1. Food & Drink

Discuss in my forum

Vanilla Tutorial

By , About.com Guide

Vanilla Tutorial

Nielsen-Massey Vanilla Products

(c) 2008 Nielsen-Massey, Inc.

Types of vanilla

Compare Prices
  • Madagascar: Creamy, smooth, traditional profile

  • Tahitian: Fruity and floral

  • Mexican: Deep and spicy with clove or nutmeg notes

  • Indonesian: Woody, smoky, earthy

Forms of Vanilla

  • Vanilla Bean: The fruit of the vanilla orchid. Look for a dark, almost black bean with good moisture level. If you can tie it in a knot, it’s fresh.

  • Vanilla Extract: A flavoring prepared from vanilla beans macerated in alcohol and water.

  • Vanilla Paste: Pure vanilla extract and bean seeds in simple syrup with a natural thickener. It can be used interchangeably with vanilla extract in any product where the presence of the seeds is desirable without the problem of splitting and scraping the vanilla bean.

  • Vanilla Powder: Made from pure vanilla extract that has been dried, or from dried beans that have been pulverized.

  • Vanilla Sugar: Sugar flavored by vanilla beans and used as an ingredient or decoration. To make vanilla sugar, fill a large jar with sugar, break a vanilla bean into three pieces, press them into the sugar and leave for several weeks.

Where to Buy Nielsen-Massey Vanilla Products

Compare Prices

©2012 About.com. All rights reserved.

A part of The New York Times Company.