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

In article . net>,
"Gregory Morrow" >
wrote:

> zxcvbob wrote:
>
> > Gregory Morrow wrote:
> > >
> > > ;---p
> > >
> >
> >
> > Why the long face?
>
>
> It's a long noze...kinda like Pinocchio's...

Must have been talking to Cinderella...

Joke:

Why did Cinderella get kicked out of Fairy Tale Land?

She was caugh sitting on Pinocchio's face yelling "Lie to Me!!!"

K.
--
Sprout the MungBean to reply
"Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of
arriving safely in an attractive and well-preserved body, but rather
to skid in sideways, champagne in one hand and chocolate covered
strawberries in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out,
and screaming WOO HOO- What a ride."

In article >,
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.

Not long enough.... and Brandy is usually only about 40 proof. :-)
The higher the proof, the better it works.

Making vanilla sugar is supposed to work pretty well, but I've never
tried that.

K.

--
Sprout the Mung Bean to reply...

>,,<Cat's Haven Hobby Farm>,,<Katraatcenturyteldotnet>,,<

http://cgi6.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...user id=katra

Did you split the beans before putting them in the brandy?

>
>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
````````````

In article >,
(PENMART01) wrote:

>
> >
> >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.
>
>
> Sheldon

'cause it's FUN and nice from a purist's point of view. ;-)

K.

--
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>,,<Cat's Haven Hobby Farm>,,<Katraatcenturyteldotnet>,,<

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"??????" > 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

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

"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
>

"Del Cecchi" > wrote in message
...

> 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
There must be something wrong with my taste buds. The taste that I am
talking about is offensive enough to me that I can't eat or drink whatever
uncooked stuff was made with the imitation vanilla.
Janet

In article >,
"Janet Bostwick" > wrote:

> "Del Cecchi" > wrote in message
> ...
>
> > 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
> There must be something wrong with my taste buds. The taste that I am
> talking about is offensive enough to me that I can't eat or drink whatever
> uncooked stuff was made with the imitation vanilla.
> Janet
>
>

It's probably genetic (just like the argument that crops up from time to
time about the taste of Cilantro). I cannot stand artificial vanilla
either. It's just plain gross!

K.

--
Sprout the Mung Bean to reply...

>,,<Cat's Haven Hobby Farm>,,<Katraatcenturyteldotnet>,,<

http://cgi6.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...user id=katra

"Katra" > wrote in message
...
> In article >,
> "Janet Bostwick" > wrote:
>
>> "Del Cecchi" > wrote in message
>> ...
>>
>> > 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
>> There must be something wrong with my taste buds. The taste that I am
>> talking about is offensive enough to me that I can't eat or drink
>> whatever
>> uncooked stuff was made with the imitation vanilla.
>> Janet
>>
>>
>
> It's probably genetic (just like the argument that crops up from time to
> time about the taste of Cilantro). I cannot stand artificial vanilla
> either. It's just plain gross!
>
> K.
>
must be, because it's really obvious to me.
Janet

Katra wrote:
>
> In article >,
> "Janet Bostwick" > wrote:
>
> > "Del Cecchi" > wrote in message
> > ...
> >
> > > 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
> > There must be something wrong with my taste buds. The taste that I am
> > talking about is offensive enough to me that I can't eat or drink whatever
> > uncooked stuff was made with the imitation vanilla.
> > Janet
> >
> >
>
> It's probably genetic (just like the argument that crops up from time to
> time about the taste of Cilantro). I cannot stand artificial vanilla
> either. It's just plain gross!
>
> K.


Same here. Used to work next to a chem lab that used vanillin (the
molecule) as a starting molecule for further reactions. When they set up
a new reaction, the first whiff coming down the corridor smelt nice.
However, it then smelt unpleasant even before adding any other
chemicals. It takes more than vanillin to make the vanilla taste.

Real vanilla is a complicated mix of molecules which all contribute to
the flavour and scent. Artificial vanilla has an obvious flat metallic
taste.

> (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

In article >,
(PENMART01) wrote:

> > (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...
>
