The Vanilla Shortage

[Italiancook]

Thanks, Mike, for reporting what you found.

[RiversideLen]

That sounds like a pretty good price.

[aaronatthedoublef]

Sorry IC, for not responding and thanks, Mike for following up. The vanilla Mike described is what I have from Costco and it is good. I think I have a couple more pints but wish I'd bought more. Still, as Len says, compared to other places it's a pretty good price right now.

I may buy some of the Walmart cheap stuff just to test and if it's good I'll let everyone know.

[cwcdesign]

A couple of years ago, Mrs Cindy gave me a half bottle of vanilla she’d kept going with vodka and used vanilla beans, so I keep adding small amounts of vodka and vanilla beans as it goes down. I do need some more vodka - the only things I use it for are the vanilla, my penne vodka and pie pastry ?

[Mike Nolan]

Was at Sams Club yesterday, they've switched from 16 ounce size bottles of vanilla to 8 ounce bottles, priced from around $16 to $20 per bottle, with the McCormick brand being the higher priced one.

Artificial vanilla is still quite cheap.

[Rascals1]

with the va made with vodka can you just keep adding to it without adding extra va. beans? I was given some as a gift but do not know how to care for it.

[Mike Nolan]

I've never done the home-made vanilla extract, but I assume there's a limit to how much vanilla you can extract from a vanilla bean pod.

[BakerAunt]

Rascals, I agree that there is probably a limit, but perhaps by the time you reach it, vanilla prices will have decreased from where they are today. 🙂 So, go ahead and use that kit!

[cwcdesign]

Basically you just add a little vodka at a time and then wait while the vanilla you have infuses the new vodka. I started out with no pods when Cindy gave it to me 3 years ago. I slowly added used pods. I have about 4 - I would have more if I weren’t such a cheap skate. You just add another when you feel like it. When I have a chance, I’ll post Cindy’s instructions

[Rascals1]

Thank you cw for responding, I've never tried home made va. before. Ms. Cindy was a sweetheart.

[aaronatthedoublef]

The other day one of my sons asked us "After saffron what is the most expensive spice?" I answered "if it's considered a spice then vanilla".

Which, of course, was the answer... I've never thought of vanilla as a spice.

BTW, I cannot find the original item where Baker Aunt talked about vanilla in shortbread but I have vanilla in mine. I checked Jamie Oliver's "Cooking with Jamie" which is the closest thing I have to a Scottish cookbook (I bought it at a book store in Scotland) and Mr. Oliver DOES NOT USE vanilla. So maybe I will take it out of mine.

He does use semolina or corn flour.

• This reply was modified 6 years, 4 months ago by aaronatthedoublef.

[RiversideLen]

I am not an expert on shortbread, but to my way of thinking, anything that involves flour, sugar and butter is begging for vanilla.

[BakerAunt]

Here is the original thread. I put it under Baking: Desserts:

Vanilla in Shortbread?

For me, the vanilla covers up the delectable butter taste in shortbread. If I want vanilla taste, then I bake sugar cookies--which is what I need to go do right now.

[Mike Nolan]

When I went to pastry school at SFBI, our instructor said that the most expensive ingredient we used all week was pistachio paste, even more expensive than the gold foil we decorated some pastries with.

[BakerAunt]

The vanilla shortage is not getting any better:

https://www.realsimple.com/syndication/vanilla-shortage-worldwide-madagascar

[Author]

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