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I finally stopped using store-bought vanilla extract and started making my own
For like 5 years I just grabbed the little McCormick bottle from Safeway anytime I needed vanilla for cookies or cake. Then my sister brought me homemade vanilla she made with beans from Mexico and the difference was insane. I started doing it myself last November with some cheap vodka and about 15 beans. Now I never go back to that weak store stuff does anyone else notice how much better your bakes taste with real homemade vanilla?
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blake_bell294mo ago
Used to think it was all hype honestly. Figured if I was just mixing it into batter what difference would a few fancy beans make? Then I tried my buddy's homemade stuff in his chocolate chip cookies and it hit me immediately like a completely different depth of flavor. Now I keep a jar going with Kirkland vodka and some Madagascar beans I got online. Never going back to that watery McCormick stuff again.
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margaret3043mo ago
Oh man, that's totally it. The Kirkland vodka base is genius honestly because it's so neutral and lets the beans do all the work. I started doing the same thing after I realized the store-bought stuff was basically just alcohol and sugar with maybe a whisper of vanilla flavor. My batch from last January is finally getting that deep almost syrupy smell and I've been putting it in everything from my morning oatmeal to some banana bread I threw together last week. It makes such a difference in something simple like frosting too where you can really taste it straight. Never thought I'd be the person with a jar of beans sitting on my counter but here we are.
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nora_dixon4mo ago
Yeah I totally get that. I had the exact same moment when my aunt brought over some vanilla she'd been aging for like two years and I could smell the difference before she even opened the jar. Now I've got a big mason jar going in my pantry and I feel so silly for spending money on that little bottle for so long.
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