All of your delectable delicacies use the same glorious, imported bean. Your cakes, custards, cookies, homemade ice cream, frosting, brownies, quick breads, puddings, french toast, waffles and many of your cocktails wouldn’t taste as delicious and balanced without it. But why must vanilla extract be SO freaking expensive? Check out these gnarly prices:
Cheaper isn’t always better.
This 2 oz bottle of Watkins is only $4.79?? And their 11 oz bottle is only $11.33?? How is that possible? Scope out the ingredients to find out:
Don’t be fooled. Artificial flavors and caramel color are a dead giveaway. The real stuff is required by the FDA to ONLY be titled “vanilla extra” or “extract of vanilla” and must contain 35% ethanol with no less than 1 unit per gallon of vanilla constituent. The FDA allows the real-deal extract to contain one or all of the following: glycerin, propylene glycol, sugar, dextrose and corn syrup, but nothing else.
Imitation vanilla.
The alternative shouldn’t thrill you. A synthetically derived, artificial flavoring called vanillin. Lots of our cheaply manufactured sweets and frozen desserts are flavored with vanillin. Don’t settle for the fake stuff. It’s much more cost effective ($11.43 for the 32 oz McCormick bottle above), but doesn’t taste the same, and neither will your baked goodies. Make your own. It’s insanely easy. Here’s how:
[cooked-recipe id=”1695″]
