Artificial vanilla is vanillin which is the “vanilla flavor” compound in vanilla beans. Like taking aspirin instead of chewing willow bark. This is one “added chemical” that I would be perfectly OK with in replacing the the real deal.
I use the single strength. I went to Penzey’s yesterday after getting their e-mail, and accidentally bought the double strength ($103!!) - called today and they’re holding a single strength bottle for me (claimed there were only three left!).
I am not much of a cook or baker. Besides the obvious use of vanilla in baking, what else would it be used for?
^^^Malted milk shakes!!! :). YUM!
“This is one “added chemical” that I would be perfectly OK with in replacing the the real deal.”
@BunsenBurner - do you have a brand of artificial vanilla you’ve tried that is good? I’m thinking of taking the plunge but would like a recommendation from someone who’s tried it.
@CottonTales - vanilla is sometimes used in things that aren’t heated at all (frosting/icing, eggnog) and for those recipes the taste tests found real vanilla gives the best flavor. But 99% of the time when I use vanilla, it’s for baking so maybe I should be more open minded and try the artificial stuff since it seems to survive heat better.
Eggnog, cocktails, milk shakes, vanilla syrup, vanilla sugar, flavored coffee drinks. (Though I like bourbon caramel syrup in my coffee a whole lot more than vanilla. )
I have about 4 oz. of Penzey’s single strength left in a 16 oz. bottle. I also have about 8 oz. of FDA approved Mexican vanilla that my daughter gave me several years ago. Do you think I should get another bottle, just to be safe? I use vanilla in spurts. I am afraid not to have any when the price really goes up. I hate this.
I hate just bought a 16 oz. bottle of vanilla at Penzey’s a couple of weeks ago, and I bought another just to be safe! I bake a lot of cookies and cakes, and my husband uses it in his homemade ice cream. It does’t go bad, and I figure if anything the price will come back down to what it is now (not less).
I just bought 8 ounces of double strength from Penzey’s which is cheaper than 16 ounces of single strength. I use half as much as the recipe calls for.
Don’t be afraid to buy Mexican vanilla from US sources. https://vanillaqueen.com/shop/category/extracts/vanilla-extracts/
I like Mexican vanilla for schaum torte.
@WayOutWestMom, my D who is college in AZ loves the smell of Ponderosa bark. She considers it more like butterscotch though. It dripped horrible amounts of resin on her car one year - quite difficult to remove. Someone should bottle that stuff, it’s everywhere!
This thread is reminding me to thank (again) my wonderful friend who put a quarter pound of pure ground vanilla beans in a gift box to me last year.
1 tsp = 1 vanilla bean
1/4 tsp = 1 tsp extract
I would tag her, but she’d be embarrassed. You know who you are, my friend, and you’re the best! 
First rule of mountain hiking/camping–never park under pine trees. Learned that the hard way just like your D did.
My DH graduated from Bucknell University. Back then, the groundkeepers used cocoa hulls (bought cheap from Hershey’s) as mulch so whenever it rained the whole campus smelled like chocolate!
Cocoa bean hulls are my favorite mulch although I can’t find them around me, at least reasonably. Not only do they smell great, they look great as well.
I read an article yesterday (don’t remember if it was in the Penzey’s post or elsewhere) that there has been a significant, long-term drought in Madagascar, which is a source for a lot of vanilla bean production.
The Penzey’s Mexican Vanilla is not going up in price. I like that better than the Madagascar Vanilla anyway. It has a real bean inside the bottle.
I am glad I stockpiled so heavily at CVS when they were $1/bottle.
@BunsenBurner Time to stock up on vanilla ice cream.
Absolutely. I am eating every vanilla-containing dessert in sight in anticipation of belt-tightening times.
I guess this is as good a time as any to try to curb my sweet tooth and try NOT to eat desserts except if they’re REALLY amazing and worth the calories. I’m just curious as to how that will help with avoiding calories I don’t need and seem to want to keep me company anyhow! 