Oh Melllmmmaaaannn!! I need a Vanilla Queen!

[Jewel]

Melman I need you!! (Or anyone else who has Vanilla Experience!) I've had a bottle of vanilla 'brewing' since 9/1/01. It's a 375ml bottle of Smirnoff Vodka with approximately 6 Penzey's vanilla beans in it. It's still the same amber color it was in December, but it still smells WAY alcoholy! I started another bottle on 1/2/02 and it's the same color, but smells even more alcoholy. I'm afraid to use it 'cause of the way it smells!

To top it off, I had about 7 extra vanilla beans from my Penzey's bag so a few months ago I decided to try to make Vanilla Sugar since I want to put this in Christmas Baskets next year. I took someone's advice on this BB and bought SuperFine sugar. Now I have a giant clot of superfine sugar in a mason jar that will NOT move when I shake it! I'm wondering if I should just pick all the vanilla bean pieces out of the superfine and try those same beans with regular sugar? I mean it's clotted SOLID. Even if I dig at it with a spoon it's like cement. What in the world did I do wrong??? Both my vanilla experiments have left a lot to be desired, and I've got about $30 worth of vanilla beans wrapped up in these bottles and jars!

[Linda in MO]

I don't think you did anything wrong with the vanilla sugar. I used regular sugar and mine clumped, too. It was just for me, so I would just chisel some out and use it in my coffee. I would say it is caused by the moisture in the beans.

And as far as the vanilla extract goes...I say use some of it and see how it tastes. I think you might be surprised and would bet it tastes like vanilla extract by now. Maybe try making some vanilla pudding or something that would showcase it's flavor.

[lisas3575]

Hey Jewel, did you check out the other vanilla thread from today? Melman poo-poo'd Penzey's beans. Also, I read on the BB somewhere that you can take your sugar and give it a whirl in your food processor with the chopper blade to make it granulated again.

[Jewel]

Originally posted by lisas3575
Hey Jewel, did you check out the other vanilla thread from today? Melman poo-poo'd Penzey's beans.

Oh she's been poo-poo-ing the Penzey's beans since the beginning! It's just that I bought $30 worth of Penzey's beans while I was in Minneapolis with Sandy, and by jeebers I'm gonna use them for something!!! Thanks for the tip on the processer! I'll just take the beans out first and give it a whirl.

And thanks Linda, I'll give the vanilla a shot and see what it's like. Maybe I'll ask DH to taste it!

[Melman]

Eeeekkkss! First I was thrilled to have my name in print! Cool!!

Then it got scary! I wish I knew what was going on with your vanilla. I just gave a quick smell test to my 3 bottles of homemade stuff. My oldest bottle (the one I started years and years ago and have just added new beans and/or additional vodka as the bottle requires it) smells like vanilla. It's not super strong...but I didn't add anything to it last year because I started a new bottle near the end of October or early November. My year or so old rum-based bottle does have a slight smell of rum to it...but the vanilla comes through. My new bottle vanilla smells wonderful!

I used Just Herbs beans in all of those with possibly a bean or two from Penzey's a couple of years back when I decided to give them a test. If they're there at all, it would be in the oldest bottle.

I've never made vanilla sugar so I have no clues at all on that. I never figured out what I could do with it other than put it in coffee.

You have the same size bottle that I have (375 ml). I'm still stomping my foot on the ground and saying it's the quality of the beans that counts the most. My vodka bottles are about the cheapest things in the liquor store. Smirnoff Vodka!

What would I do? TRY IT!!! What's the 'proof' on alcohol? Didn't someone just post that true vanilla has to be 35% alcohol to be the real thing? Make something simple like sugar cookies or ice cream (one that doesn't have to be cooked first)...and give it a shot. I really think the worse case is that it just might not taste as vanilla-y as you'd like...but I don't think it would be horrible at all. I really think it's probably fine to use.

PS...I just finished the last bite of a piece of chocolate that came right from Germany that was full of rum...LOTS OF RUM. Rum isn't necessarily a bad thing in some desserts!!! It goes particularly well with chocolate.

[Jewel]

Thank you very much for the reply Melman! I promise to try the Just Herbs vanilla beans, but as I said before I already had about 15 of the Penzeys that I had just purchased, so I'm using them! I just wish that Just Herbs had a website to order from to make it easier. And I guess I wish they weren't so pricey, but I guess you get what you pay for!

I'm going to whip out my September 1 Vanilla this weekend and use it in one of DH's Weekend smoothies. They don't have to be cooked, and the flavor should come through, and as you said if it's still alcohol flavored it won't be so bad with all that fruit! (hic!)

I do wonder if next time I should try light rum instead of vodka...both of my bottles are vodka and I haven't been impressed yet! The vanilla sugar was just a test since I knew I could reuse the beans, so I'm going to take the beans out and process the sugar and maybe find a way to use the 3 or 4 cups I have in something soon to test it! I'll probably reuse the beans with regular sugar instead of the superfine! Thanks again!