>
> Sheldon

Only for your trailer trash taste buds perhaps Shel' honey. ;-)

There is a WORLD of difference to the educated pallete between real and
artificial vanilla extract!

I can't stand the fake stuff. :-P

Think Vanilla Flavored coffee... <barf!>

K.

--
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>,,<Cat's Haven Hobby Farm>,,<Katraatcenturyteldotnet>,,<

http://cgi6.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...user id=katra

Katra wrote:

> In article >,
> (PENMART01) wrote:
>
>
>>>(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...
>>
>>
>>Sheldon
>
>
> Only for your trailer trash taste buds perhaps Shel' honey. ;-)
>
> There is a WORLD of difference to the educated pallete between real and
> artificial vanilla extract!
>
> I can't stand the fake stuff. :-P
>
> Think Vanilla Flavored coffee... <barf!>
>
> K.
>


There is a difference in taste, but that difference changes or even goes
away with cooking. (plus, some imitation vanillas taste better than others)

Bob

In article >,
zxcvbob > wrote:

> Katra wrote:
>
> > In article >,
> > (PENMART01) wrote:
> >
> >
> >>>(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...
> >>
> >>
> >>Sheldon
> >
> >
> > Only for your trailer trash taste buds perhaps Shel' honey. ;-)
> >
> > There is a WORLD of difference to the educated pallete between real and
> > artificial vanilla extract!
> >
> > I can't stand the fake stuff. :-P
> >
> > Think Vanilla Flavored coffee... <barf!>
> >
> > K.
> >
>
>
> There is a difference in taste, but that difference changes or even goes
> away with cooking. (plus, some imitation vanillas taste better than others)
>
> Bob

Sorry luv, but I don't agree.
I can tell the difference.

Fake vanilla makes me gag.

K.

--
Sprout the Mung Bean to reply...

>,,<Cat's Haven Hobby Farm>,,<Katraatcenturyteldotnet>,,<

http://cgi6.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...user id=katra

>Fake vanilla makes me gag.
>
>K.

Stuffed so far down your throat and you could tell the flavor... well it was
chocolate cordial. hehe


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

In article >,
zxcvbob > wrote:

> Katra wrote:
>
> > In article >,
> > (PENMART01) wrote:
> >
> >
> >>>(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...
> >>
> >>
> >>Sheldon
> >
> >
> > Only for your trailer trash taste buds perhaps Shel' honey. ;-)
> >
> > There is a WORLD of difference to the educated pallete between real and
> > artificial vanilla extract!
> >
> > I can't stand the fake stuff. :-P
> >
> > Think Vanilla Flavored coffee... <barf!>
> >
> > K.
> >
>
>
> There is a difference in taste, but that difference changes or even goes
> away with cooking. (plus, some imitation vanillas taste better than others)
>
> Bob

Sorry luv, but I don't agree.
I can tell the difference.

Fake vanilla makes me gag.

K.

--
Sprout the Mung Bean to reply...

>,,<Cat's Haven Hobby Farm>,,<Katraatcenturyteldotnet>,,<

http://cgi6.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...user id=katra

>Fake vanilla makes me gag.
>
>K.

Stuffed so far down your throat and you could tell the flavor... well it was
chocolate cordial. hehe


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

Katra wrote:

> In article >,
> (PENMART01) wrote:
>
>
>>>(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...
>>
>>
>>Sheldon
>
>
> Only for your trailer trash taste buds perhaps Shel' honey. ;-)
>
> There is a WORLD of difference to the educated pallete between real and
> artificial vanilla extract!
>
> I can't stand the fake stuff. :-P
>
> Think Vanilla Flavored coffee... <barf!>
>
> K.
>


There is a difference in taste, but that difference changes or even goes
away with cooking. (plus, some imitation vanillas taste better than others)

Bob

at Tue, 26 Oct 2004 14:53:29 GMT in
>,
(PENMART01) wrote :

>> (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...

I tend to believe that any statement to the effect that "human perception
is incapable of... {pick arbitrary sensory limit here}" sets the person
making it up to be shown wrong by somebody. I think it's unwise to make
limits on what human systems can do because there always seem to be people
who can transcend the limits of what is believed possible. I do like to
relate the story of the HP graphics expert who claimed that any resolution
above 2000*1500 on a 20" screen is indistinguishable by the human eye, when
many people can quite readily distinguish between 600 and 1200 DPI on an 8
1/2" * 11" sheet of paper (6600*5100 vs. 13200*10200) with no problem.

The difference between natural and artificial vanilla in *anything* is
dead-easy to spot. Artificial vanilla has a distinctive citrus twang to it,
quite distinct from natural vanilla with its rounder flavour. Natural
