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ISO Vanilla Paste recipe

5K views 25 replies 8 participants last post by  JOC 
#1 ·
Trying to duplicate Neilson- Massey vanilla paste recipe. Can you help?
 
#12 · (Edited)
[JUSTIFY]WOW. ... I just looked up recipes too. ... It's brutally simple. You do not have to follow the ingredients from the side of your bottle. NO ... YOU ... DON'T. ... Leave the gum tragacanth and the xanthum gum on the shelves of wherever you were going to buy them. ... SERIOUSLY ... Just use the highest quality vanilla beans you can afford. [/JUSTIFY]

Here are some recipes:
https://www.karascouturecakes.com/how-to-make-your-own-vanilla-bean-paste/

https://dessertswithbenefits.com/homemade-vanilla-bean-paste/

https://veenaazmanov.com/homemade-vanilla-bean-paste-baking-basic/

And here is a video:



"We work in kitchens. ... It ain'te rocket surgery.".
 
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#13 ·
Thank you for the video. Since it only uses 4 beans I will try it. A recipe I have been leaning toward is supposedly a NM copy cat BUT it calls for 1/2 lb of beans. I bought the beans Grade A Madagascar($$$) and have been hesitant to use in the event the recipe is not what I expected! That is the recipe that calls for xanthum gum which I just ordered. The recipe does make a quart of paste which is a plus if it is good! I have the 8 oz of beans soaking in rum per recipe right now!
 
#14 ·
Please help me understand... I’ve never used vanilla paste and especially after this discussion wondering what’s the attraction. Good vanilla extract is tasty and in an alcohol/was yet based that mostly coos out during the bake. Paste seems universally sugar-syrup based. I know it’s not a large amount of additional sugar but is vanilla paste really that much richer than a good vanilla extract? And since the MS ingredient list features vanilla extract as second ingredient... why not just use a bit more extract than called for in a recipe if stronger vanilla flavor is desired.
 
#15 ·
Please help me understand... I've never used vanilla paste and especially after this discussion wondering what's the attraction. Good vanilla extract is tasty and in an alcohol/was yet based that mostly coos out during the bake. Paste seems universally sugar-syrup based. I know it's not a large amount of additional sugar but is vanilla paste really that much richer than a good vanilla extract? And since the MS ingredient list features vanilla extract as second ingredient... why not just use a bit more extract than called for in a recipe if stronger vanilla flavor is desired.
Please help me understand... I've never used vanilla paste and especially after this discussion wondering what's the attraction. Good vanilla extract is tasty and in an alcohol/was yet based that mostly coos out during the bake. Paste seems universally sugar-syrup based. I know it's not a large amount of additional sugar but is vanilla paste really that much richer than a good vanilla extract? And since the MS ingredient list features vanilla extract as second ingredient... why not just use a bit more extract than called for in a recipe if stronger vanilla flavor is desired.
Yes! The paste is really that much richer. The paste actually contains the pod as well as the caviar. My preferred brand to purchase is Neilsen Massey. This summer I started using the paste in my home made ice cream and the difference is remarkable. Paste is a three fold vanilla. I started a two fold extract last summer and will gift some this Christmas.
 
#17 · (Edited)
[JUSTIFY][SIZE=18px]brianshaw[/SIZE] ... If you take a look at the links I posted for recipes it explains in there somewhere the purposes and uses and results of using vanilla paste. That's part of the reason I read into the links. The recipe is just too simple to have much deep interest. It's what goes with that counts. [/JUSTIFY]

"We work in kitchens. ... It ain'te rocket surgery.".
 
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#20 ·
[JUSTIFY][SIZE=18px]brianshaw[/SIZE] ... If you take a look at the links I posted for recipes it explains in there somewhere the purposes and uses and results of using vanilla paste. That's part of the reason I read into the links. The recipe is just to simple to have much deep interest. It's what goes with that counts. [/JUSTIFY]

"We work in kitchens. ... It ain'te rocket surgery.".
I guess my interest is intensified due to the fact the recipe i want to use is using over $100 worth of beans so I am trying to find the best method (there are a few) best flavored, shelf life, and best bang for my buck! Some of the storage methods are also different (susceptible to mold). Thanks!
 
#18 · (Edited)
Thanks very much. Believe it or not, I actually looked at the links you provided. One I had seen before. Conceptually I understand the difference Between the 3 vanilla products.... and have a practical knowledge of vanilla extract and vanilla sugar. What I didn't see was equivalency between extract and paste. For example, if recipe calls for 1 tsp of extract, how much paste would be equivalent. I'll keep looking if nobody can answer. No problem... I'll pretty good researcher. And maybe I'll srart again with your links. Sometimes I end up skimming and missing something on first read.

[Edit: found some information addressing equivalent use of extract, beans, and paste.]
 
#23 ·
I've been using a vanilla paste from Sapna Foods in Atlanta for a few years - it's basically seeds and some extract. It's big bucks, but a little goes a long way and I periodically add vanilla extract to it and the 16 oz container can last us 4-6 months usually. I had been using the Nielsen Massey stuff but the Sapna product blows this away. If you buy this, make sure you ask for the vanilla paste, they have two different products and one is more like a vanilla syrup. this is basically all seeds scraped with just barely enough extract to hold it together.
 
#25 ·
Brian Shaw,

I guess the main difference between extract and paste is the tiny little seeds. If making an ice cream or creams brule with paste, you’ll see those tiny little seeds, but not if using extract.

I find the pastes easier to dispense, especially with a squeeze bottle. One of my golden rules in my kitchen is to never have any glass bottles around, so I don’t have the expensive extracts.

That being said, I have made “pastes” by using extract thickened with glucose.

Reading about vanilla, it’s history, and how it is grown and processed is extremely interesting.
 
#26 ·
Brian Shaw,

I guess the main difference between extract and paste is the tiny little seeds. If making an ice cream or creams brule with paste, you'll see those tiny little seeds, but not if using extract.

I find the pastes easier to dispense, especially with a squeeze bottle. One of my golden rules in my kitchen is to never have any glass bottles around, so I don't have the expensive extracts.

That being said, I have made "pastes" by using extract thickened with glucose.

Reading about vanilla, it's history, and how it is grown and processed is extremely interesting.
The paste being the consistency of syrup the squeeze bottle is an excellent idea! The recipe I am using soaks the beans in rum for a week (I am doing a month) then scrape and cook with the rum and other ingred. using xanthum gum as a thickener. The paste is a lot more flavorful and richer than the extract.
 
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