why buy it?
Posted by Lynsie Watkins Thu, 10 Apr 2008 01:17:00 GMT
Why buy it when you can make it yourself? That is a question that has driven me to try to make just about anything I can myself. In fact, I have a rule when shopping at the grocery store: if I can't make it at home, I won't buy it. (Which leaves me buying very little and making a lot.) After all, I don't know anyone who's got gum carrageenan or maltodextrin or carmine lying around in the pantry just waiting to be used. Do you?Nope, that's right-chemicals and scary unpronounceable substances are just NOT my thing. This comes in handy, of course, if I'm out of some store-bought item at home, but need to make potato salad with mayo. When this happened the first time, and I didn't have the mayo, I decided to learn how to make it myself, using a Julia Child recipe, of course. I have not bought a single jar of mayo from the store since.
Not only is it incredibly rewarding to learn something new and put it to good use, like feeding yourself, your family, or unannounced guests...BUT by making things at home, you're in charge of the ingredients that go into them. No chemicals here, just foundation ingredients that, in combination, actually DO create a healthy product. (And just so we're all clear, mayo isn't actually supposed to be white as I discovered, it's yellow.)
This level of curiosity mixed with much ambition has put me where I am today at Perfect Flavor. I put this ideal to use each day in my kitchen, where we make everything- from our own peanut butter and caramel to marshmallows, bread, buttermilk and vanilla extract. Yes, I did just say vanilla extract.
After having carefully researched vanilla extract, I have learned some disturbing facts. For instance, there are many names that mean many different things. They all use the word "vanilla," even if there is no vanilla at all. It sounds confusing, and you'd be right to feel that way, because it is.
There's artificial vanilla flavoring, imitation vanilla flavoring, natural vanilla flavoring, vanilla extract, and pure vanilla extract. Most of these names translate to the following: wood pulp made to synthesize the taste and flavor of pure vanilla, vanillin which is a cheaper, lower grade vanilla substitute, and vanilla beans infused into vodka or other liquors. The latter being the best choice, I started from there when I was deciding what to use in my ice cream. In the process, I was in direct contact with Vicki, the owner of Organic-Vanilla.com, a small, family owned and operated business which specializes in the curing and selling of organic, fairly traded vanilla beans from Mexico and Tahiti.
Through talking to Vicki, I discovered that in fact the "organic pure vanilla extract" that I was using from the store still only contained 35% alcohol. According to Vicki, real vanilla extract should contain 100% alcohol, since that's how it's made. All the big businesses thin the extract out with WATER so that they can spend less on ingredients and make more money. Of course once I discovered this I asked Vicki what to do. She very obligingly gave me her family's recipe for making vanilla extract. From now on that is all I will use in my store and at home. It's super easy and actually quite inexpensive. You may not believe me...but see for yourself:
You will need 12 vanilla beans (Bourbon, Grade A), a fifth of 100 proof vodka (according to Vicki, more expensive vodka does not make a difference, so go cheap and save the good stuff!) and most importantly, patience. The infusion process takes as little as three months and can go as long as twelve. I'd say start with three and work your way up from there. Chances are, your extract will taste so much better than anything you've used even at three months that you'll never be able to go back to store-bought again.
How to make vanilla extract at home:
Open your vodka bottle, pour out a small amount (about a 1/4 cup). Cut your vanilla beans down the middle, and with a pairing knife, scrape out the seeds (or caviar as the pros call it). Carefully drop your caviar into the vodka bottle, then add the remaining vanilla bean skins. Put the lid on, shake, and leave in a cool dark place. I put my bottles in the fridge, in the back. This way they remain cold and as little light hits them as possible. Every few days, shake them about and put them back to sit and steep. In three months, try your extract out on a batch of cookies. Remember, though, that one of the benefits of using pure, 100% alcohol extract is that it will make whatever you're baking, ice cream especially, smoother and softer. If using in ice cream, your ice cream will be softer since alcohol freezes at a lower temperature than most of your freezers are set to. When all of your extract is done, which will take awhile, Vicki suggests grinding the rest of the beans and using those in your baking as well. They're a great replacement for vanilla extract when you're in a bind.
Now, the best part of all. Does the thought of buying expensive grocery store vanilla beans scare you? It scared me...until I found out about Organic-Vanilla.com! They sell online, the beans ship fast, and the best news of all is that they're not expensive. I got 30 beans, Grade A, 7-8 inches long for $23 (including shipping)!!!
Go for it, do something satisfying, and MAKE your own vanilla extract!