Tasting Manion’s Vanilla Extract
The wonderment of vanilla extract has existed for centuries. It is the world’s most favorite flavoring ingredient, appealing to a broad array of culinary applications. Yet despite it’s popularity as a flavor ingredient, most people do not know how or that they should learn how to taste vanilla Extract! Vanilla Extract is the only flavor in the United States that has a federally mandated standard of identity. This is in part due to the high cost of vanilla beans which encourages dilution of extract products. It’s incredibly difficult for consumers to assess the quality of a vanilla extract on their own, that’s why you should always purchase from a brand you trust.
Vanilla Extract Labels Are Abstract
Even products labeled “Pure Vanilla Extract” that adhere to the FDA standard of identity can be confusing. Why? Because the FDA does not require specification of the origin or quality of the beans used to prepare the extract. It also does not specify the origin or quality of the alcohol used for extraction, only that it be 35% alcohol by volume. For a home cook wanting to use the best vanilla extract, it can be frustrating and confusing. I’ve learned that the best way to compare the taste and fragrance of vanilla extract is to taste it. Here is the methodology used by Joseph Burnett back in 1847. Joseph Burnett was a prominent chemist from Massachusetts that made and sold the first bottles of liquid vanilla extract in America in 1847. His reputation for quality and purity was widely celebrated, and it’s the reason so many homemakers of that time insisted on only using Burnett’s Vanilla.
Make this Simple Test
first, take Manion’s Vanilla and pour a few drops on a Dominos sugar cube. Then sip the extract through the sugar cube. then, repeat this test using another vanilla on another sugar cube. The sharp contrast between this extract and Manion’s Vanilla will be so marked that you will see for yourself.
About Manion’s Vanilla Extract
Manion’s Vanilla is absolutely pure and full flavored, heat is never introduced into our small batch bean to bottle production because our goal is not speed or profit, but to preserve and enhance the hundreds of flavor compounds in these exotic vanilla beans. Unlike other extracts, Manion’s Vanilla delivers no heaviness and bitterness because of its clean, subtle essence. Just a teaspoon or two of Manion’s Vanilla will infuse your dishes, desserts and drinks with more deliciousness. Our slow, cold extraction method of blending the best available vanilla beans in craft 40% alcohol assures a culinary triumph whenever it is used.
Read the Federal Code for Vanilla Extract 21CFR169.175
If you’d like to geek out and learn more about the standard of identity for vanilla extract, you should read the federal code. This helps regulators monitor compliance on this flavor product. This link was last updated on April 1, 2019: The federal code for vanilla extract 21CFR169.175
