vanilla essence/extract/flavouring

[June2009]

Heya,

My cake recipe needs "vanilla essence" and I have ran out. I went to Tesco and all I can find there is Tesco's "vanilla flavouring"
(I don't think that's the same, it looked like something you use for icing) and a posh looking bottle of "vanilla extract" (looks like 250ml or maybe 300ml, £5).

Can I use either of these instead of "vanilla essence"?

or, do you know where I can get essence from?

I replaced it with cognac in my recipe which was fine last time.

Vanilla extract will be the same as vanilla essence, I'm pretty sure. Vanilla flavouring is a cheap (and nasty) copy.

thanks the more I think about it the more I really want that nice looking bottle of "extract" :)

is the posh bottle a brown bottle with black lid (I forget the name). If so - it's the one I always use and is well worth the money (and it lasts ages). All the celeb chefs use that one. You can also get it in Lakeland. Get it!

I think vanilla essence is just artificial vanilla flavouring (not made from vanilla pods), whereas vanilla extract is the "real thing" and therefore more expensive?

I always use vanilla extract, whether the recipe calls for essence or extract (but not the big posh bottle, think the one I have at the moment is Asda Extra Special or Dr Oetker or something )

Depends how much you want to spend!!

Vanilla extract is made by stepping the beans in pure alcohol, then filtering and bottling. Vanilla essence is synthetically produced and is far inferior in flavouring to extract.

Whereever possible I use actual vanilla pods split and scraped for a vanilla flavour, otherwise a very good quality exract.

Yes vanilla extract (the more expensive one in the brown bottle) is the one you want, it's really good & makes a great difference flavour-wise. It lasts for ages too as you only need a tiny amount each time so it's well worth the money.

By the way, when your recipes call for, say, 1 tablespoon or 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract, you can decide to put a bit less & it's still going to taste lovely. That way you can make the bottle last longer.

the same peeps that do that bottle of extract...also did a vanilla gloop, yes it really was called that 3)

It was really lovely, all the teeny black vanilla pips in.

So if you see that anywhere BUY IT!!

Vanilla gloop?! Never heard of it, what a name.

...but does sound good weirdly enough. They do need to work on that name though. Gloop? come on.

[blush} it wasn't really called gloop... It too early for me to remember

and it was lovely, espesh for icecream and custard, or cheesecakes

vanilla essence is vanilla flavoured oil, which may not contain artificial flavour.

vanilla extract is the real thing, the extracted aroma from the vanilla bean. expensive, but you don't need a lot because the flavour is quite intense.

sorry, 'which may not contain artificial flavour'

Oops sorry catsmamma, thought you said it was called gloop :)

see, this is why MN needs a 3) smiley

it means of course, because I said so, why would I lie?, and that sniffy down your nose snorty breath/hmphfff noise

....a very useful smiley
:o

Definitely needed!

i knew should have stayed over there...i am too set in my ways to do a new forum

xx

Vanilla essence is not the same as Vanilla extract!

Essence is flavouring and extract is from the Vanilla bean/pod.

My advice is get the "posh" extract. It is so worth it, it will last ages and make a difference to your baking. I have it and it tastes and smell's divine!!

Extract is much better than essence. The essence is horrid! And as someone else said, you need less extract, maybe 1/2 the amount compared to essence.

The other thing you can do (apart from using the extract, which as we all agree is the one to go for) is to make vanilla sugar by adding a couple of split vanilla pods to a jar of sugar (which you can then keep topping up pretty much indefinitely).

Thank you :D I got some vanilla extract today, not the posh bottle as we were in a different shop and they didn't have it.
I had no idea about the vanilla essence, so glad I know now! (never thought of checking the ingredients!)