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Making homemade vanilla extract1/20/2024 ![]() ![]() If you choose vanilla beans from the supermarket that are sold individually, you may not save money by making your own extract. To be considered a true extract, the alcohol should be at least 35% strength (70 proof). Homemade vanilla extract only uses 2 ingredients, vanilla beans and alcohol. To avoid all that grossness, the first years I was living here, I brought vanilla extract in bulk back to Spain with me each time I went back to visit the US, but I finally decided it made more sense to make it myself. So, if you are a vegetarian or vegan, and are eating something with “natural vanilla flavoring”, you may unwittingly be consuming an animal product, and a not-so-appealing one at that! ![]() Because of the location of the castor sacs, at the base of the beaver’s tail, castoreum may also contain urine and anal gland secretions! Yum! Castoreum is a secretion from the castor sacs of beavers. Natural vanilla flavor can actually come from beavers in the form of castoreum. That statement sounds crazy, but it’s all too true! ![]() Not all vanilla flavorings are what they seem… Where does vanilla flavoring come from?ĭid you know that even “naturally” flavoured vanilla products might not actually be using vanilla? You can also ensure that you are using a true vanilla flavoring that comes from the vanilla bean. You can choose which ingredients you want to use to get the flavor you prefer. It’s not just about the money, though, it’s about the control. Pure vanilla extract can be pricey, so, if you can get a good deal on vanilla beans, you can save yourself money. Even if you can easily find vanilla extract where you live, though, it could make sense to make your own. I choose to make my own vanilla extract because I couldn’t find it easily here. As for the vanilla flavoring? Those of you that have been following me for a while probably know that I’m not a big fan of chemically produced artificial products. While I do love vanilla beans, they aren’t always the most convenient thing to use for most recipes. Instead, they normally have vanilla beans or artificial vanilla flavoring. Most stores don’t sell pure vanilla extract. Here in Spain, though, vanilla isn’t as commonly used. Vanilla extract shows up in almost every baking recipe ever written. Anybody that has been baking American recipes for a while knows that many recipes call for vanilla extract! It’s not just for vanilla ice cream. ![]()
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