Vanilla Extracts and Flavorings Vanilla
extracts are made by chopping whole vanilla
beans and repeatedly passing a mixture of
alcohol and water over them for several days,
then aging the extract to develop a more
complex, full flavor. Vanillin and the other
flavor components are more soluble in alcohol
than water, so the higher the flavor content
desired in the extract, the higher the
proportion of alcohol necessary to carry it.
Artificial vanilla flavoring contains
synthetic vanillin made from various
industrial by-products, especially wood lignin,
and doesn’t have the full, complex, subtle
flavor of whole vanilla beans or their extracts.
The demand for vanilla flavoring far exceeds
the available crop, and natural vanillin costs
about 100 times more than synthetic. About
90% of the vanilla flavoring consumed in the
United States is artificial; in France, about
50%.
barry
(Barry)
#1