# Vanilla Essence VS Imitation Vanilla Essence



## Rom

OK, hopefully not a really stupid question, but in your opinion, if, say a muffin recipe said to use Vanilla Essence and you use Imitation Vanilla Essence, how different/bad/not a  good idea is it? Same goes for a cake or something similar. I don't have a recipe atm, but in general. Would it be a crime to use imitation?

How big of a difference is it?

thanks


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## Katie H

Rom, not meaning to burst anyone's bubble, but I never use imitation vanilla.  Actually, I use my own homemade vanilla.  I think the imitation stuff is wimpy and can't stand up to the "real" thing.


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## kadesma

_Rom,_
_I'm with Katie here. I adore the flavor of vanilla and so do my grand kids. So, while I don't make my own, I do buy one that is a little high priced, but the taste and the flavor are so wonderful..I make the kids french toast pretty often and one morning forgot the vanilla, and all of them thought their moms had made the meal and asked for ma's toast  So it's well worth the money to me...I do find that the imitation needs to be doubled to even come close in smell and flavor to the real thing, and after the first bite, the taste diminishes. NOw this is just my feelings, others may not feel this way..We all like different things and amounts of them.  _
_kadesma_


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## bullseye

I'm with Katie E and kadesma--go with the real extract.  For anything fresh, I go for scraping the pods.


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## Rom

Thanks for that, i was wondering why the imitation bottle was like triple the size of the actual stuff lol


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## Dave Hutchins

Where I live there is a huge Maexican/latin population all good citizens
and I buy my Vanilla from them and it is very good.


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## jennyema

Some Cooks Illustrated taste testers preferred imitation vanilla extract!

From CI: "Most participants in that tasting, including pastry chefs and baking experts, couldn't tell the difference between imitation vanilla and the real thing: pure vanilla extract. Even though we have repeated that tasting and gotten the same results, we've never quite overcome our disbelief.... Despite the widespread hue and cry in the food world about the inferiority of imitation vanilla-experts agree that it lacks the flavor nuances and subtleties of pure vanilla extract-our tasters found it to be perfectly acceptable in cake and custard. The imitation vanillas earned high enough scores to be recommended alongside all of the pure vanillas. In fact, every extract we tasted scored its way into the "recommended" category of the chart on page 27."


McCormick Imitation -- "Some tasters picked up on a “very smooth” and “rich, round flavor,”while others complained that the flavor was “off,” “bland,”and “lacked depth.” Its supporters were more numerous, though,as evidenced by a strong rating."​


Nielsen-Massey -- "Here again we ran into the problem of a very perfumed yet delicately flavored vanilla extract. It was “completely inoffensive” to some, and “plain,” with “not much nuance,” to others. Any subtle characteristics it might have displayed were completely lost in the yellow cake."​


I personally think imitation vanilla extract is fine in some things, esp. baked goods.


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## jennyema

Dave Hutchins said:
			
		

> Where I live there is a huge Maexican/latin population all good citizens
> and I buy my Vanilla from them and it is very good.


 

Very cheap vanilla from Mexico can be poisonous, so be careful

Mexican Vanilla


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## Uncle Bob

According to my resident "chemist" Imitation vanilla is the exact same as pure vanilla chemically! Pure vanilla has other "stuff" in it from the bean, but the part from the bean that gives it it's taste is exactly duplicated in the imitation


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## jennyema

Uncle Bob said:
			
		

> According to my resident "chemist" Imitation vanilla is the exact same as pure vanilla chemically! Pure vanilla has other "stuff" in it from the bean, but the part from the bean that gives it it's taste is exactly duplicated in the imitation


 
Yes, the Ci article went into this, as well.  "On the molecular level, this synthetic vanillin is indistinguishable from natural vanillin: "


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## Barb L.

I use both, can't really tell a difference, but I do not do a lot of baking either.


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## Rom

now that article is very very interesting!

so its the "extra stuff"  thats makes it cost 5 times as much...  i c i c

:S @ poisonous vanilla


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## Rom

i doubt anything could stand up to the homemade stuff could it?  i haven't tried but i am guessing 

do u use exra when u are using imitation Barb L like kadesma mentioned?


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## Barb L.

Not really maybe a little.  when I make french toast I don't really measure, just por some in, (we love it).


