Vanilla has been one of the most preferred flavors in my family. I bake vanilla-flavored cake about once a week and eat my desserts always with a dollop of creamy vanilla ice cream!
If you are into baking, then you must have a small bottle of this magic potion (vanilla) in your pantry. It is one such ingredient that can transform and enhance the taste of any dessert you make. So, here I have combined what I have learned about vanilla beans and how it’s best used!
Common Forms of Vanilla
Vanilla Beans: Vanilla bean has a much intense flavor than vanilla extract or essence. The seeds of a vanilla pod can bring a new dimension and look to your dessert! Anything that you make with natural vanilla will be rich in taste and flavor. I absolutely love the texture of my buttercream frosting with vanilla beans caviar.
Vanilla Extract: This is the common form every baker keeps handy, to flavor their goodies. It’s also most readily available. Vanilla extract is made by soaking the vanilla beans in an alcoholic solution for about a month or so. When you pick a bottle of vanilla extract from the store, make sure the label is marked “pure” for a quality product.
Vanilla Essence: Vanilla essence is the cheapest form of all vanilla. Basically, it is nothing but the chemically produced version of vanilla and hence, it’s cheaper than extract. Since essence is synthetically made, it lacks the natural flavor, compared to extract. It can be used as a substitute for vanilla extract but it is always good to go with quality vanilla extract or vanilla beans in your recipes to get the best results!
Do You Know Where to Buy Good Quality Vanilla Beans?
Vanilla beans that are plump, long and pliable are the best to be chosen. Quality vanilla beans is synonymous with great flavor. The top-quality vanilla beans hail from Madagascar, Indonesia, and Mexico. If you are buying from the local market, you can smell the beans to check the strength of the aroma. When you are purchasing online, buy from trustworthy sources the company and go with their suggestion. Since fresh vanilla beans dry out fast, buy only as much as you need and from a reliable source. Look at FITNCLEAN VANILLA for topmost vanilla beans with free delivery.
Vanilla Beans for Savory Dishes?
You may be experimenting with your dishes. If you love trying on a lot of savory dishes, you should pick the Madagascar vanilla variety (Vanilla planifolia) for the flavor. It is bold and earthy, with warm and rich undertones of butter and figs. The vanilla pods of this particular variety host caviar with good vanillin content. This means that the flavor can be clearly recognized in even the most heavily seasoned dishes.
Vanilla Beans for Ice Cream?
The best version of vanilla bean ice cream can be made with Vanilla Planifolia. It is a great choice for a sweet, creamy, and buttery vanilla bean ice cream. It’s even more lovely with the little flecks of vanilla caviar/seeds. If you wish to produce a classic vanilla bean ice cream, look no further than Bourbon variety. I personally love the extra-long Madagascar Bourbon vanilla beans for their rich classic vanilla flavor.
I hope the post has covered a little about vanilla beans. What are you planning on using vanilla beans for? Pick quality vanilla beans from FITNCLEAN VANILLA or ask us and we’ll suggest an ideal vanilla bean.