| Author | Content |
gabriell
Tyler, TX (Zone 8b)
July 20, 2006 3:07 AM Post #2525625
| A friend brought me a bottle of Mexican vanilla from her cruise. Can someone tell me how to use this? I've not had it before. Thanks in advance. |
Tir_Na_Nog
Houston
United States (Zone 9b)
July 20, 2006 3:16 AM Post #2525661
| I have a huge bottle of what we call "mexican vanilla." Assuming we both have one and the same I just use it as you would regular vanilla! We buy it in a quart sized jar in the international aisle of any grocery store down here and it is about $5 for the jar! It beats buying imitation vanilla (ew) and the small bottles of vanilla from other places for more money. If this isn't what you have, disregard my comments. =) |
gabriell
Tyler, TX (Zone 8b)
July 20, 2006 8:25 PM Post #2527909
| Thanks for your response. I'm sure we have the same thing. I thought perhaps Mexican vanilla might be stronger.I'm going to give it a try. I normally use Watkin's brand, the real thing. |
hope43
Tulsa, OK (Zone 7a)
July 22, 2006 2:46 AM Post #2533408
| had it to was told was stronger not to use as much but guess told wrong.. |
Tir_Na_Nog
Houston
United States (Zone 9b)
July 22, 2006 4:05 AM Post #2533600
| It may be true that some vanillas are stronger depending on origin but I've not experienced this one made in Mexico any stronger. |
terracotta
Santa Barbara County, CA (Zone 9a)
July 22, 2006 4:06 AM Post #2533604
| Alton Brown talked about vanilla the other day on his Good Eats show. If I'm remembering correctly, I think he said he really likes it as long as it's a good quality. I was hoping to find a copy of what he said on the Food Network website, but it just lists some of the recipes he made that day.
Here are a couple of websites that might be helpful:
http://www.vanilla.com/html/facts-mexican.html (explains how to determine if your vanilla is of a good quality)
Specifically re Alton Brown show on vanilla:
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20060626001315AA...
Here are the recipes Alton Brown made on his Vanilla Show:
http://www.foodtv.com/food/show_ea/episode/0,1976,FOOD_9956_... |
Tir_Na_Nog
Houston
United States (Zone 9b)
July 22, 2006 4:08 AM Post #2533608
| Thanks Terra! |
darius
So.App.Mtns.
United States (Zone 5b)
July 25, 2006 5:58 PM Post #2546778
| Here's some basic info on vanilla I posted to the DG cookbook several years ago. It gives Mexican vanilla a pretty good rating.
http://davesgarden.com/cookbook/viewentry.php?rid=746 |
GrammysGardenAZ
Cochise, AZ (Zone 8b)
July 25, 2006 9:51 PM Post #2547616
| I love Mexican Vanilla. It has a good flavor, smells wonderful in baking and is much lees expensive than "gourmet" brands. I usually send it to my sisters in early November and if I run late, I hear from them! |
dmac085
Greensboro, NC (Zone 7a)
July 28, 2006 5:32 PM Post #2559423
| I had just asked about vanilla at the cooking site I belong to. There is alot of great info and links for vanilla there.
http://www.recipezaar.com/bb/viewtopic.zsp?t=170225 |
TwinLakesChef
OC, CA & Twin Lakes , IA (Zone 4b)
August 4, 2006 4:27 PM Post #2586412
| I am not sure if Mexican vanilla is stronger but it certainly has a bigger, bolder, more complex flavor. Try it in homemade vanilla ice cream and you will get hooked.
Can't use anything but . . .
Mine always comes in the big bottle. My nephew brought me some vanilla from Mexico last year in a very small jar and it wasn't the real thing. When you take the lid off you can SMELL the difference . . . heavenly! |
Sashagirl
Davenport, IA (Zone 5a)
August 11, 2006 1:43 AM Post #2609103
| My next door neighbors used to spend six months in Brownsville, Tx. They went to Mexico often to shop, while down there. Every year, they would bring me back a Quart? jar of Mexican vanilla. This was in the 70's and 80's. At one time, I must have stockpiled 4 jars of it, but it never went bad, and was the best vanilla I ever used. Wonderful in baking, for repeling mosquitoes, gnats and flies.(rubbed on the skin). They never paid more than $2.00 a bottle, back then. I used the last of it around 2000.
