What the difference between Mexican vanilla and regular?
And where do you find it?
Came across an article discussing how expensive vanilla extract has become and it suggested buying vanilla bean pods and soaking them in vodka. Sounds good to me!
I live in Texas, Mexican Vanilla is cheaper and has a ‘different’ flavor than regular vanilla.Pure vanilla is made with the extract of beans from the vanilla plant. Mexican vanilla is frequently made with the extract of beans from the tonka tree, an entirely different plant that belongs to the pea family. Tonka bean extract contains coumarin.
I soak vanilla beans in bourbon and I prefer it to anything I buy.
Came across an article discussing how expensive vanilla extract has become and it suggested buying vanilla bean pods and soaking them in vodka. Sounds good to me!"
Mexican vanilla has lots of non vanilla ingredients and the regulation of its production is iffy. Mexican cured beans (not necessarily from the country) are cured on a hot surface, as opposed to Bourbon cured beans, which are steam cured (nothing to do with the alcohol.)
Beans are crazy expensive, so it you want to get into making your own vanilla go to facebook (I know, I know... f book) and join the Vanilla bean co-op. They have fabulous beans at really reasonable prices and all the information you could need to get started. That said.... my new addiction means I have about 2 gallons of vanilla(various types of beans and booze) aging in my closet. Boy, is it good!