[Missi]

I'm really trying to figure what went wrong with your sugar. I always use superfine sugar to make vanilla sugar, because it seems like an extra treat. The only time I've had any kind of sugar clump on me was when it was exposed to moisture. I have had good results with the food processor trick though. I think you will love the vanilla sugar. My mom is hooked on it, in her coffee, dusted on cookies, and especially sprinkled on fresh strawberries.

[Jewel]

Originally posted by Missi
I'm really trying to figure what went wrong with your sugar.

I think DH came up with the reason for the concrete sugar... I put it in a mason jar with the Vanilla Beans stuck all through it and stuck it in my dark pantry....but before I stuck it in the pantry I FoodSaver'd the mason jar. Kinda removed all the air to help the vanilla penetrate the sugar... Seemed like a great idea at the time, but I guess that kinda kept the sugar compressed. ...and compressed... ...and compressed...

I'll go crawl back under my rock now.

[Melman]

Jewel...I do remember that you had just purchased a bunch of Penzey's beans right before the big vanilla discussions started last fall. And I understand!!! You spent the money and you want to see good results. I'm the same way. ;-) I blame mine on my stubborn streak! (And on my penny-pinching ways!!)

But....Just Herbs pricey?? Their beans are $2.50 each. I think that's about the same almost anywhere. I don't have a Penzey's catalog in front of me, but I'm pretty sure they're about the same. And shipping and handling can't be beat...she charges pretty much whatever is on the envelope. I think I got something like 8 or 9 beans last year with $1 for postage. As far as ease of ordering, I actually like calling an 800 number and talking to a person WITHOUT GETTING the annoying voice mail of "push #1 for this and #2 for that and #3 for that"...and on and on. I like that person-on-the-end-of-the-phone ideas. Depending on whether they're doing a show or not, you might get their answering machine, but Donna always calls back as soon as she gets the message.

I'm still voting for GIVE IT A TRY. I think you'll be fine. Let us know what happens after you give it a test this weekend with the smoothies.

PS...one thing to possibly consider...spend $6 and order two beans from Just Herbs. Call Donna and tell her about the fiasco and ask her for the two biggest, plumpest, juiciest vanilla beans she possibly has in stock. (She'll probably recognize that request...that's what I always tell her. ) I think you'll be surprised with the difference in these beans than any others you've seen. Buy one cheap 375 ml bottle of Smirnoff Vodka and give it a month.

[Peeps]

Jewel-
I just wanted to tell you that you aren't alone- I also started a bottle last September/August that I planned on using for Xmas gifts last year - but it was still VERY alcoholy and barely amber at all by then so I'm letting it stew for another year. Stupid me used Skye vodka in the blue bottle (duh!! I thought it would keep the light out but the pantry is dark anyway! ) It STILL smells completely alcoholic and from what I can tell, even with the blue bottle, its not at all a dark color. I think I just used lame beans so I am going to call Melman's connection at some point when I remember to beef this stuff up so I can give it as gifts this Xmas. It has been a pricey experiment so at this point I'd rather fix it then toss it.

Probably not helpful but just letting you know, you're not the only vanilla-challenged soul on board!

[kimmurphy94]

I ordered from Just Herbs last fall after the big vanilla discussion and I also use a 1/2 bottle of Smirnoff that I had laying around. I haven't tried it yet, but the vanilla is a amber in color and smells terrific. The vanilla sugar I made is moist from the beans but not rock hard. I use it all the time and it has a great taste.

I never ordered vanilla bean from Penzeys - I went straight to Just Herbs, so I can't compare directly. But I must say they were the biggest, fattest and most fragrant beans that I've ever seen!

[Molli526]

I finally got around to making my homemade vanilla. I bought some beans from the Penzey's store March 4. Started the vanilla May 4. I used a pint of Smirnoff and I have a pseudo vanilla right now. I used 2 beans, slit down the center. It is already a nice light caramel color and smells like an alcohol-y vanilla. Not bad for less than a week. I am going to get a fifth tomorrow and brew more and get ready for some holiday gifts.

[Svadhisthana]

Do you split your beans before making them into vanilla sugar or vanilla extract? I've only made vanilla sugar and I use leftover scraped out beans from other recipes, never a whole bean.

[DanaSD]

Where can I order Just Herbs vanilla beans - I've been a Penzys user but sounds like there's something new I should try...please let me in on the secret.

[Melman]

Just Herbs is a small herb/spice company in the mountains of Virginia (or West Virginia??) I found them at a local holiday show quite a few years ago and have ordered vanilla beans from them ever since. I think it's a 2-person business. Their phone number is 888-594-3727. The last time I found their website, it was very limited. Vanilla beans have been $2.50 each for ages....I haven't spoken to them since I read in the Penzey's catalog that vanilla prices have gone up. VERY reasonable shipping....it's pretty much whatever the postage is on the envelope/package. If you don't get an answer if/when you call, just leave a message and Donna will return the call as soon as she can.

[Molli526]

Originally posted by Svadhisthana
Do you split your beans before making them into vanilla sugar or vanilla extract? I've only made vanilla sugar and I use leftover scraped out beans from other recipes, never a whole bean.

I am by no means an expert but I split beans for the vanilla and vanilla sugar. I figured it can only help since the little seeds are where the flavor comes from.