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## jasonr

> From CI: "Most participants in that tasting, including pastry [COLOR=orange ! important][FONT=verdana,geneva,lucida,&quot][COLOR=orange ! important][FONT=verdana,geneva,lucida,&quot]chefs[/FONT][/FONT][/color][/color] and baking experts, couldn't tell the difference between imitation vanilla and the real thing: pure vanilla extract. Even though we have repeated that tasting and gotten the same results, we've never quite overcome our disbelief.... Despite the widespread hue and cry in the food world about the inferiority of imitation vanilla-experts agree that it lacks the flavor nuances and subtleties of pure vanilla extract-our tasters found it to be perfectly acceptable in cake and [COLOR=orange ! important][FONT=verdana,geneva,lucida,&quot][COLOR=orange ! important][FONT=verdana,geneva,lucida,&quot]custard[/FONT][/FONT][/color][/color]. The imitation vanillas earned high enough scores to be recommended alongside all of the pure vanillas. In fact, every extract we tasted scored its way into the "recommended" category of the chart on page 27."


Yeah, I can't really tell the difference either. But then again, my palette has about as much subtlety as sledgehammer to the balls... which is not very subtle at all.

I never use imitation though. I'm a snob and a purist. My rationalization is that even if I can't tell the difference, someone wwho eats my food might.

Here's a trick for making your own vanilla extract (or perhaps the right word is infusion). Just get yourself a cup of top quality Vodka like Grey Goose or Belvedere or whatever, and then chop up a couple of vanilla pods and bottle them up in the vodka for about a month, shaking the botle up every once in a while. At the end, strain through cheesecloth and you've got your vanilla infusion.

Way cheaper than even the cheapest grocery store alternatives although not nearly as cheap as artificial, unless you make it in bulk. (I would think if you start making litres and litres of the stuff, you'd probably eventually out-cheap even the cheapest artificial.)


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## Uncle Bob

Ya breakin my heart Jason! Can't I use Cheap Vodka, to make this stuff!

I think I'll stick with imitation vanilla, and save my Belvedere & Goose for drinking!!  

Enjoy!


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## DaniaBchGirl

One possible important difference is that real vanilla extract has alcohol in it.   I once made some cookies using the real vanilla extract and a guy immediately sniffed it out and asked me if it was real vanilla and said he had to decline because hes an alcoholic and couldnt touch the temptation.  I was amazed at his sensory for alcohol!!!


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## KitchenSally

I only use pure vanilla extract.  I "think" I can tell the difference, would be interesting to actually test that.


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## DaniaBchGirl

My mom always used the immitation stuff so thats what I bought.  Then the day I actually splurged on the real stuff....  POW!!!   What a difference!!!!   I wont use anything less now.


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## Rom

well then i guess i iwill have to make double the amount of chocolate muffins LOL...and of course eat them  just to try the difference of course not because i like chocolate muffins and want to eat lots of them  hehehe mwuahahaha good excuse to eat them 

im impressed withthe guys ability to sniff out the real stuff though! Might give making some a go when i get some time it sounds simple enough thanks 

i haven't heard of htose brands in austraia...we get absolut and others but not those...i think we have soe int he cupboard, we only use for Long Islands - don't drink it otherwise.

did u tell ur mum its POW? did u convert her to the real stuff?
http://www.discusscooking.com/forums/../members/daniabchgirl.html


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## Katie H

jasonr said:
			
		

> Here's a trick for making your own vanilla extract (or perhaps the right word is infusion). Just get yourself a cup of top quality Vodka like Grey Goose or Belvedere or whatever, and then chop up a couple of vanilla pods and bottle them up in the vodka for about a month, shaking the botle up every once in a while. At the end, strain through cheesecloth and you've got your vanilla infusion.



Omigosh, jasonr!  Don't waste your Grey Goose and Belvedere.  Use the least expensive vodka to make homemade vanilla.  I've been making my own vanilla for many, many years and only use the least expensive vodka.

I use a large glass jar with a tightly sealing top.  The one I currently have is one that Vlasic sauerkraut came in.

I filled it with vodka, then bruised three vanilla beans.  Splilt them and scraped the seeds into the vodka-filled jar.  I broke up the vanilla pods and put them in, too.  Screwed on the lid tightly and shook the jar.  I kept it in a cool, dark place and shook it about once a month.  It takes about a year to get good vanilla.  Two years for great vanilla.

My "supply" is about half gone now, so I need to start another jar so I won't be without.  That's in my plan for tomorrow.


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