J writes:

I’m in the third week of my first extract experiment, and it smells sort of . . . plastic-y.
Is something wrong? Is it just the type of bean I’m using? I sterilized my jar and lid in advance…

C writes:

I put the beans in my food processor instead of cutting them by hand, and they were in .5-1″ damaged chunks when I started macerating them in the alcohol. I’d think that was good, for maximal surface area, but it’s been about six weeks and while the extract is very dark it tastes harsh. Do you think it was the food processor step?

In both cases, it’s still a bit early in the process. Give vanilla extract a few months to age before judging the aroma. Extract has an intense alcohol aroma when new; maybe that’s the chemical or plastic smell. Commercial manufacturers cut extract with something sweet (sugar, corn syrup) to remove the alcohol nose. Given time, your extract will age and mellow naturally without the need for sweeteners.

That said, if you notice quickly growing mold, toss it without opening! It’s not worth the risk. But at 40% alcohol, that shouldn’t be a problem.

It’s often said that ground vanilla or vanilla powder is good for baking. As I tried to develop a vanilla-cardamom cake, I realized that I really don’t like ground vanilla…

1. There’s no way to know what quality of vanilla bean is used to make ground vanilla. Even “grade A” seems to encompass an increasingly wide range of qualities.
2. Vanilla pods are very fibrous. That’s why recipes call for extract, caviar, or steeped pods. I find that ground vanilla remains fibrous after cooking, often increasing in bulk, leaving unpleasing fiber chunks.
3. Vanilla powder changes the texture, or crumb, of delicate desserts. The fibers can weigh down flour based desserts, creating an unpleasant mouth feel. According to my taste tester: “I bite down on juicy string bits, like orange juice pulp”. Not what you want in a delicate vanilla-cardamom cake.

How do you use it?

…In my original post I noted that you can add second and third infusions of vodka to your extract until all the flavor is gone from the beans. I only recently used up my first bottle and I added extra vodka to it to see if the second infusion would take. It’s been over a month and the color is still quite weak. With a stronger initial infusion, like my newest batch, additional infusions might work better but I won’t be able to experiment with it for at least 6 months, possibly longer. But honestly, at a cost of 14 cents a bean I would rather just buy more beans and start a new batch rather than try to revitalize the old.
…
Regarding the vodka, I wasn’t sure which way to go. Some people say use the cheapest you can find, others say you should go for something decent. I ended up getting a very cheap bottle and slightly better quality bottle and mixing them together, though I suspect it really doesn’t matter…

Emphasis mine.

Related
Extract alcohol trial results.

Thanks,
Eric

I use grade B whenever possible, but grade A work great too! I’ve even thought that using grade A beans gave more depth and flavor to the extract, but not everyone agrees.

Tamami at Coco&Me posted the results of her vanilla extract experiments using vodka, rum, and brandy:

I made 3 samples – with vodka, rum & brandy – & I can say that the best one was… drum-roll please… with Vodka!! Ta-da!
…
The clear vodka now coloured rich auburn brown, has the most heady scent of vanilla. Bliss. It’s a “happy-moment”. You know that the vanilla has been fully extracted. It has a slightly syrupy density, & when you shake the bottle then pour, you’d get loads of specks of vanilla beans. Gorgeous.
…
The other two, the rum & the brandy versions, well, forget ‘em really… The distinct flavour of the alcohol drowned the delicate vanilla scent. Quite disappointing & pointless.

You can read more about Tamami’s experiment with vanilla extract and various alcohols.

In short, crystals suggest two things:
1. The vanilla beans have been exposed to air for some time.
2. The beans contain the chemical vanillin.

Crystals do not demonstrate:
1. Overall quality of the vanilla bean.
2. Potency of the bean (except in the most cursory way).
3. Acceptable or pleasing flavors.

Explanation
Vanilla beans develop a frost of small crystals (called givre in French) as the vanillin inside the bean migrates to the surface while the beans dry. Givre does not develop on vacuum packed beans because there is no gas exchange in the bean. Givre thus is an indicator that the vanilla beans have been exposed to gas exchange for an extended period — recently cured beans don’t have crystals no matter how high the vanillin levels. Many vanilla beans will grow crystals if left loosely packaged.

Frost also indicates the presence of vanillin. This was an important quality indicator in the 1900s when the world was rife with vanilla bean scams. Vanillin content is the most simplistic, cursory indicator of vanilla bean quality. It does not indicate overall quality or condition of the vanilla bean, nor its flavor or “freshness”. Furthermore, great vanilla beans might not grow crystals at all:

“The absence of the crystalline coating on the vanilla beans seems to be no proof of inferiority, for Henri Lecomte affirms that it is [sometimes] absent in the best Mexican bean” (B. Sc. Pharm., 1901).

Related
Frosted vanilla bean gallery.

First, are they really stale?

