How to Buy Vanilla Extract

Vanilla extract is a product of vanilla beans. Though we tend to think of it as a single seasoning, there are actually 150 varieties of vanilla. Like wine, the strain of vanilla, the soil and location where it's grown blend to create a spectrum of tastes.

Instructions

1. Buy a high quality product. Like coffee beans, vanilla beans have different qualities. Premium vanilla beans have more complex flavor than beans that have defects or were grown in poor conditions. Most manufacturers charge a higher price for premium blends. You can also read the packaging-companies like to brag about why their product is better.

2. Read the label. The more pure the extract, the better the taste. Pure vanilla extract is a blend of vanilla, alcohol and water mixture. FDA regulations require no less than 35% alcohol and 65% water mixture. You need to find out if other ingredients like sugar, corn syrup or color have been added.

3. Check the age of the vanilla extract. It takes two years for vanilla extract to fully age. Companies often add sugar to stabilize extract that hasn't matured on its own. If a manufacturer allows the product to age, they generally put this information on the packaging. You can also buy vanilla extract and allow it to age in a cool, dark place for two years.

4. Explore different types of vanilla extract. The two main types of vanilla extracts that are sold commercially are Bourbon and Tahitian vanillas. Vanilla extract is also available from Mexican vanilla, Madagascar vanilla and Indonesian vanilla. Each region produces a unique flavor of vanilla.

5. Get natural vanilla flavor. Natural vanilla flavor is a product of vanilla beans that is made using a glycerin or propylene glycol base. It cannot legally be called an extract because it doesn't meet FDA regulations for that definition. This type of vanilla tends to be darker and smells slightly different from vanilla extract. Organic vanilla is often used in making this product.