vanilla also has a fuller flavour, where the artificial stuff always tastes
thin, like the *initial* flavour of vanilla, with none of the later flavour
development. With some experience in what you're looking for, it's easy to
spot the differences in things such as chocolate chip cookies, bittersweet
chocolate, yellow cake, virtually anywhere where vanilla is used and
certainly within the definition of the poster's baked-goods category.

There's also a difference between vanilla extract and vanilla bean. A baked
good that uses vanilla beans will have, again, more depth of vanilla
flavour and no alcohol traces left over - even with proper baking I find
things that used extract often taste a little boozy.

I find that there is at least an extent to which you get what you pay for.
More dollars doesn't *automatically* mean something is better, but
generally, you should expect that a high-quality item will be more
expensive, *on average*, than a low-quality one.

Where snobbery comes in is, at the high end, there are sometimes products
that are disproportionately more expensive than other high-end products of
approximately equal quality. Thus, when you reach the high end, you need to
exercise some discretion as to when you're paying too much. The other way
snobbery can come into play is when the person who's prepared to pay more
than the commodity price for low-end items believes that the person *not*
prepared to pay more (or perhaps not in a position to pay more) is
inherently a lesser person for doing so. That, I believe, is the worst kind
of snobbery - feeling the need to diminish others because of the choices
that they make. But simply stating that there *are* real differences in
quality that can mean higher price for better quality isn't snobbery.

--
Alex Rast

(remove d., .7, not, and .NOSPAM to reply)

> (Alex Rast)

>(PENMART01) wrote :
>
>>> (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...
>
>I tend to believe that any statement to the effect that "human perception
>is incapable of... {pick arbitrary sensory limit here}" sets the person
>making it up to be shown wrong by somebody. I think it's unwise to make
>limits on what human systems can do

You're probably one of those fools who spends mega bucks on audio equipment
with specs way beyond the hearing of cats and dogs, who actually is convinced,
because of the bucks spent, they are hearing something they're not.... that's
in fact called being afflicted with a psychosis... means you are nuts!

The perception of the presence of vanilla is 100% detected by sense of smell...
humans cannot taste vanilla on the tongue, not a possibility... humans can
taste only salt, sweet, sour, and bitter, vanilla is none of those. It's just
not possible for humans to differentiate between modern vanilla flavoring and
the real deal... yes, humans can detect the difference in a laboratory, with a
spectrometor, but no human can detect any difference with their own sensory
perception, human olfactory perception just ain't even close to good enough,
not even when it's at it's best, in a newborn... by the time a human is 25
years old they've already lost more than half their ability to taste anything..
and it goes way downhill from there... taste is NOT developed with age... at
least for sight there are corrective lenses (and color chips - humans are
incapable of retaining color variation for more than a second or two except for
extremes), for hearing
there are amplifiers... there is nothing for taste or smell.


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

In article >,
(PENMART01) wrote:

> > (Alex Rast)
>
> >(PENMART01) wrote :
> >
> >>> (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...
> >
> >I tend to believe that any statement to the effect that "human perception
> >is incapable of... {pick arbitrary sensory limit here}" sets the person
> >making it up to be shown wrong by somebody. I think it's unwise to make
> >limits on what human systems can do
>
> You're probably one of those fools who spends mega bucks on audio equipment
> with specs way beyond the hearing of cats and dogs, who actually is
> convinced,
> because of the bucks spent, they are hearing something they're not.... that's
> in fact called being afflicted with a psychosis... means you are nuts!
>
> The perception of the presence of vanilla is 100% detected by sense of
> smell...
> humans cannot taste vanilla on the tongue, not a possibility... humans can
> taste only salt, sweet, sour, and bitter, vanilla is none of those. It's
> just
> not possible for humans to differentiate between modern vanilla flavoring and
> the real deal... yes, humans can detect the difference in a laboratory, with
> a
