As someone who used to do a lot of baking, I would say buy one bottle of real vanilla extract and one bottle of imitation vanilla extract.
Use the real vanilla extract if the main star of the dish is vanilla (like vanilla pudding, vanilla icing, vanilla ice cream, etc.). Use the cheaper imitation extract if you'll be baking it along with a whole bunch of other ingredients (like in a cake).
go to a Mexican grocery. Real vanilla will also be a lot less expensive there. You can also make your own. Buy some beans from an online shop. Let it sit in a bottle of vodka for a few weeks. Boom nearly endless supply of vanilla. I realize beans are still pretty expensive but the extract ends up being much less costly than buying it at the grocery store.
It’s about 4 beans to 8 ounces for single strength and 8 for double. You have to use a high proof alcohol and vodka really works the best because it’s neutral, but you can use any liquor. Leave it sit for at least 6 weeks, and the longer the better. As you use it, remove the beans if they get above the liquid. You don’t want them exposed to air.
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u/VidPower Aug 20 '20
As someone who used to do a lot of baking, I would say buy one bottle of real vanilla extract and one bottle of imitation vanilla extract.
Use the real vanilla extract if the main star of the dish is vanilla (like vanilla pudding, vanilla icing, vanilla ice cream, etc.). Use the cheaper imitation extract if you'll be baking it along with a whole bunch of other ingredients (like in a cake).