1. Make Extract — extract grade beans almost never go stale, so there should be no problem using stale beans in vanilla extract.
2. Make vanilla sugar — chop stale vanilla beans and combine with sugar to make vanilla sugar.
3. Make ground vanilla — pulverize stale vanilla beans in a coffee grinder to make vanilla powder.

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

Vanilla extract contains 35% alcohol, by US FDA regulations.

For more vanilla facts, check out the Vanilla Info page, or learn how to make your own Vanilla Extract.

Send your vanilla questions using the contact form.

I believe that vanilla powder and ground vanilla are the same thing. I compiled this equivalency table using several sources, primarily the fantastic Cook’s Thesaurus:

While many will say there’s no such thing as too much vanilla, my thick vanilla bean extracts can easily overwhelm a dish and turn it vanilla-disgusting. Use homemade extract with care if you beef up the number of beans, like me.
———-
*Notes…

*1 Vanilla bean - The Cook’s Thesaurus suggests using more than 1″ of vanilla bean if it’s not especially potent or fresh. Simmer the vanilla in a liquid used in the recipe to extract the flavor.

*2 Vanilla extract - The FDA requires about 6 vanilla beans (7 inch) per cup alcohol, or 42 inches of bean per 48 teaspoons. Just less than one inch (7/8) per teaspoon extract.

*3 Vanilla powder - The Cook’s Thesaurus is a bit hazy about whether to use 1/2 or 1 teaspoon ground vanilla, probably because vanilla powders from various sources are so different. Ground vanilla could be crusty old beans or grade A beauties, who knows.

A simple experiment provides some helpful info: an 8 inch vanilla bean reduced to about 2 teaspoons of pulver in a coffee grinder. That’s a bit less than 1/4 teaspoon powder per inch of bean– certainly closer to 1/2 teaspoon ground vanilla than 1 teaspoon.

The bean I used was pretty dry. A moist bean would probably yield slightly more powder, but I couldn’t get one to grind in my coffee grinder. In this picture it looks like Vanilla-Trade.com uses an industrial chipper-shredder to make vanilla powder.

*4 Vanilla paste - “Vanilla paste” is a new, unregulated product that’s trendy at the moment. It aims to give the appearance of cooking with vanilla beans (black caviar specks), without the “hassle” of owning real beans (convenient portions). There’s really no way to know what you’re getting, but follow the directions — or hope that it’s roughly equal to extract in potency.

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.

It's generally said that vanilla extract should be aged for one year for the best flavor. Gourmet commercial extract producers may store finished extract for weeks or up to a year, but unless it's labeled there is no way to know for sure.

Homemade extract is aged in the bottle during extraction — some say this yields the best flavor.

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

Vanilla beans are typically 5-7 inches (13-18cm) long, with 6-7 inches (15-18cm) being most common.

On this site you can see super short (4.75 inch), and super long (10.25 inch) vanilla beans.

**Vanilla beans shown on this site are always measured in centimeters.**

Send in your vanilla questions using the contact form.

This excerpt from the vanilla information page should answer your question:

Grade ‘A’ vs grade ‘B’ vanilla beans
Vocabulary for describing vanilla bean quality seems to vary a bit between vendors, which can make it more difficult to know exactly what you’re getting. To cut through the confusion, this site uses the following quality labeling: vanilla beans are graded A and B.

• Grade ‘A’ vanilla beans (also called gourmet or prime). These beans are oily and moist. Beans may have vanillin crystals on the outside, these will melt back into the bean if heated — crystals are not considered an indicator of quality. There are about 100 to 120 grade ‘A’ beans (6-7 inch) per pound (7.5 per oz). This vanilla is visually attractive so it can be a feature ingredient in gourmet cuisine. 30% – 35% moisture content.
• Grade ‘B’ vanilla beans (also called extract beans). This vanilla is less moist and less attractive. But don’t worry, because the flavor isn’t in the water. There are about 140 to 160 grade ‘B’ beans (6-7 inch) per pound (10 per oz). 15% – 25% moisture content.

Grade A and B comparison.

Related
Vanilla information

According to Glenn at Amadeus Trading Company:…[non-vacuum packed] gourmet beans should last at least six months to a year (many times longer) if stored properly. Exraction-grade beans will last essentially indefinitely.

Vacuum packed beans will last for years.

Should I use expensive vodka when making vanilla extract? Does the quality of alcohol in vanilla extract matter?

I think the quality of the alcohol is probably unimportant. Such a minor amount of the vodka is used per serving that it won't contribute flavors to your food. I use the cheapest vodka available that is at least 40% alcohol/80 proof.

This is just my opinion, please share your thoughts in the comments.

Grade 'B' vanilla beans (also called extract beans): about 140 to 160 grade 'B' beans (6-7 inch) per pound (10 per oz). 15% – 25% moisture content.

Related:more vanilla information

Vanilla sugar is super simple, just add table sugar to vanilla beans and wait a few weeks. An occasional shake helps expose all the sugar crystals to vanilla goodness. Vanilla speckled sugar makes a great compliment to a homemade vanilla extract gift box — and it can be made from “waste” vanilla beans.