> spectrometor, but no human can detect any difference with their own sensory
> perception, human olfactory perception just ain't even close to good enough,
> not even when it's at it's best, in a newborn... by the time a human is 25
> years old they've already lost more than half their ability to taste
> anything..
> and it goes way downhill from there... taste is NOT developed with age... at
> least for sight there are corrective lenses (and color chips - humans are
> incapable of retaining color variation for more than a second or two except
> for
> extremes), for hearing
> there are amplifiers... there is nothing for taste or smell.
>
>
> Sheldon

Sheldon,

For once dear, I think you are wrong.
There are subtle difference in taste and smell that can indeed be
detected by individuals. And smell really CAN affect taste!

I remember once asking my dive master if I needed to drain and re-fill a
tank of air that had been sitting in my closet for about a year. He
asked me if it "tasted" ok and I said yes. :-) So he said it was fine
then and I did not have to worry about it.

I'm still here after using it on a dive, so I guess it was ok. ;-)

My nose is covered by a silicon mask so smell can be taken out of the
equation. How can ypu "taste" air then?

You can.

The point is that the sense of taste and smell, especially when
combined, is far more sensitive than dry "science" can explain.

I dare you to send me a sample of fake and real vanilla, and I'll
taste/smell test it for you and tell you the difference.

You have my e-mail, I'll send you a mailing address.

K.
--
Sprout the MungBean to reply
"Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of
arriving safely in an attractive and well-preserved body, but rather
to skid in sideways, champagne in one hand and chocolate covered
strawberries in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out,
and screaming WOO HOO- What a ride."

Katra wrote:
> In article >,
> (PENMART01) wrote:
>
>
>>>(Alex Rast)
>>
>>>(PENMART01) wrote :
>>>
>>>
>>>>>(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...
>>>
>>>I tend to believe that any statement to the effect that "human perception
>>>is incapable of... {pick arbitrary sensory limit here}" sets the person
>>>making it up to be shown wrong by somebody. I think it's unwise to make
>>>limits on what human systems can do
>>
>>You're probably one of those fools who spends mega bucks on audio equipment
>>with specs way beyond the hearing of cats and dogs, who actually is
>>convinced,
>>because of the bucks spent, they are hearing something they're not.... that's
>>in fact called being afflicted with a psychosis... means you are nuts!
>>
>>The perception of the presence of vanilla is 100% detected by sense of
>>smell...
>>humans cannot taste vanilla on the tongue, not a possibility... humans can
>>taste only salt, sweet, sour, and bitter, vanilla is none of those. It's
>>just
>>not possible for humans to differentiate between modern vanilla flavoring and
>>the real deal... yes, humans can detect the difference in a laboratory, with
>>a
>>spectrometor, but no human can detect any difference with their own sensory
>>perception, human olfactory perception just ain't even close to good enough,
>>not even when it's at it's best, in a newborn... by the time a human is 25
>>years old they've already lost more than half their ability to taste
>>anything..
>>and it goes way downhill from there... taste is NOT developed with age... at
>>least for sight there are corrective lenses (and color chips - humans are
>>incapable of retaining color variation for more than a second or two except
>>for
>>extremes), for hearing
>>there are amplifiers... there is nothing for taste or smell.
>>
>>
>>Sheldon
>
>
> Sheldon,
>
> For once dear, I think you are wrong.
> There are subtle difference in taste and smell that can indeed be
> detected by individuals. And smell really CAN affect taste!
>
> I remember once asking my dive master if I needed to drain and re-fill a
> tank of air that had been sitting in my closet for about a year. He
> asked me if it "tasted" ok and I said yes. :-) So he said it was fine
> then and I did not have to worry about it.
>
> I'm still here after using it on a dive, so I guess it was ok. ;-)
>
> My nose is covered by a silicon mask so smell can be taken out of the
> equation. How can ypu "taste" air then?
>
> You can.
>
> The point is that the sense of taste and smell, especially when
> combined, is far more sensitive than dry "science" can explain.
>
> I dare you to send me a sample of fake and real vanilla, and I'll
> taste/smell test it for you and tell you the difference.
>
> You have my e-mail, I'll send you a mailing address.
>
> K.



