There is vanilla and vanilla
The vanilla is a delicious taste that can be found in many many dessert recipes, creams (the cream and the cream for example), ice creams, but also cakes and entremets.
Whenever you need to add this vanilla note, you have several possible choices because vanilla is commercially available in different forms, and also price...
Whenever you need to add this vanilla note, you have several possible choices because vanilla is commercially available in different forms, and also price...
9,657 5/5 (14 reviews)
Last modified on: December 14th 2017
There is vanilla and vanilla
We could try to make a mini-inventory of the possibilities, and of the associated quality, but to make it simple, there are 2 forms of vanilla: the pods, and the rest.
And the vanilla bean is the best: you are sure of what you are handling, it is impossible to make fake vanilla beans (well... for the moment). A vanilla bean is the fruit of the vanilla tree that has been dried and prepared. It doesn't smell much like vanilla, because its secret is inside, the little black, pasty beans that are the value of vanilla. To use a pod, you split it in 2 lengthwise and scrape out, with the back of a knife, the small black grains it contains and add them to your preparation.
It's the presence of those little black seeds that are your assurance that you're dealing with something that actually contains real vanilla.
There are different varieties of vanilla beans, depending on their origin, Indian Ocean, Tahiti, South America, ... they are more or less expensive, and less strong in taste. Personally, I have a weakness for the vanilla known as "Bourbon" from the island of Reunion. If you have to buy some, know that it is not cheap, but that it is normal (quality you know...), and that you have to take them quite soft, a little fat to the touch, it is a sign of freshness, because they dry with time.
Only after that comes anything made from pods: powder, paste, extract, purée, etc. For all these, no secret, you have to read the label very carefully so as not to find yourself, as I did, with a "liquid vanilla extract" which in fact contains 99% water and 1% vanilla sugar syrup.
And finally, at the very bottom of the scale, the very cheap vanillin, which is not vanilla, but a pure synthetic product that just gives a standardised vanilla taste.
The picture would not be complete without mentioning vanilla sugar, these small sachets are widely used, many recipes no longer indicate a weight, but just "add 1 sachet of vanilla sugar", and it should be understood "10 grams".
It is rather a good product (be careful to read the label anyway, there is not always only sugar and vanilla in it, and especially beware of very cheap packets, and right next to it, of "vanillinized sugar"), but that you can very advantageously prepare yourself at home.
By the way, run away from all the pseudo recipes that tell you that sticking a vanilla bean in a jar of sugar will give you vanilla sugar, it's a big lie because the bean is quite airtight.
As you can see, there is vanilla and there is vanilla, and you always have to be careful about what you use, as soon as you do a little baking.
Note that whenever possible, you should give the taste of the vanilla beans time to express itself, i.e. don't cook immediately, but let it rest. If you are making an ice cream, a flan, or a vanilla cream for example, it will be better with a more pronounced taste, if you make your preparation the day before, and let it rest overnight in the fridge in a closed container.
To sum up: Whenever you need to put vanilla in a recipe, prefer a whole pod, and let it rest if possible. If you want vanilla sugar, feel free to make it yourself, it'll be very good, much cheaper, and you'll be able to say "I made it!" (which is, of course, priceless).
And the vanilla bean is the best: you are sure of what you are handling, it is impossible to make fake vanilla beans (well... for the moment). A vanilla bean is the fruit of the vanilla tree that has been dried and prepared. It doesn't smell much like vanilla, because its secret is inside, the little black, pasty beans that are the value of vanilla. To use a pod, you split it in 2 lengthwise and scrape out, with the back of a knife, the small black grains it contains and add them to your preparation.
It's the presence of those little black seeds that are your assurance that you're dealing with something that actually contains real vanilla.
There are different varieties of vanilla beans, depending on their origin, Indian Ocean, Tahiti, South America, ... they are more or less expensive, and less strong in taste. Personally, I have a weakness for the vanilla known as "Bourbon" from the island of Reunion. If you have to buy some, know that it is not cheap, but that it is normal (quality you know...), and that you have to take them quite soft, a little fat to the touch, it is a sign of freshness, because they dry with time.
Only after that comes anything made from pods: powder, paste, extract, purée, etc. For all these, no secret, you have to read the label very carefully so as not to find yourself, as I did, with a "liquid vanilla extract" which in fact contains 99% water and 1% vanilla sugar syrup.
