Shelf life of vanilla extract?

July 12, 2008 in Vanilla questions | 11 comments

“Cheryl” writes: what is the shelf life of vanilla extract? How long does vanilla extract last, and when does vanilla extract expire?

Like fine wine, real vanilla extract will mature with age and continue to improve over time. Some say indefinitely. In general, because it is a form of liqueur, vanilla extract should last “forever”.

Related
Frequently asked vanilla questions.
Vanilla information.
Vanilla extract tutorial and recipe.

  1. Emily on July 27, 2010 at 6:32 pm

    so does vanilla extract expire because I have vanilla extract and it has been in my pantrey for some years now… is it still good?

  2. ian on July 28, 2010 at 6:41 am

    Yes, it is fine.

  3. rhonda on December 4, 2010 at 5:34 pm

    YAY! I have some very good pure vanillia.. so happy to hear this!

  4. Vi on February 3, 2011 at 10:26 pm

    I have some pure vanilla (or it says is it) from Mexico that I have had for several years. Is it still good?

  5. sophie on March 26, 2011 at 3:15 pm

    found vanilla in cabinet name brand spice classics dist by han-dee pak inc
    hunt valley md 21031 must be al least 30 yrs old is it still good .

    sndesmond

  6. Nathan on June 8, 2011 at 1:33 am

    Vi, I have pure vanilla from Mexico that is at least 5 years old and just used it the other day. The flavor is great. No one got sick! haha

  7. Katie Jones on July 9, 2011 at 6:26 pm

    There is no such thing as “pure” vanilla from Mexico. I found this on the Niielsen Massey website: “Mexico has no truth in labeling regulations or any organization like our FDA. Many times the vanilla will contain artificial flavors or enhancers, such as Coumarin, which is carcinogenic product that has been outlawed by the FDA for the last 30 to 40 years. If manufactured correctly, under the proper guidelines, it is considered to be a high quality vanilla.”

  8. sharon collins on August 8, 2011 at 4:06 pm

    I have white vanilla from mexico that has brown sediment in it. Is it still good? Have had for several years.

  9. Judy on October 30, 2011 at 4:04 pm

    I just tasted a bottle of Pure Vanilla I purchased back in 2004 in Mexico. I bought 3 bottles and one was opened as I have been using it. I “taste tested” the open bottle to see if it was still good and compared it to a bottle of Pure Vanilla I bought in the grocery store recently……..forgetting I had vanilla from a while back. The store bought vanilla is a stronger flavor and I can taste the alcohol in it while the pure vanilla from Mexico is much milder in taste. Can this vanilla from Mexico (two sealed unopened bottles still be good)?

  10. ian on October 31, 2011 at 7:58 am

    @Judy & Sharon – Of course it is still good. Vanilla is like wine and doesn’t go bad (within reason). It is probably a different type of vanilla, maybe without sugar to deaden the alcohol flavor. If it was cheap Mexican vanilla there is also the possibility it isn’t real vanilla.

  11. Marie on January 14, 2012 at 12:45 pm

    I was making rice pudding the other day and after about what seemed like 1 hr it was perfect…..directions then called to add vanilla extract and mix into pudding before pouring into serving dishes ….within 1 minute of adding vanilla it all curdled and water was separated from eggs…. If vanilla doesn’t go bad, then what happened????