I don't think you can tell the difference between real and premium fake
vanilla in something like a chocolate cake (and where I use most of my
vanilla is cooked with chocolate.)

In vanilla ice cream of course you can taste the difference.

Sugar cookies are an interesting case -- vanilla is the main flavor, but
it's cooked at a high temperature -- so I have no idea if you'd taste
the difference.

But I'm not curious enough about it to send you a cookie ;-) Maybe
Sheldon will.

Best regards,
Bob

Katra wrote:
> In article >,
> (PENMART01) wrote:
>
>
>>>(Alex Rast)
>>
>>>(PENMART01) wrote :
>>>
>>>
>>>>>(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...
>>>
>>>I tend to believe that any statement to the effect that "human perception
>>>is incapable of... {pick arbitrary sensory limit here}" sets the person
>>>making it up to be shown wrong by somebody. I think it's unwise to make
>>>limits on what human systems can do
>>
>>You're probably one of those fools who spends mega bucks on audio equipment
>>with specs way beyond the hearing of cats and dogs, who actually is
>>convinced,
>>because of the bucks spent, they are hearing something they're not.... that's
>>in fact called being afflicted with a psychosis... means you are nuts!
>>
>>The perception of the presence of vanilla is 100% detected by sense of
>>smell...
>>humans cannot taste vanilla on the tongue, not a possibility... humans can
>>taste only salt, sweet, sour, and bitter, vanilla is none of those. It's
>>just
>>not possible for humans to differentiate between modern vanilla flavoring and
>>the real deal... yes, humans can detect the difference in a laboratory, with
>>a
>>spectrometor, but no human can detect any difference with their own sensory
>>perception, human olfactory perception just ain't even close to good enough,
>>not even when it's at it's best, in a newborn... by the time a human is 25
>>years old they've already lost more than half their ability to taste
>>anything..
>>and it goes way downhill from there... taste is NOT developed with age... at
>>least for sight there are corrective lenses (and color chips - humans are
>>incapable of retaining color variation for more than a second or two except
>>for
>>extremes), for hearing
>>there are amplifiers... there is nothing for taste or smell.
>>
>>
>>Sheldon
>
>
> Sheldon,
>
> For once dear, I think you are wrong.
> There are subtle difference in taste and smell that can indeed be
> detected by individuals. And smell really CAN affect taste!
>
> I remember once asking my dive master if I needed to drain and re-fill a
> tank of air that had been sitting in my closet for about a year. He
> asked me if it "tasted" ok and I said yes. :-) So he said it was fine
> then and I did not have to worry about it.
>
> I'm still here after using it on a dive, so I guess it was ok. ;-)
>
> My nose is covered by a silicon mask so smell can be taken out of the
> equation. How can ypu "taste" air then?
>
> You can.
>
> The point is that the sense of taste and smell, especially when
> combined, is far more sensitive than dry "science" can explain.
>
> I dare you to send me a sample of fake and real vanilla, and I'll
> taste/smell test it for you and tell you the difference.
>
> You have my e-mail, I'll send you a mailing address.
>
> K.



I don't think you can tell the difference between real and premium fake
vanilla in something like a chocolate cake (and where I use most of my
vanilla is cooked with chocolate.)

In vanilla ice cream of course you can taste the difference.

Sugar cookies are an interesting case -- vanilla is the main flavor, but
it's cooked at a high temperature -- so I have no idea if you'd taste
the difference.

But I'm not curious enough about it to send you a cookie ;-) Maybe
Sheldon will.

Best regards,
Bob

Katra wrote:
> In article >,
> (PENMART01) wrote:
>
>
>>>(Alex Rast)
>>
>>>(PENMART01) wrote :
>>>
>>>
>>>>>(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...
>>>
>>>I tend to believe that any statement to the effect that "human perception
>>>is incapable of... {pick arbitrary sensory limit here}" sets the person
>>>making it up to be shown wrong by somebody. I think it's unwise to make
>>>limits on what human systems can do
>>
>>You're probably one of those fools who spends mega bucks on audio equipment
>>with specs way beyond the hearing of cats and dogs, who actually is
>>convinced,
>>because of the bucks spent, they are hearing something they're not.... that's
>>in fact called being afflicted with a psychosis... means you are nuts!
>>
>>The perception of the presence of vanilla is 100% detected by sense of
>>smell...
>>humans cannot taste vanilla on the tongue, not a possibility... humans can
>>taste only salt, sweet, sour, and bitter, vanilla is none of those. It's