And finally, at the very bottom of the scale, the very cheap vanillin, which is not vanilla, but a pure synthetic product that just gives a standardised vanilla taste.
The picture would not be complete without mentioning vanilla sugar, these small sachets are widely used, many recipes no longer indicate a weight, but just "add 1 sachet of vanilla sugar", and it should be understood "10 grams".
It is rather a good product (be careful to read the label anyway, there is not always only sugar and vanilla in it, and especially beware of very cheap packets, and right next to it, of "vanillinized sugar"), but that you can very advantageously prepare yourself at home.
By the way, run away from all the pseudo recipes that tell you that sticking a vanilla bean in a jar of sugar will give you vanilla sugar, it's a big lie because the bean is quite airtight.
As you can see, there is vanilla and there is vanilla, and you always have to be careful about what you use, as soon as you do a little baking.
Note that whenever possible, you should give the taste of the vanilla beans time to express itself, i.e. don't cook immediately, but let it rest. If you are making an ice cream, a flan, or a vanilla cream for example, it will be better with a more pronounced taste, if you make your preparation the day before, and let it rest overnight in the fridge in a closed container.
To sum up: Whenever you need to put vanilla in a recipe, prefer a whole pod, and let it rest if possible. If you want vanilla sugar, feel free to make it yourself, it'll be very good, much cheaper, and you'll be able to say "I made it!" (which is, of course, priceless).
Lasts posts
Travel cakes
You may have come across the term "travel cakes" ("gateaux de voyage" in french) for certain pastries, so let's take a look at what they're all about.January 27th 20252,218
The aromatic power of sugar
In the kitchen, sugar doesn't just sweeten, it also has an exceptional ability to capture flavors. Combined with aromatic ingredients, such as citrus zest, it acts as a veritable sponge for aromas. By taking the time to let the sugar soak up the flavors, you can transform your desserts, making...December 25th 20242,5545
The little trap of thick cream
When you need to add cream to a recipe, you might be wondering: thick (heavy) cream or liquid cream? In most cases, there's no big difference: you can use either. But there is one exception, and that's when the cream needs to be cooked, for a sauce for example, and here the difference between...December 13th 20243,1195
Sauce and salad: When and how to mix them?
When dressing a salad, there's a kind of golden rule: add the dressing very shortly before serving, especially if your salad contains crunchy elements such as croutons or fresh vegetables, which will retain their crunchiness or crispiness. But, as is often the case in the kitchen, there are...November 29th 20243,2825
No need to boil gelatin
Gelatin is a magical ingredient for making light, creamy, structured desserts, yet it's often misused in the kitchen. A common mistake in some recipes is the idea that it needs to be boiled for it to work properly, but this is a mistake indeed: gelatin melts at a much lower temperature, around...November 21th 20243,1835
Other pages you may also like
Should asparagus really be cooked in bunches?
You'll probably read recipes here and there explaining how to cook asparagus "en botte", i.e. in a small package (the famous "botte"). Is this really the right way to cook asparagus?May 22th 20244,3615
The beautiful story of the croissants
As you may have already noticed, cooking, baking and pastry-making are full of stories or legends, usually very romantic, about this or that product or recipe. This is often the case for named recipes, for example tarte tatin, peach melba, paris-brest and many others, but it also applies to very...October 10th 201815 K5
The green of leeks
We are all, consciously or not, very sensitive to the colour of our food. That's why a red strawberry will always seem more appetizing than a pale one, even if it's not necessarily true. This is true for red, but it is also true for the green of certain vegetables.March 30th 202017 K4.0
Tranché, dissociated, failed, in short... missed!
When preparing a sauce or a cream, there's always a (small) risk that the creamy preparation you're working on will suddenly separate into two parts of different textures: a liquid part, for example, and a more or less solid part, or even become lumpy. It's terribly frustrating, but we'll see...June 19th 20238,2155
Good fridge management
We all have a fridge at home – it's an indispensible part of the kitchen and so much a part of the furniture that we tend not to pay it much attention. But often, out of habit, we don't use it properly. Here are a few tips to help you get more from your fridge. .April 19th 201126 K4.4
Post a comment or question
Follow this page
If you are interested in this page, you can "follow" it, by entering your email address here. You will then receive a notification immediately each time the page is modified or a new comment is added. Please note that you will need to confirm this following.
Note: We'll never share your e-mail address with anyone else.
Alternatively: you can subscribe to the mailing list of cooling-ez.com , you will receive a e-mail for each new recipe published on the site.