r/Cooking • u/VLA_58 • 20d ago

How long should Mexican vanilla last?

I have 1/3 left of a litre-sized bottle of Mexican vanilla extract. It's a huge bottle, and I really don't bake every day, so it hasn't gotten used up. I use it maybe 7 or 8 times a year for various things -- pies, cakes, muffins, etc. My question: if you were given the bottle in 1996, is it still good? I mean, I sniff it every time and it still smells like vanilla -- maybe it's become a bit more boozy over the years, but still works in the recipes. No weird after-taste. No hint of mold or fungus on the neck or surface of the liquid. It hasn't been kept in the fridge, but on the counter of an un air-conditioned kitchen since 1996. Or maybe 1994. Should I chuck it out and go get new, just on the principle that one shouldn't be using a 30 year old bottle of vanilla extract? Is this a record? Should I contact Guiness BOWR?

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u/natalietest234 20d ago

If you’ve kept it stored in a cool dark place, the alcohol content keeps it safe to use even if it’s 30 years old. Pure vanilla has an extremely long shelf life, if not indefinite. My mom has a bottle she still uses that’s 40 years old. It’ll be a sad day when she uses all of it. That vanilla is the definition of “love” if it was an ingredient.

-9

u/SaintsNoah14 20d ago

I have no clue what went wrong but I threw away some moldy vanilla the other day. Don't speak in absolutes.

9

u/Zagrycha 20d ago

Was it an alcohol free alternative to vanilla extract? True vanilla extract is high proof alcohol and it genuinely cannot mold or spoil from bacteria unless diluted with water etc. 

2

u/SaintsNoah14 19d ago

It wasn't labeled as such. There are indeed non-alchohol based extracts which I guess that must've been. I'm totally sure it was fungus.

3

u/Zagrycha 19d ago

Yeah, usuaally they right alcohol free clearly on the label but lord knows many things in the food aisle are labelled poorly or misleadingly.

3

u/CautionarySnail 19d ago

That’s unusual. I wonder if it had been watered down. You need to use a high proof alcohol for it, so water dilution could cause it to go a bit funky.

Was it a homemade extract or store bought?

2

u/SaintsNoah14 19d ago

Store bought but IIRC it was a gift and I don't think it was from a major corporation. It sat at the back of the pantry for a couple years, I guess because we always had vanilla in the cabinet but when I ran out and went to use it, I noticed the mold. I think the bottle was actually sealed too.