Here are three vanilla sugar recipes:

1. I always put sugar in empty vanilla bean packaging. There’s a bunch of great vanilla flavor stuck to the bag — especially if the beans were vacuum packed. Shown here on the left.
2. Beans already used to make extract still have plenty of flavor to make vanilla sugar. Dry post-extract beans for a few days, then cover them with sugar in a zip-top bag. Shown here on the right.
3. You can also use whole or chopped new vanilla beans, but method 1 and 2 are more economical.

Remove the beans from the sugar before using. I find the best way is to put it through a colander and shake.

Hello, Good grief you know allot about vanilla. Thank you for such an insightful web-site, It really helps. I wanted to ask you, I purchased Madagascar, Tathitian, and Mexican beans from Arizona vanilla for my wife to make extract. She made her first batch with the Madagascar beans. Which bean out of the Mexican and Tahitian bean would be best for another batch of extract. We are not sure what these are used for. Also, Where is the best place to buy beans.

Troy
—-

Thanks Troy. Mexican and Madagascar vanilla beans are actually the same plant, vanilla planifolia, grown in different locations. I personally think that good Madagascar vanilla has the spicy nose of a freshly opened cola (which is mostly vanilla…), while Mexican vanilla is woody. The difference between Madagascar and Mexican vanilla beans is minor compared to the massive difference between planifolia and tahitensis (Tahitian) vanilla beans. Tahitensis vanilla, grown in Tahiti or Papua New Guinea, is a mutated variety of planifolia with an exotic, floral taste you might not be used to.

Which should you do next? That’s up to you, but I would suggest trying the Tahitian vanilla if you’ve never used it — the aroma is distinct and surprising.

The best place to buy beans depends on your personal needs (service vs quality vs price). I don’t have a favorite — every vendor listed on this site sells some decent beans. I did cause quite a stir yesterday when I mentioned that Arizona Vanilla Company was my least favorite vendor on the site.

Thanks for writing,
Ian

Feel free to submit your vanilla questions via the contact form.

Related
How many vanilla beans do I use in vanilla extract.
Mexican vs Bourbon vanilla — what’s the difference?
Best alcohol for vanilla extract?
Tag:vanilla questions.

• Bourbon Kill The vast majority of vanilla beans are killed by steeping in hot water for a few minutes. This technique was developed in the former French Bourbon Islands (now Madagascar). The time and temperature of the kill varies by curer, introducing a bit of difference to beans from various places. This method tends to give a soft, pliable vanilla bean.
• Mexican Kill Vanilla beans are put on concrete slabs at mid-day and the beans are killed by the hot sun. This is harsher than the bourbon kill and results in a woodier vanilla bean. This method is used primarily in Mexico.

Tahitensis vanilla beans mature on the vine are are not killed after harvest.

For more technical details about vanilla and vanilla extract, check out the vanilla info page and the vanilla extraction tutorial.

*30 grams of beans = 1 ounce, 8-10 beans.
**250 ml of 40% (80 proof) alcohol = 1 cup.

Thanks Tamami!

Related
Make vanilla extract.
Vanilla information.
Best alcohol for vanilla extract?

Alcohol concentration
A 1995 study showed that 10% more vanillin was extracted at 47.5% ethanol than 95% ethanol [page 16, pdf!].

Alcohol type
Vodka is the alcohol of choice because it has a neutral flavor. Other liquors can be used, but they contribute flavors of their own. Commercial extracts use a neutral flavored grain alcohol (vodka), but you are free to use rum, brandy, gin, whatever.

For more technical details about vanilla and vanilla extract, check out the vanilla info page and the vanilla extraction tutorial.

Update:
Coco&Me just started an extract experiment with different types of alcohol.

According to the FDA, the legal requirement for vanilla extract is 13.35 oz of vanilla beans per gallon of extract.

FDA: 0.8 oz (23 grams/6 beans) per 1 cup (250 ml) 40% alcohol.

Anything less is just vanilla flavored booze!

Hand extraction is less efficient than industrial percolators, so it’s important to use even more beans than the minimum.

Minimum recommended beans for vanilla extract:
1 oz (30 grams/8 beans) per 1 cup (250 ml) 40% alcohol.

Read more on the Vanilla Information Page and learn to make extract with the Vanilla Extract Recipe

Dear Mary,

Like a fine wine, vanilla extract matures with age. Vanilla extract matures for about a year, and then improves subtly in flavor — forever. The flavor should never degrade if the vanilla is kept tightly capped and away from direct sunlight.

Legally, vanilla extract has about 1 oz of beans per cup of alcohol. If you start with this much, and then top it up after using 1/3rd, you'll only have 2/3rd extract! We like to call this “vanilla flavored booze” at vanillareview.com.

For more technical details about vanilla and vanilla extract, check out the vanilla info page and the vanilla extraction tutorial.

Thanks for writing!

Send in your vanilla questions using the contact form.

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