from her boss, who had
> > taken a Carribean cruise. I am wondering about
> > the safety of using this.
> >
> > It is in a small brown bottle, which looks like
> > it has been reused.
> (snip)
>
> Vanilla isn't that expensive;

Since when? It's always been expensive but lately
it's skyrocketed. I recently went to replenish my
supply from the bulk bin at the food coop. I didn't
think much about it when I saw the $46/lb. price tag
as I buy bulk spices there all the time and the price
per pound sounds high but when you get enough to fill
your spice jar it ends up costing $.36!!! I got about
4 fl. oz. of vanilla - just enough to refill my bottle.
It cost over $12!!!!! The last time I got some it
was nowhere near that - believe me I would have noticed!!!

I complained to the manager thinking maybe it was marked
incorrectly but he explained that the vanilla crops
around the world have been very bad for the last couple
of years so there's a premium on what *is* available.
Yikes!

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?

zxcvbob wrote:

> Mike Beede wrote:
> > In article >, Michael Ellis > wrote:
> >
> >
> >>Why dont you make your own? Take a vanilla bean, split it down the center,
> >>open it up and put it in a cup of vodka. Shake it once a day and after a week
> >>you have amazing vanilla extract, better than you buy in the stores
> >
> >
> > So, one bean will flavor 8 ounces of extract? Last time I bought
> > a pint from Penzy's, it was something like $65, while beans go for
> > around $2 apiece. That means they sold me 2 beans for the price of
> > thirty?
> >
> > I think that this is way too little bean for the amount of alcohol, but
> > I haven't tried it, and apparently you have....
> >
> > Mike Beede
>
> Cooks Illustrated tried it a few years ago, and much to their surprise, the
> homemade extract sucked and was more expensive to make that commercial
> vanilla extract.
>
> Bob

Um time to read that again Bob. Cooks Illustrated tried it and said the homemade
was way better than anything commercial. Thats why I tried it

--
Michael Ellis, IAPP
Privacy Manager
Date.com
Phone 877-224-DATE x2620

Date.com - "The New Way To Date"




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