>>just
>>not possible for humans to differentiate between modern vanilla flavoring and
>>the real deal... yes, humans can detect the difference in a laboratory, with
>>a
>>spectrometor, but no human can detect any difference with their own sensory
>>perception, human olfactory perception just ain't even close to good enough,
>>not even when it's at it's best, in a newborn... by the time a human is 25
>>years old they've already lost more than half their ability to taste
>>anything..
>>and it goes way downhill from there... taste is NOT developed with age... at
>>least for sight there are corrective lenses (and color chips - humans are
>>incapable of retaining color variation for more than a second or two except
>>for
>>extremes), for hearing
>>there are amplifiers... there is nothing for taste or smell.
>>
>>
>>Sheldon
>
>
> Sheldon,
>
> For once dear, I think you are wrong.
> There are subtle difference in taste and smell that can indeed be
> detected by individuals. And smell really CAN affect taste!
>
> I remember once asking my dive master if I needed to drain and re-fill a
> tank of air that had been sitting in my closet for about a year. He
> asked me if it "tasted" ok and I said yes. :-) So he said it was fine
> then and I did not have to worry about it.
>
> I'm still here after using it on a dive, so I guess it was ok. ;-)
>
> My nose is covered by a silicon mask so smell can be taken out of the
> equation. How can ypu "taste" air then?
>
> You can.
>
> The point is that the sense of taste and smell, especially when
> combined, is far more sensitive than dry "science" can explain.
>
> I dare you to send me a sample of fake and real vanilla, and I'll
> taste/smell test it for you and tell you the difference.
>
> You have my e-mail, I'll send you a mailing address.
>
> K.



I don't think you can tell the difference between real and premium fake
vanilla in something like a chocolate cake (and where I use most of my
vanilla is cooked with chocolate.)

In vanilla ice cream of course you can taste the difference.

Sugar cookies are an interesting case -- vanilla is the main flavor, but
it's cooked at a high temperature -- so I have no idea if you'd taste
the difference.

But I'm not curious enough about it to send you a cookie ;-) Maybe
Sheldon will.

Best regards,
Bob

at Wed, 27 Oct 2004 02:40:19 GMT in
>,
(PENMART01) wrote :

>> (Alex Rast)
>
>>(PENMART01) wrote :
>>
>>>> (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...
>>
>>I tend to believe that any statement to the effect that "human
>>perception is incapable of... {pick arbitrary sensory limit here}" sets
>>the person making it up to be shown wrong by somebody. I think it's
>>unwise to make limits on what human systems can do
>
>You're probably one of those fools who spends mega bucks on audio
>equipment with specs way beyond the hearing of cats and dogs, who
>actually is convinced, because of the bucks spent, they are hearing
>something they're not.... that's in fact called being afflicted with a
>psychosis... means you are nuts!

Specsmanship isn't enough to determine the performance of audio equipment.
There's no substitute for an audition. Meanwhile, the absolute specs may be
useful, but not necessarily in the way you might initially imagine. For
instance, a particular speaker may advertise a tweeter response up to
40kHz, which in theory people can't hear. However, that's not the point.
The 40kHz extension indicates that at 20kHz (which in theory at least some
humans *can* hear) there will be far less distortion than one whose
response only goes up to 20kHz, because a speaker's distortion increases as
one gets near the dynamic range limits.

Now, I'm willing to spend more dollars on a system if it sounds
subjectively better, but not if it doesn't sound better than other systems.
Usually what I see is that as the price goes up, the average sound quality
does tend to increase, at least up to a point. Most people do have an upper
limit on how much they're willing to spend, and that's fine - there's
nothing wrong with having a budgetary figure in mind. Perhaps there's a
system above the budget limit that does sound better than any below the
limit, but if there is, that's immaterial because your budget is the
constraint. It's foolish to spend more than you can afford, but if you can
afford the item, whether it represents an acceptable price to you is a
personal decision. Different people have different ideas on where the
tradeoff between price and quality falls.

>The perception of the presence of vanilla is 100% detected by sense of
>smell... humans cannot taste vanilla on the tongue, not a possibility...
>humans can taste only salt, sweet, sour, and bitter, vanilla is none of
