I am currently out of vanilla. I normally buy the pint container of pure vanilla extract available at GFS. I would like to upgrade to a better quality.
Any suggestions?
AI make my own, and use store bought. Buy whatever is 'cleanest.' Pure vanilla, not a bunch of additives. I always read the ingredient label, and research the company I buy from. (I research mainly out of curiosity)
I gotta say, I'm not the hugest fan of Nielsen Massey. I have a quart of their VB paste which is fine, but their vanilla extract is just meh to me. I actually like Watkins vanilla a lot, as well as Spice Islands. I have yet to try making my own but I want to do that soon so it's good and strong for Christmas baking. Do 8 beans to one cup of booze if you're going to make your own.
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I gotta say, I'm not the hugest fan of Nielsen Massey. I have a quart of their VB paste which is fine, but their vanilla extract is just meh to me. I actually like Watkins vanilla a lot, as well as Spice Islands. I have yet to try making my own but I want to do that soon so it's good and strong for Christmas baking. Do 8 beans to one cup of booze if you're going to make your own.
I did buy Watkins Pure Vanilla extract yesterday. I have used it in the past but wasn't sure if it was considered a "great" vanilla....thanks for the input!
Spice Islands is good too but it's more expensive. With Watkins you have to watch because they make a double strength artificial vanilla and it's easy to pick up the wrong thing, especially when the nimrods at Wal Mart put the stock in the wrong spot. Only pure vanilla for me!
I gotta say, I'm not the hugest fan of Nielsen Massey. I have a quart of their VB paste which is fine, but their vanilla extract is just meh to me. I actually like Watkins vanilla a lot, as well as Spice Islands. I have yet to try making my own but I want to do that soon so it's good and strong for Christmas baking. Do 8 beans to one cup of booze if you're going to make your own.
Wow...I don't think I've ever heard anyone say that...ever.
I also don't like their vanilla extract and I was sure I was crazy since everyone and their mother loves the stuff.
Mine smelled like rubbing alcohol and didn't have a strong vanilla flavor in anything I made with it...
I bought a quart, which is still in my cabinet.
I contacted Nielsen-Massey because I wanted to know if it could possibly be old/expired (there's no date on the bottle).
They were able to check the Lot number and according to them, it was fresh, only 2months old.
I then started to question the place I purchased from (on-line)...I didn't contact them because they had a no return policy on food items, but I thought maybe, just maybe, something happened to it there...
So...on my next purchase at King Arthur Flour, a place I do trust and have had nothing but the best experiences with, I decided to add a small 2oz. bottle of NM vanilla extract to my order...just to try it again because I thought ALL those people couldn't be wrong...
Well, as soon as I smelled it, I knew...and baking with it was no better.
Their vanilla bean paste is another story...I LOVE it!
Thank you for "coming out." I was cowering in the corner waiting to be hit with cake balls. LOL
I also forgot to say that I use a lot of vanilla in my buttercream-anywhere from 3-4 tablespoons. So vanilla is important to me.
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