![]() ![]() Bury it in a bag of sugar, then use that vanilla sugar for all-purpose baking, or bury it in a jar of salt, then use it to finish cookies and brownies. So after you’ve used the seeds, rinse the pod, let it air dry, then put it to use. That scraped-out pod still holds a ton of flavor. (But check your vanilla paste bottle, as some brands may vary!) Is there anything I can do with the spent pods? pure vanilla extract =one 6-inch vanilla bean = 1 Tbsp. How do I convert between extract, paste, and beans?Īs a general rule of thumb, 1 Tbsp. But when vanilla is a backdrop to the star elements (in spice cookies, chocolate cake, and fruit pie filling, for example), save a buck and go with extract. When vanilla is the sole flavor and those signature flecks will be in the spotlight (think pudding, ice cream, crème brûlée, shortbread), splurge and buy the bean or use paste. You’re tempted to swap out a pricey vanilla bean for the (slightly) more economical vanilla extract. Can I use vanilla extract if a recipe calls for vanilla bean? Vanilla powder is less common and less versatile, but good for dry mixes like homemade pancake mix or dry rubs-it’s made from dried vanilla beans ground into a fine powder. A combination of vanilla bean seeds, extract, sugar, and natural gum thickeners, it gives you those classic speckles for a fraction of the price as whole beans. You can also purchase vanilla in the form of vanilla bean paste. While extract and whole beans are among the most popular sources of vanilla flavor, they’re not the only ones out there. When it comes to your average supermarket purchases, there’s no need to fret: Nearly all vanilla extracts are vegan-even the imitation ones. Global production is extremely limited, and it’s more commonly found in perfumes and cosmetics. It’s recognized as safe by the FDA and could, in theory, sneak onto ingredients lists under the label of “ natural flavorings.” But the truth is you’re actually not likely to encounter it in your desserts. ![]() Beaver castoreum (the goo-like vanilla-scented secretion that comes from beavers’ castor sacs, located, yes, in close proximity to their anal glands) has been used as a food additive for much of the last century. When it comes to imitation vanilla, there’s a whooole lot of talk about beaver anal glands. ( Read about scientists who milk mice.For sweets with pared-down ingredient lists or that come together over low heat or without any heat (like puddings, custards, pastry cream, no-bake desserts, whipped cream), however, the difference will likely be more pronounced. Foodies bent on acquiring some of the sticky stuff have to anesthetize the animal and then “milk” its nether regions. Save a Cow, Milk a Beaverīut getting a beaver to produce castoreum for purposes of food processing is tough. Instead of smelling icky, castoreum has a musky, vanilla scent, which is why food scientists like to incorporate it in recipes. While most anal secretions stink-due to odor-producing bacteria in the gut-this chemical compound is a product of the beaver’s unique diet of leaves and bark, Crawford added. The fragrant, brown slime is about the consistency of molasses, though not quite as thick, Crawford said. Because of its close proximity to the anal glands, castoreum is often a combination of castor gland secretions, anal gland secretions, and urine. “I tell them, ‘Oh, but it’s beavers it smells really good.'”Ĭastoreum is a chemical compound that mostly comes from a beaver’s castor sacs, which are located between the pelvis and the base of the tail. “I lift up the animal’s tail,” said Joanne Crawford, a wildlife ecologist at Southern Illinois University, “and I’m like, ‘Get down there, and stick your nose near its bum.'” Food and Drug Administration lists castoreum as a “generally regarded as safe” additive, and manufacturers have been using it extensively in perfumes and foods for at least 80 years, according to a 2007 study in the International Journal of Toxicology. Just in time for holiday cookie season, we’ve discovered that the vanilla flavoring in your baked goods and candy could come from the anal excretions of beavers.īeaver butts secrete a goo called castoreum, which the animals use to mark their territory. ![]()
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