>those.

Assume that's true. Still, that doesn't have any bearing on whether or not
you can taste the difference between real and artificial vanilla because
nothing says that the smell component is indistinguishable. Also, it must
be understood that the term taste, in common usage, refers to the
superposition of the sense of taste that comes from the tongue and the
sense that comes from the nose, once something is in the mouth. So if
you're quibbling over usage of the word taste, I will be clear that I'm
using it in the common-usage sense.

> It's just not possible for humans to differentiate between
>modern vanilla flavoring and the real deal...

I disagree. Empirically, there seem to be people who can. When people can
describe what the difference is, furthermore, that would seem to be
powerful evidence that a difference is being detected.

> yes, humans can detect the
>difference in a laboratory, with a spectrometor, but no human can detect
>any difference with their own sensory perception, human olfactory
>perception just ain't even close to good enough, not even when it's at
>it's best, in a newborn... by the time a human is 25 years old they've
>already lost more than half their ability to taste anything.. and it
>goes way downhill from there... taste is NOT developed with age...

The problem here is that taste isn't simply the raw capacity of the
olfactory nerves to pick up chemical composition. Taste is also the
*processing* of that information within the brain. Research indicates that
the processing that occurs in the human brain in fact can pick up patterns
undetectable by algorithmic methods, and furthermore, that the way in which
that processing is done is not only impossible to analyse (in the sense
that you can't get a "snapshot" of the internal states of the brain
neurons), but that even if you could, the data you would get would be
meaningless! In other words, the internal representations only have meaning
relative to the particular person in consideration, or, if you like, the
representations are relative to themselves. Meanwhile, the internal
processing of the brain does evolve with time, so that the olfactory system
could easily develop more complex pattern representations of different
sensory experiences, with more subtle differentiations, which over time
would allow the individual in concern to distinguish between sensations
more closely similar to each other in terms of measurable quantities. These
representations can in fact compensate for loss in absolute input sensory
data or corruption, and so there's no reason a person might not in later
years be able to tell 2 flavours apart that earlier in life they might not
have been able to distinguish.

The basic point of all this babble? It's risky to set limits on what humans
can or cannot do.

--
Alex Rast

(remove d., .7, not, and .NOSPAM to reply)

"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

In article >,
(PENMART01) wrote:

> > (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...
>
>
> Sheldon

Only for your trailer trash taste buds perhaps Shel' honey. ;-)

There is a WORLD of difference to the educated pallete between real and
artificial vanilla extract!

I can't stand the fake stuff. :-P

Think Vanilla Flavored coffee... <barf!>

K.

--
Sprout the Mung Bean to reply...

>,,<Cat's Haven Hobby Farm>,,<Katraatcenturyteldotnet>,,<

http://cgi6.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...user id=katra

at Tue, 26 Oct 2004 14:53:29 GMT in
>,
(PENMART01) wrote :

>> (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...

I tend to believe that any statement to the effect that "human perception
is incapable of... {pick arbitrary sensory limit here}" sets the person
making it up to be shown wrong by somebody. I think it's unwise to make
limits on what human systems can do because there always seem to be people
who can transcend the limits of what is believed possible. I do like to
relate the story of the HP graphics expert who claimed that any resolution
above 2000*1500 on a 20" screen is indistinguishable by the human eye, when
many people can quite readily distinguish between 600 and 1200 DPI on an 8
1/2" * 11" sheet of paper (6600*5100 vs. 13200*10200) with no problem.

The difference between natural and artificial vanilla in *anything* is
dead-easy to spot. Artificial vanilla has a distinctive citrus twang to it,
quite distinct from natural vanilla with its rounder flavour. Natural
vanilla also has a fuller flavour, where the artificial stuff always tastes
thin, like the *initial* flavour of vanilla, with none of the later flavour
development. With some experience in what you're looking for, it's easy to
spot the differences in things such as chocolate chip cookies, bittersweet