I would love to have some again. It's the BEST! I didn't notice that it was stronger than what we buy locally, but it sure was more flavorful, IMHO.
DeannaV |
LavinaMae
Grantsboro, NC (Zone 8b)
August 20, 2006 9:04 PM Post #2642057
| I love Mexican Vanilla its hard to come by in NC but it taste so much better than the store both imitation we have in stores. Hate I have used up my 3 bottles already.
Oh yeah my boss brought it back from Cancun--$3 a bottle.
Lavina
This message was edited Aug 22, 2006 7:26 PM |
bksmall
San Andreas, CA (Zone 9b)
August 23, 2006 11:57 PM Post #2653006
| Just a little funny about Mexican Vanilla: My girlfriend sometimes has a little lack of $ when it comes to buying perfumes so she dabs a little Mexican Vanills behind her ears and that makes her kids say, "Gee, Mom, you sure smell good! LOL |
msfarmergirl
Philadelphia, MS (Zone 7b)
August 24, 2006 12:02 PM Post #2654317
| I have cousins that provide my Mexican vanilla. Neither Mom nor I would bake without it. However, I'm having a dickens of a time finding vanilla beans! We live in a rural area and I've found it on the internet but am having a hard time allowing myself to pay $8.25 + shipping or higher for TWO beans! Anybody else know of a better buy or source? |
leelovespigs
Talbot
Australia
August 24, 2006 12:07 PM Post #2654328
| As an alternative to Vanilla Beans (here in Australia), if they are the same things as we have - we use Vanilla Essence. Comes in a bottle, is liquid and puts the same flavour in things as the Bean itself. It only costs about $3 to $4 and is available in the Supermarket (near the baking and cake/cake decorating area)
:-) Lee |
msfarmergirl
Philadelphia, MS (Zone 7b)
August 24, 2006 12:42 PM Post #2654409
| Lee, thanks so much...but I like making "vanilla sugar" and such from the beans. You put the beans in a canister of sugar and then use the sugar for flavoring other things..I know I could just use vanilla flavoring but somehow, its just different and you can use it in stuff that maybe normally wouldn't call for vanilla. I just like making things hard on myself, I guess.
By the way, I still haven't found all of the ingredients locally for your sponge cake...still searching. Its become almost like a treasure hunt for me. Folks in the grocery stores are giving me weird looks - but they do that anyway (LOL) |
leelovespigs
Talbot
Australia
August 24, 2006 1:06 PM Post #2654454
| You might find this useful for the recipe. Wuvie told me (in the Trash & Treasure Forum) the following:
"Custard powder can be found, but generally online for about six dollars.
Orgran and also Crosse & Blackwell are available on Amazon.com.
Isn't the internet fabulous? What on earth would we do without it?"
Seems that the 'Custard Powder' has been the worst to translate. Hope this helps although we get the powder for between $2 to $3 for a 500 gram pack!!! See how you go. :-) Lee
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terracotta
Santa Barbara County, CA (Zone 9a)
September 2, 2006 7:11 AM Post #2684116
| I just watched that Alton Brown show on vanilla again so I could pay attention to what he said about Mexican vanilla. He said he really likes good quality Mexican vanilla, but people should be careful not to buy the cheaper kinds made with Tonka beans (which contain coumarin) because they are carcinogens.
I googled Tonka beans and found lots of sites (including lots of sites that use Tonka beans in recipes). This site http://waynesword.palomar.edu/ecoph26.htm#tonka says tonka beans have been shown to be carcinogenic when they are burned. I'm not sure if the beans are actually burned in the vanilla-making process, but I'm not taking any chances.
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