Am I going to kill anyone by making homemade vanilla extract as Christmas gifts? (Tito’s and Vanilla Bean Pod)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, I am an experienced and accomplished home cook and baker and I am usually pretty leery of these kinds of homemade gifts. First of all, for my own baking I invest in high quality vanilla and wouldn't reach for a jar of this kind of homemade vanilla extract. Most home gift baked goods are from occasional bakers who like the idea of something homemade but life experience has taught me 1) it's rarely worth the calories, 2) rarely as good as something I can make myself, 3) like many excellent bakers I am also a moderate eater so I don't need other people's offerings cluttering up my cupboard. There are some exceptions from tried and true friend bakers.

Anyway, I concur with a previous poster that odds are such a novelty gift would most likely sit unused for long times before being tossed out. If you must make something homemade, make something that can he eaten with a few days, especially if there are children and husbands around.

Proceed carefully.

Different people have different opinions. I’m inundated with goodies at Christmastime. The last thing I need is more treats meant for immediate consumption. I like this idea. I can use the vanilla extract in anything I want. Store bought bottles are tiny or expensive. I’d think of OP whenever I used this extract. Who cares if it sits a while? So does my store bought extract.

But then again, I’m not afraid to eat my own homemade crème fraiche, which seems way riskier than vanilla extract.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You can give vanilla sugar, OP. Put a vanilla bean into some sugar in a pretty jar and that’s it. Though your intended recipients are not likely as snobby or neurotic as the specimens on this thread.

I’ve never had vanilla sugar or a recipe that calls for it. If you’re going to give vanilla sugar as a gift, please tell me how to use it.

[Anonymous]

I'm not particularly weird about homemade baked goods or germs in general, but this does seem like something I'd be wary of. Limoncello too. Something about the chemistry aspect and potential for bacteria.

Maybe get them a nice jar of vanilla from Penzey's, or the Nielsen-Massey vanilla bean paste?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just don’t do this. Anyone who is a serious cook is going to toss it and anyone who isn’t a serious cook will throw it back on a shelf or toss it. Do something people will appreciate that you do well like making fancy or tasty cookies.

Disagree. I and most of my friends are not particularly serious cooks, but we do cook and bake bc we have families. I’d love some.

What? Have you ever made it? I think that this sort of vanilla is at least as good as what you buy in the store.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm not particularly weird about homemade baked goods or germs in general, but this does seem like something I'd be wary of. Limoncello too. Something about the chemistry aspect and potential for bacteria.

Maybe get them a nice jar of vanilla from Penzey's, or the Nielsen-Massey vanilla bean paste?

Vodka kills the bacteria. For the person saying it will sit for a long time, that's the point. If you leave the pod in the bottle, the vanilla gets stronger the longer it sits. What exactly do you think is so special about store bought vanilla? It's the same thing.

[Anonymous]

Vanilla sugar could go in coffee, part of cinnamon toast, sprinkled on French toast, etc

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm not particularly weird about homemade baked goods or germs in general, but this does seem like something I'd be wary of. Limoncello too. Something about the chemistry aspect and potential for bacteria.

Maybe get them a nice jar of vanilla from Penzey's, or the Nielsen-Massey vanilla bean paste?

Vodka kills the bacteria. For the person saying it will sit for a long time, that's the point. If you leave the pod in the bottle, the vanilla gets stronger the longer it sits. What exactly do you think is so special about store bought vanilla? It's the same thing.

God save the lot of those folks if there's ever a situation where they have to do the labor to actually procure and prepare their own food. It's absolutely wild how little some people know about basic food preparation and storage.

All the "maybe just buy a factory-produced item" posters might want to (re)read The Jungle. Your food is nowhere near as clean and sanitary as you think, and that goes double for the "I'll eat in a restaurant, but not something my friend made in their kitchen (even when it's literally a bottle of alcohol)".

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So much stupidity for "serious bakers".

Right? Y'all are mental

[Anonymous]

Why waste Titos? Use something cheaper.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm not particularly weird about homemade baked goods or germs in general, but this does seem like something I'd be wary of. Limoncello too. Something about the chemistry aspect and potential for bacteria.

Maybe get them a nice jar of vanilla from Penzey's, or the Nielsen-Massey vanilla bean paste?

Vodka kills the bacteria. For the person saying it will sit for a long time, that's the point. If you leave the pod in the bottle, the vanilla gets stronger the longer it sits. What exactly do you think is so special about store bought vanilla? It's the same thing.

It's actually so much less! The beans used for vanilla are b grade, or leftover bits (waste not; they serve a purpose) in what you'd call well booze. It's enough to extract the oils, but it's not great. Grade A vanilla beans in good bourbon are a whole new level.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why waste Titos? Use something cheaper.

Wait, what's cheaper than Tito's?

[Anonymous]

Also I would never use home made extract. I far prefer to bake with vanilla bean paste. Superior flavour.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'd be sure your recipients will really want it.

Personally I would not use a homemade solution like this no matter who made it. Just too ick for me.

Yet you eat in restaurants.

I do but there are two huge differences:
- Restaurants are monitored and certified by the health department and people who work in them have some training
- (Realizing the above doesn't guarantee compliance) the kitchens are hidden from me in restaurants, and I don't know what the inside of people's homes who are preparing the food look like.

I totally get the reluctance to eat items people made in their home kitchens because the general public has differing opinions on cleanliness and knowledge of/compliance with safe food handling practices, but it’s hard enough to contaminate a bottle of alcohol that’s only been opened once or twice that I don’t think that’s a legitimate concern with this particular gift.

Yeah I know, but that's why I called it an "ick" instead of a logical reason for not wanting to use it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'd be sure your recipients will really want it.

Personally I would not use a homemade solution like this no matter who made it. Just too ick for me.

Yet you eat in restaurants.

I do but there are two huge differences:
- Restaurants are monitored and certified by the health department and people who work in them have some training
- (Realizing the above doesn't guarantee compliance) the kitchens are hidden from me in restaurants, and I don't know what the inside of people's homes who are preparing the food look like.

I totally get the reluctance to eat items people made in their home kitchens because the general public has differing opinions on cleanliness and knowledge of/compliance with safe food handling practices, but it’s hard enough to contaminate a bottle of alcohol that’s only been opened once or twice that I don’t think that’s a legitimate concern with this particular gift.

Yeah I know, but that's why I called it an "ick" instead of a logical reason for not wanting to use it.

I thought you called it an “ick” due to a limited vocabulary.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Also I would never use home made extract. I far prefer to bake with vanilla bean paste. Superior flavour.

Inferior visual appeal in many dishes.