chocolate, yellow cake, virtually anywhere where vanilla is used and
certainly within the definition of the poster's baked-goods category.

There's also a difference between vanilla extract and vanilla bean. A baked
good that uses vanilla beans will have, again, more depth of vanilla
flavour and no alcohol traces left over - even with proper baking I find
things that used extract often taste a little boozy.

I find that there is at least an extent to which you get what you pay for.
More dollars doesn't *automatically* mean something is better, but
generally, you should expect that a high-quality item will be more
expensive, *on average*, than a low-quality one.

Where snobbery comes in is, at the high end, there are sometimes products
that are disproportionately more expensive than other high-end products of
approximately equal quality. Thus, when you reach the high end, you need to
exercise some discretion as to when you're paying too much. The other way
snobbery can come into play is when the person who's prepared to pay more
than the commodity price for low-end items believes that the person *not*
prepared to pay more (or perhaps not in a position to pay more) is
inherently a lesser person for doing so. That, I believe, is the worst kind
of snobbery - feeling the need to diminish others because of the choices
that they make. But simply stating that there *are* real differences in
quality that can mean higher price for better quality isn't snobbery.

--
Alex Rast

(remove d., .7, not, and .NOSPAM to reply)

> (Alex Rast)

>(PENMART01) wrote :
>
>>> (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...
>
>I tend to believe that any statement to the effect that "human perception
>is incapable of... {pick arbitrary sensory limit here}" sets the person
>making it up to be shown wrong by somebody. I think it's unwise to make
>limits on what human systems can do

You're probably one of those fools who spends mega bucks on audio equipment
with specs way beyond the hearing of cats and dogs, who actually is convinced,
because of the bucks spent, they are hearing something they're not.... that's
in fact called being afflicted with a psychosis... means you are nuts!

The perception of the presence of vanilla is 100% detected by sense of smell...
humans cannot taste vanilla on the tongue, not a possibility... humans can
taste only salt, sweet, sour, and bitter, vanilla is none of those. It's just
not possible for humans to differentiate between modern vanilla flavoring and
the real deal... yes, humans can detect the difference in a laboratory, with a
spectrometor, but no human can detect any difference with their own sensory
perception, human olfactory perception just ain't even close to good enough,
not even when it's at it's best, in a newborn... by the time a human is 25
years old they've already lost more than half their ability to taste anything..
and it goes way downhill from there... taste is NOT developed with age... at
least for sight there are corrective lenses (and color chips - humans are
incapable of retaining color variation for more than a second or two except for
extremes), for hearing
there are amplifiers... there is nothing for taste or smell.


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

?????? 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?

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-
>
>

Yes... and it's quite easy. :-)
Get a 750 ml. bottle of either grain alchohol (everclear) or
just a good grade of high proof Vodka.

Drop a couple of vanilla beans into it and stick it into a dark cabinet
for about 60 months or so.

It works great!

K.

--
Sprout the Mung Bean to reply...

>,,<Cat's Haven Hobby Farm>,,<Katraatcenturyteldotnet>,,<

http://cgi6.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...user id=katra

Katra 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-
>>
>>
>
>
> Yes... and it's quite easy. :-)
> Get a 750 ml. bottle of either grain alchohol (everclear) or
> just a good grade of high proof Vodka.
>
> Drop a couple of vanilla beans into it and stick it into a dark cabinet
> for about 60 months or so.
>
> It works great!
>
> K.


I'd probably use a high-proof bourbon or Tennesee whiskey (somewhere
between 90 and 110 proof) rather than vodka or brandy, and use a pint
bottle rather than a 750 so the extract will be stronger without having
to buy so dang many vanilla beans. Drink a little of the whiskey to
make some room in the bottle, and stuff in a few split vanilla beans and
let them steep for a few months.

It's a lot easier to just buy an 8-ounce bottle of decent imitation
vanilla, and a little bottle of real vanilla to use in the few things
where it makes a difference.

Bob