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

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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:

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.

So, basically, you're a tw@. Good to know. Thanks!

Why are you so angry that you resort to calling people names?

[Anonymous]

OP, a friend gave me some last year, I used it, and I’m still alive, so I think you’re good.

[Anonymous]

People will just through this out.

[Anonymous]

^throw

[Anonymous]

I’ve attempted homemade vanilla before. Once by just having the vanilla in the vodka for months and another time by using the instant pot and then having the vanilla in for a few more weeks. It just turned out different than the stuff I buy from Penzey’s or the store. When I open it to smell it it smells so strongly of vodka and just not quite that lovely vanilla extract smell that I love so much. I was sad.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

So, basically, you're a tw@. Good to know. Thanks!

Why are you so angry that you resort to calling people names?

Why do you assume someone's angry when they point out fact?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’ve attempted homemade vanilla before. Once by just having the vanilla in the vodka for months and another time by using the instant pot and then having the vanilla in for a few more weeks. It just turned out different than the stuff I buy from Penzey’s or the store. When I open it to smell it it smells so strongly of vodka and just not quite that lovely vanilla extract smell that I love so much. I was sad.

Insufficient quantity of beans, probably. Or poor-quality beans.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No worries. Keep alcohol content ABV around 25% to be sure. Could go higher if you want, but not needed.

And for the love of God use something better quality than Titos vodka! LMAO! They buy that stuff by the semi truck load from major distillers in the midwest who distill grain alcohol for automobiles and the industrial chemical industries. Then they ship it to TX to run through a copper pot still to legally call it pot-distilled.

It's like a fancy restaurant buying meat from McDonalds, adding some seasoning and paying a chef $100/hr to cook it, and using that for their $70 burgers.

source?

[Anonymous]

From Wikipedia, on what Bourbon vanilla is and is not:

Bourbon vanilla or Bourbon-Madagascar vanilla, produced from V. planifolia plants introduced from the Americas, is from Indian Ocean islands such as Madagascar, the Comoros, Mauritius and Réunion, formerly named the Île Bourbon. It is also used to describe the distinctive vanilla flavor derived from V. planifolia grown successfully in tropical countries such as India. However, there is no Bourbon whiskey in Bourbon vanilla extract, despite common confusion about this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:From Wikipedia, on what Bourbon vanilla is and is not:

Bourbon vanilla or Bourbon-Madagascar vanilla, produced from V. planifolia plants introduced from the Americas, is from Indian Ocean islands such as Madagascar, the Comoros, Mauritius and Réunion, formerly named the Île Bourbon. It is also used to describe the distinctive vanilla flavor derived from V. planifolia grown successfully in tropical countries such as India. However, there is no Bourbon whiskey in Bourbon vanilla extract, despite common confusion about this.

I'm the one who suggested using bourbon, for the flavor, not the name. But cool story.

[Anonymous]

I’d say use a reliable recipe source like Ina Garten. Then make yourself a batch to use at home. If all goes well with it, you can do it again next year for gifts. But an above poster has a point that you might be better off making or giving something else. I’m an avid baker and something about homemade vanilla extract concerns me. I’m not sure I would trust it as I like to use my reliable brand. And if someone doesn’t bake, it probably won’t be appreciated. I like your line of thinking though. I prefer a hand made thoughtful gift any day! I’m always happy to receive baked goods or treats (cookies, bread, fudge) or a handmade hat and scarf, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

So, basically, you're a tw@. Good to know. Thanks!

Why are you so angry that you resort to calling people names?

Why do you assume someone's angry when they point out fact?

Calling someone a twa@ is not pointing out a "fact." It is a sign of emotional instability and immaturity.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:From Wikipedia, on what Bourbon vanilla is and is not:

Bourbon vanilla or Bourbon-Madagascar vanilla, produced from V. planifolia plants introduced from the Americas, is from Indian Ocean islands such as Madagascar, the Comoros, Mauritius and Réunion, formerly named the Île Bourbon. It is also used to describe the distinctive vanilla flavor derived from V. planifolia grown successfully in tropical countries such as India. However, there is no Bourbon whiskey in Bourbon vanilla extract, despite common confusion about this.

I'm the one who suggested using bourbon, for the flavor, not the name. But cool story.

I love Bourbon, but adding another flavor to your Crafty Mom kitchen project increases the odds that it will never get used.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:From Wikipedia, on what Bourbon vanilla is and is not:

Bourbon vanilla or Bourbon-Madagascar vanilla, produced from V. planifolia plants introduced from the Americas, is from Indian Ocean islands such as Madagascar, the Comoros, Mauritius and Réunion, formerly named the Île Bourbon. It is also used to describe the distinctive vanilla flavor derived from V. planifolia grown successfully in tropical countries such as India. However, there is no Bourbon whiskey in Bourbon vanilla extract, despite common confusion about this.

I'm the one who suggested using bourbon, for the flavor, not the name. But cool story.

I love Bourbon, but adding another flavor to your Crafty Mom kitchen project increases the odds that it will never get used.

Really? We make this for our own use, with a decent bourbon. It's the only vanilla we have in the house. It would never occur to me that someone would not want to use it.