Monday, April 2, 2012
THE MAGIC OF VANILLA
Is there anyone who doesn't like vanilla? What's not to like? It's aroma alone is like a calming remedy for whatever your problems might be.
The vanilla bean comes from the pods of the orchid plant. it takes around 9 months to develop on the vine, so no wonder vanilla can be expensive to purchase. There are three varieties of vanilla beans: Bourbon-Madagascar, Mexican and Tahitian. Bourbon-Madagascar are of high quality, black in color, and extremely aromatic.They tend to look wet or oily, giving them a higher quality of moisture. This is the often a chef's "bean of choice". Mexican vanilla is dark brown in color and are know to have a creamy and spicy element. Tahitian vanilla is dark brown in color, with a fruit and floral aroma. There are more "caviar seeds" inside- 2-3 times more plump than the other varieties. NEVER use imitation vanilla-it is made from coal tar or wood byproducts and chemicals. Also, imitation vanilla leaves a bitter after taste. Hold out for the real thing!!!
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Wow, I had no idea there was so much to vanilla. I just love the scent of it, and the flavoring as well.
ReplyDeleteHi, Jayne...thanks for enlightening others about vanilla. I never use imitation. For Christmas I made up a cookbook with some of my favorite recipes and gave it to family members. In it I stressed the importance and value of using pure vanilla...I hope some of them listened!....Love, Cindy
ReplyDeleteI use Mexican vanilla. I was happy to find out, when I went to a website which tells you how long the shelf life is on food items, that natural vanilla can last indefinitely. I love to make desserts so this was good news. It was interesting to find out from Jayne's research about the other vanillas too.
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