I would suggest getting your vanilla beans from Penzeys. You can order them online from their web site. Penzeys is a very reputable company and everything I have ordered from them is excellent.

Knob Creek bourbon is the bourbon I use for making vanilla extract. It is worth the cost. I make it in big batches because it gets better and better with age. My oldest bottle of vanilla extract is from 1995 and it takes all the descipline in the world for me to pour the teaspoon into the batter and not put it right in my mouth.

I order my vanilla beans from Penzey's online since we do not have a Penzey's store nearby.

If you can sweet talk a pharmacist into selling you a few of the plastic cough syrup bottles, they work well. Not as nice as the old fashioned glass cough syrup bottles though. Sheesh, are we going to be buying beer in plastic bottles too?

I bought some Rodelle vanilla beans from Costco with 5 in each of the glass cylinders. I've never bought them before but they don't smell like vanilla at all. Are they supposed to?

Vanilla extracts made in the US are all the same strength and the same amount of alcohol. This is a legal requirement. They may also contain limited other ingredients such as corn syrup or sugar.

In the US it is only natural vanilla extract if the vanilla flavor components come from vanilla beans. Artificial vanilla flavors actually come from plant sources - just not vanilla beans.

Avoid Mexican vanillas. The labeling laws are not the same so a natural vanilla from Mexico may be technically natural (coming from natural sources) but not from vanilla beans. Also keep in mind that some natural vanilla flavors come from sources found to be carcinogenic which is why they are not allowed in the US.

Also remember that real vanilla is brown.. If you see a vanilla flavor or powder that is clear or pure white then it is an indication that it is not using the vanilla bean components to provide the flavor.

In blind taste tests over 99% of tasters cannot tell the difference between natural and artificial vanilla in baked goods. This is one reason why the US law is so strict. The average consumer simply cannot tell the difference.

Which variety of vanilla is better? It really is a matter of preference. I prefer Indonesian or Java vanilla for basic baking extract. It is a harsher vanilla that comes through a bit clearer in baked goods.

For things like sauces, dressing or french toast, I prefer a 4x tahitian vanilla. The vanilla concentrates have a slightly different character that I like in these cooking applications.

Faerie
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I don't trust vanilla from Mexico, 10 years ago it was different but I will never purchase or use them again. The market has become completely unreliable and fakes are rampant.

I too buy my vanilla from Trader Joe's. 4 ounces for 3.99 or 4.99 for depending on the variety of the bean. It's great quality.

I have made my own as well using vodka or whiskey and good organic beans- even after letting it sit for a year it still tastes too "boozy" for my palate.

I purchase fresh vanilla beans from ebay from a seller with "organic" in the name, I have always been very happy with the quality and price.

I've also purchased vanilla beans from Costco in the pkg of 2 big glass vials of 5 beans each for about $11- usually my Costco only carries them around the holidays. They do smell like fresh vanilla and are very good, much better than what you can get for 4x the cost in the supermarket. Still they can't compare to the fresh fat beans I buy on ebay. Try them!

Bar none, I love buying my vanilla beans in tahiti. They are fresh and georgous and the smell is rafting all over several of the islands. I spent hundreds of dollars to bring back to friends this last visit. They aren't cheap even there, but I always buy the long fresh bean pods, extract, and my Mother likes the powdered sugar.
Next time hummingbird, I will get you some and you will adore it.

Not unless your Dad has any objection to the idea, but if he hasn't drunk them yet, he may not be planning to so why let it go to waste?