[Sca-cooks] OT OOP Vanilla Extract - how to

[Carol Smith]

Corn syrup is one of the permitted additives for Pure Vanilla Extract (CFR 31. 161 or 165, I believe) and has always been one of the alternatives to cane sugar used in making many flavors.  The industry began using it as a cost-cutting measure several years ago.
To make homemade pure vanilla extract, you will need the equivalent of 13.35 av oz vanilla bean/ gallon of 35-40% alcohol (70 - 80 proof).  If you wish to add a little sugar to it, you will have to start with a higher alcohol content, because the sugar will bring the alcohol down.  Steep the chopped bean in the alcohol for a minimum of 10 days, decant, adjust as necessary, and use.  The bean should still be useful to some extent for vanilla sugar, but it will probably have a woody taste rather than the sweet vanillin taste you expect.
Flavor will probably vary more, batch to batch, if you do it yourself, depending on the quality of bean available.  Bourbon beans are supposed to be the best, and they should be shiny and black, with small white crystals visible on their exteriors for highest quality.  But drying beans naturally is labor intensive, and is rarely done any more.

Regards,
Brekke
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Daniel Phelps<mailto:phelpsd at gate.net> 
  To: SCA-Cooks at ansteorra.org<mailto:SCA-Cooks at ansteorra.org> 
  Sent: Tuesday, December 20, 2005 9:32 PM
  Subject: [Sca-cooks] OT OOP Vanilla Extract


  Hello I've never posted to the list but I've got a question. When did they start putting corn syrup in vanilla extract?  I have found such in the Publix store brand, in the McCormick brand, and in the Nielsen-Massey brand at the gourmet shop. The only kind that didn't have corn syrup was the Spice Islands brand but, at $11.99 for two ounces, it's three or four times more expensive. Was there a problem with the vanilla crop? Is home-made vanilla extract just as good? 
  Cheers,
  Isabella
  (Daniel's better half...)
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