I need to ask all these experienced bakers out there. I need a really good vanilla flavor for some cupcakes for a wedding. Which is better to buy?
Vanilla beans or vanilla paste. does the paste have the little seeds in them? I don't know much about this, other than they are really expensive.
Can someone give me some advice please?

Also forgot to ask this - where is the best place on the internet to get them?

when i bake vanilla cupcakes, i only use vanilla bean paste (yes, it has the seeds). i buy mine from lorann oils.

I use fresh vanilla beans. If you boil them for a few minutes you can slice them open and scrape them into your batter. In my opinion right off the vine is the freshest. I use more bean then less. Vanilla is hard to overpower in a cake mix. You can buy Vanilla beans at any grocery store, spice store. Not sure what stores you have in your state. Hope this helps.

Why do you boil them? I slice them open and scrape them without boiling.

I use paste. For me is more practical, I use lorAnn and I get mine from amazon.

VB Paste - Nielson Massey has the best extracts on the planet and the preferred brand of artisan bakers/chefs. I get mine from my restaurant distributor but you can also get it from Amazon and lots of other stores like Sur La Table, William Sonoma, or any fine food store. I go thru a quart of VBP a week because it's so good. Yes it has the seeds.

Good Luck!

Jen

This is the purest paste anywhere. No thickeners, no sugars, which those others mentioned are full of. This is really strong stuff. It isn't pretty, it isn't sweet smelling, but it's not supposed to be. You use this sparingly. This is what the others wish they were:

http://www.vanillaproductsusa.com/servlet/the-7/1-LB-One-Pound/Detail

I highly recommend this, and if you do get it, repackage it when it gets to you. Scrape out the jar with a spatula and put it in something that closes tighter than this package. Only thing I'd like to see changed, that damn package. The contents are too precious for the flimsy jar.

Until I think it's enough. I don't really ever measure it, it's just a till it looks right, ya know? You might not want to use this if you're going for a perfect "seeds only" look on the exterior of a cake, because it does have bits and pieces (very very miniscule, but they're there) of bean pod. But again, it's raw pure paste, so it's gonna happen. Damn it's good stuff.

And I'm not kidding, the package sucks, you will want to repack it when it gets there. I mean the ild screws down and tightens, but I would put it in something else. At the very least, put the whole thing in a Ziplock bag and suck all the air out everytime you put it in.

I buy my Vincent Massey Vanilla Extract and Vanilla Bean Paste from Flour Confections in Canada. It's $40 for a 32oz bottle of extract and $45 for a 32oz bottle of vanilla bean paste.

http://www.flourconfections.ca/shop/nielsen-massey-pure-vanilla-bean-paste-944ml-p-488.html

Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla Paste is excellent. It adds outstanding flavor to cakes, frostings and custards. Try it out with a small jar - overly expensive per oz.- but paying $40.00 for an unknown flavoring is an expensive gamble. My nephew refers to my big bottle of vanilla as the "Good Stuff."

thanks guys for all your advice. Very very helpful. Now I know what I am going to do.

I also use NM vanilla bean paste, but I use it in combination with homemade vanilla extract made with Grey Goose vodka. It is incredible.

I use real vanilla beans. I never boil them, I just slice in half and scrape the seeds. You can buy them at Costco at a great price, 10 for about $13. You can also order them from amazon at a good price. Those are by far the 2 least expensive ways I've seen to buy them. The quality has always been excellent.

Wow those are great prices! What kind of packaging do they come in? How do you keep them fresh?

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/844/beansg.jpg/ This is a package frmo my last shipment. They are vacuum sealed, and pretty well. I don't keep beans around too much for single use, I make extract right away. So, I get my vodka bottles and start chopping and scraping as soon as I get them. When you open up a package of the good Grade A, they are gooey and thick, and bursting with seeds.

If you want them to scrape into recipes, I'd split the package up into smaller packages and vacuum seal those. Don't freeze or refrigerate though, keep in a dark cool place in the house.

From that package, and the bonus beans I got for free, I made 3 750ml bottles of extract (still brewing, I give it about 3 to 4 months). There was some left over as well, and I added them to previous batch I am currently using. Good stuff, I tell ya.

Thanks!

That site looks great. Do you always use the grade A instead of grade B for extract? Have you tried the grade B?

How many beans do you use per ounce or ml for extract? Does brand of vodka matter?

The first time I ordered, I got the extract grade, and they were great too! I wanted to see the difference this time, and went for the best ones. They are longer and plumper and oilier. Ooh, I feel dirty describing them that way, but they are just really better. I would skip straight to them, but the others are ok too.

Great post ! im hoping once i try 1 of these snazzy vanillas that my cakes can get 1 more step closer to tasting like duncan hines lol!