| As many of us may be aware, Vanilla is the fruit of an | | | | stabilizer. Vanilla extracts made with premium beans |
| orchid plant that commonly grows to reach the shape | | | | and little or no sugar offer a fresh clean flavor. Though |
| of a bean pod. Vanilla orchids are widely grown in | | | | these extracts may be expensive, the flavor is truly |
| tropic climates. The dark brown vanilla bean is usually 7 | | | | pleasant. Vanilla naturally ages by the time it goes from |
| to 9 inches long, weighs about 5 grams, and yields | | | | factory to your shelf. Some companies hold the |
| about 1/2 teaspoon of seeds. It is said that one-quarter | | | | extracts in their manufacturing area for up to a year to |
| teaspoon should be enough to flavor a recipe for 4 to | | | | make certain the extract is well aged before they ship |
| 5 people. Vanilla is used not in pastries, desserts, and | | | | it out. Vanilla extracts can be kept indefinitely as long |
| baked goods and sea foods. It is also a popular | | | | as they are stored in a cool dark place such as a |
| ingredient for coffees, perfumes, cigars and pipe | | | | pantry or cupboard that is far removed from the |
| tobaccos. Vanilla extract has been widely in use for | | | | stove or bright sun. Refrigeration is however not |
| more than a hundred years and they were originally | | | | recommended. People who prefer not to use an |
| strong and sweet and were primarily used to cure | | | | alcohol-based extract can substitute natural vanilla |
| stomach upsets. Now Vanilla extracts are | | | | flavor available in specialty food stores and some |
| commercially available in convenience stores, | | | | supermarkets. Vanilla flavor is a mixture of pure vanilla |
| supermarkets, fancy gourmet shops, and even online. | | | | extract and synthetic substances, most commonly, |
| Along with Vanilla extracts, additional products are also | | | | synthetic vanillin. There are a couple of common |
| available - natural vanilla flavor, cookie vanilla, imitation | | | | brands that contain a blend of natural and synthetic |
| vanilla, vanilla blend, double-fold vanilla, vanilla paste, | | | | vanillas. If you are accustomed to a natural/synthetic |
| vanilla powder, etc. You will obviously be confused | | | | blend, then this may taste very familiar to you and you |
| which product to buy and your preference may have | | | | will like it more than a pure extract. You also have |
| to be what your family traditionally used for vanilla | | | | imitation vanilla that is a mixture made from synthetic |
| flavoring, the taste to which all your family members | | | | substances, which imitate part of natural vanilla smell |
| are accustomed. It is interesting to know there are | | | | and flavor. The imitation vanilla is less expensive and |
| about 150 varieties of vanilla, though only two are most | | | | affordable to many. There are several varieties of |
| widely in demand--Bourbon and Tahitian. Vanilla extract | | | | vanilla powders commercially available in the market. |
| is made by percolating chopped vanilla beans with | | | | Some are made from sucrose that has been |
| ethyl alcohol and water. The process is usually kept | | | | ribbon-sprayed with vanilla extract, and others are a |
| cool to avoid excessive flavor loss. The extraction | | | | dextrose-vanilla extract mix. They are ideal for mixing |
| process takes about 48 hours after which the | | | | with beverages if you want a slightly sweet addition |
| extracts will mellow in the tanks with the beans for a | | | | that dissolves quickly. Please be careful because |
| few weeks before being filtered into a holding tank | | | | many of the vanilla powders from Europe are actually |
| where the amber-colored liquid extract remains till | | | | synthetic. You have to check the ingredients list to |
| bottled. The extract may also contain sugar, corn | | | | satisfy it is natural and not artificial. samehta is a |
| syrup, caramel, colors, or stabilizers. All additives must | | | | Copywriter of Clear liquid flavor, flavored water, |
| be specified on the bottle label when marketing | | | | Bottled water .She written many articles in various |
| commercially. As vanilla is naturally sweet, it isn't | | | | topics such as vanilla flavoring, flavored bottled water, |
| necessary to use additional sweeteners, though some | | | | bottled drinking water . For more information visit: . |
| companies use a small percentage of sugar as a | | | | |