VANILLA EXTRACT

Vanilla is one of the world’s most popular flavorings. Most anyone who bakes considers whole beans and pure extract pantry essentials. As a result, it’s easy to overlook the painstaking, labor-intensive process used to grow and harvest this sweet, aromatic spice.

From hand-pollinating each and every orchid the very day the flower blooms to harvesting the beans at the peak of maturity, just as the color changes from green to yellow, and curing the bean to deliver a deep, creamy flavor- it’s easy to see why vanilla is one of the more expensive spices.

Vanilla is native to Mexico and Central America, where the Aztecs used the beans to create a delicious beverage of chocolate and vanilla sweetened with honey. Vanilla’s popularity led to its widespread cultivation, and today it’s exported from the islands of Reunion and Madagascar, Indonesia and Tahiti.

Beans from each region have a unique flavor profile, but Bourbon vanilla beans from Madagascar are considered by many to be the world’s finest. The warm, moist climate and rich soil produce vanilla with a deep, creamy flavor.

Spice Islands 100% pure Bourbon vanilla extract is created by soaking finely chopped beans in alcohol, a process known as maceration, to draw out the beans’ aromatic and flavor compounds. Vanilla beans, water and alcohol are the sole ingredients, with no trace of corn syrup some extracts use to reduce the bitter flavor of inferior beans.

Use this fully flavored, 100% pure vanilla extract to infuse baked goods with a complex sweetness.

TRY IT WITH…
Baked Goods
Icings & Frostings
Custards
Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt
Fresh Fruit Salads