What is the difference between Extract, Imitation and Pure??? This goes with Almond flavoring as well??


So many choices, what to pick?? If I am just making a cake or icing that calls for just vanilla, what do I pick?

Thanks,

Michael

Imitation vanilla is synthetic and pure vanilla comes from vanilla beans. Pure vanilla is stronger than imitation, so it takes less of it. If the flavor of what I'm making is supposed to be vanilla (vanilla cake, vanilla frosting, etc), I use pure vanilla because it's better. If it's just a highlight (like the dash you add to chocolate or other flavors) then I will use imitation because it's cheaper. Pure vanilla is brown, and will tint your white buttercream so I try to use a clear imitation for that.
I'm sure there are other differences/reason to choose one or the other, but those are mine. HTH



http://recipes.howstuffworks.com/tools-and-techniques/vanilla-extract-questions.htm

I use pure vanilla for all my cake baking, and not just any pure vanilla, I invest in the good stuff. It does make a difference.

I save the imitation or cheaper pure vanilla for everyday family baking. lol

There was a test on Cook's Illustrated or somewhere like that --maybe not CI but someone will think of the right place--anyhow they tested cookies made with real vanilla and with imitation. And they could not tell the difference.

In icings for sure and maybe in cake we can detect the difference but not in cookies so says that experiment. Interesting huh.

http://www.cooksillustrated.com/tastetests/overview.asp?docid=18889
It was CI.

Excellent reading there K8! I had seen that before, but couldn't find it. They did a test (I think in '06??) where the imitation brand by CVS won their testings.

I mean whooda thought, huh?!!

There's also vanilla paste which is basically vanilla beans scraped into a thick viscous medium similar to corn syrup. Tastes AMAZING although the drawback is that in a frosting the tiny seeds can be seen.