Pure Vanilla Or Imitation Vanilla ?
Decorating By S_S_SweetTooth Updated 5 Mar 2006 , 8:14pm by TomA
Thank you for all the replies and I jsut received an email from Nielsen-Massey Vanillas that said "Our FAQ is up to date and correct. You can not make an all-natural, pure vanilla clear. It would be like trying to make a clear cup of coffee. If you're worried about discoloration I would recommend our Pure Vanilla Powder is 100% all natural, pure but with a light tan color that won't noticeable discolor like a pure vanilla extract."
Have you tried it squirleycakes?
No, I cannot get those here unless I order on-line. I think it is worth a try though, but if you are using butter in your icing it will still not be quite white. I am not keen on adding the whitener product. But I think this powder would really be worth a try!
Hugs Squirrelly
You can bury a vanilla bean or two in a container of sugar and get the most wonderful smelling vanilla sugar. I like to use this when serving coffee to guests. I always have some of it around. (And always forget to use it when baking LOL) but it seems to me it ought to solve the problem of getting unwanted brown color in one's icing. If the sugar itself carries the flavour, one wouldn't need to add extract. The beans last for a very long time and you can jsut keep adding sugar to your container. You can even do this with vanilla beans you've already used for something else, like creme anglaise.
I'm going to go try it in some powdered sugar right now. I'll report back in a few days, when it's had some time to be absorbed or not.
i never use clear vanilla, as i do find it has a chemical flavour i find off-putting. however, i do always use imitation vanilla, and find that i prefer it over natural extract which i find to rather "boozy". however, natural vanilla is better for using as perfume (if you're into that sort of thing).
Well kiddo, funny enough, I prefer the artificial brown coloured vanilla over the clear, my mother used to use it sometimes. It doesn't have the coconut taste to it, likely why I don't mind it, haha!
Some of the natural vanillas don't taste the same as far as "boozy" as others. I was surprised that the Wilton Madagascar was so sweet tasting on its own. Yes, I do taste all of the extracts on their own, hiccup. er...
Hugs Squirrelly
http://www.zeronfinefoods.com/home.htm
Check out this site... this guy is serious about vanilla!
Als, some imitation vanilla (vanillIN) is made from the sap/bark of a type of evergreen (hey... just like turpentine...)
http://www.zeronfinefoods.com/home.htm
Check out this site... this guy is serious about vanilla!
Als, some imitation vanilla (vanillIN) is made from the sap/bark of a type of evergreen (hey... just like turpentine...)
Yes and they can call it all-natural vanilla extract in some countries, which is why you have to be careful. Mexico sometimes sells this one as Pure Vanilla.
Hugs Squirrelly
I do have and use clear Mexican vanilla. Some of the brands have a label marking that there is no coumarin. I also always use half of the amount of what a recipe calls for or it just seems too strong.
Danncy is one of the worst. If you have any, pour it out. They have been linked to liver disease and are a likely carcinogen.
http://www.fda.gov/ora/fiars/ora_import_ia2807.html
Basically, the US FDA has banned a number of brands of Mexican Vanilla--including Danncy--because they contain coumarin--a poisonous additive that smells even more like vanilla than real vanilla does. Coumarin was banned by the FDA as a food additive in 1940, due to studies showing liver toxicity. There is also some evidence that it may be carcinogenic. Dicoumarol derivatives have been used as rat poison (namely, warfarin). It smells richer, and much less like alcohol than American vanilla. Apparently that's a good sign that it is NOT vanilla.
Anyway, Mexican labeling is not trustworthy and not enforced, so even if it says "no coumarin" you cannot believe that. NO ONE CHECKS.
And no one will stop you from bringing it across the border, either.
I just thought you might like to hear more about this.
You can do a google search for "danncy coumarin" for more information.
I@brought a big bottle of pure vanilla back from my last trip to mexico. I haven't had any problems with the taste being off. Mind you I did barter with the guy for 15 minutes to bring the price down to something I@could afford. The brand is Totonac's and smells like rummy vanilla. MMMMMM, excuse me for a bit. lol
"Some connoisseurs still regard the Totonac vanilla as the best. It is sometimes marketed in gourmet food stores as "Mexican vanilla", although Mexico also produces low-quality vanilla that sometimes shares this label."
http://www.answers.com/topic/vanilla
Oddly enough, the STRONGER the vanilla smell, the LESS LIKELY that is is real vanilla. Real vanilla WILL have a bit of an alcohol smell to it.
Look at it this way, vanilla--like gold, silver and oil--is a commodity that trades on world markets (for about $1200 per pound). It's not a handcraft or a t-shirt. There is no way to get the real stuff at super low prices unless you grow it yourself.
You can bargain quite a lot for silver jewelry in Mexico, too. But guess what? You are never going to get a price that is lower than the world market price for silver bullion.
Same thing with vanilla. Basically, if you paid a very small amount for a very large bottle that SMELLS like the best vanilla you have ever smelled, you have a bottle of coumarin.
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